TEXT: d20 Modern(tm) is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., 
  a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is used with permission. 
  Dungeons & Dragons(R) and Wizards of the Coast(R) are 
  registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary 
  of Hasbro, Inc., and are used with permission.
  Copyright 2004 © RPG Objects.  All rights Reserved.
  Visit our web site at www.RPGObjects.com.
  BY 
  DOMINIC COVEY
  WWW.RPGOBJECTS.COM
  WWW.DARWINRPG.COM
   PLAYTESTING: 
  DOMINIC COVEY, CHRIS DAVIS, Chris Derner,, Chris 
  Hoover,  Ryan KellEy, Ethan Ripplinger, Aaron 
  Wiggins. 
  COVER: DOMINIC COVEY
  CARTOGRAPHY: DOMiNIC COVEY
  ART: AARON PANAGOS, JOHN LONGENBAUGH
  EDITING: ANDY RAU, CHRIS VAN DELEEN  
  LAYOUT: CHRIS DAVIS
  
  2
  The Necropolis 
  4
  The Ruin At The End Of The World 
  4
  What This Book Is - And What It Isn’t 
  5
  How This Book Is Presented 
  6
  Introduction 
  6
  The City Map 
  7
  Travel On The City Map 
  9
  Balance 
  11
  Adventure Hooks 
  11
  Getting Into The City 
  13
  The Reaches 
  15
  001. Cartel Outpost (EL 4) 
  16
  002. Lost Merchant Caravan (EL 0) 
  16
  003. Abandoned Homestead (EL 0) 
  17
  004. Free Range (EL 5) 
  17
  005. Ruined Homestead (EL 6) 
  17
  006. Farm (EL 2) 
  18
  007. Camp Of The Shadow People (EL 7) 
  19
  008. Den (EL Varies) 
  20
  009. Camp Of The Destined (EL 6) 
  22
  010. Village Of The Rat People (EL Varies) 
  23
  Dead City 
  25
  011. Sanctuary (EL Varies) 
  26
  012. Diseased Beasts (EL 6) 
  28
  013. Diseased Ruin-pickers (EL 7) 
  29
  014. Diseased Crater (EL 8) 
  29
  015. Raider Stockade (EL Varies) 
  30
  016. Sharkey’s Auto Repair (EL 5) 
  34
  017. Golden Dragon (EL 9) 
  34
  018. Ghost Raider Tribe (EL Varies) 
  35
  019. Hidden Paradise (EL 0) 
  36
  020. Angel Stadium (EL Varies) 
  36
  021. Uncovered Find (EL 0) 
  38
  022. Lost Settlers (EL 2) 
  39
  The Hive 
  40
  023. Chemical Plant (EL Varies) 
  42
  024. Madman (EL 3) 
  42
  025. Hive A (EL Varies) 
  43
  026. Desolation (EL 0) 
  47
  027. Hive B (EL Varies) 
  47
  028. Bug Bridge (EL Varies) 
  48
  029. Hive C (EL Varies) 
  48
  030. More Desolation (EL Varies) 
  49
  031. Hive D (EL 14) 
  49
  032. Burning Buildings (EL 15) 
  49
  033. Primitive Tribe (EL Varies) 
  50
  034. Hive E (EL Varies) 
  50
  035. Serpent Pit (EL 8) 
  51
  036. Army/Navy Surplus (EL 4) 
  51
  037. Dying Tank Bug (EL 12) 
  52
  038. Trafﬁc Jam (EL Varies) 
  52
  039. Whittier Police Station (EL Varies) 
  52
  040. Ghoul Town (EL Varies) 
  53
  041. Ancient Battleground (EL 0) 
  55
  042. Institute Of Entomological Studies (EL 0) 
  55
  043. Crashed Chopper (EL 0) 
  56
  044. Enemy Droids (EL 11) 
  56
  045. More Enemy Droids (EL 11) 
  57
  046. Battleﬁeld (EL 0) 
  57
  047. Cult Hideout (EL 0) 
  57
  048. Mission Of St. Michael The Archangel (EL 0) 58
  049. Homeless Camp (EL 7) 
  59
  050. Gun Emporium (EL 4) 
  59
  051. The Great Crater (EL Varies) 
  60
  Los Angeles Harbor 
  62
  052. The Harbor (EL Varies) 
  63
  053. Hidden Skael Enclave (EL Varies) 
  67
  054. Watchers From The Deep (EL Varies) 
  68
  055. Harbor Sewer (EL 5) 
  69
  056. Conﬁnement Center (EL 12) 
  69
  057. Scrapyard (EL 13) 
  70
  058. Gas Station (EL 0) 
  71
  059. Android Base Complex (EL Varies) 
  71
  060. Sewer Entrance (EL 12) 
  75
  061. Power Pipeline (EL 10) 
  75
  062. Recycled-organics Plant (EL 18) 
  76
  063. Impound Yard (EL 18) 
  76
  064. Jetty (EL 10) 
  77
  065. Android Waystation (EL 16) 
  78
  066. Isolated Crater (EL 0) 
  79
  067. Marine Institute (EL 8) 
  79
  Pasadena 
  80
  068. Foundation Outpost (EL 2) 
  81
  069. Lost Foundation Fortress (EL 11) 
  82
  070. Great Park (EL 0) 
  85
  071. Altadena Police Station (EL O) 
  85
  072. Cave Of Eternal Life (EL 3) 
  86
  073. Porn Set (EL 0) 
  87
  074. Arboretum (EL Varies) 
  88
  075. CalTech (EL Varies) 
  92
  076. Crash Site (EL 5) 
  94
  Domain Of The Flesh Eaters 
  95
  077. AA Emplacement (EL 0) 
  96
  078. Ghoul Hideout (EL Varies) 
  97
  079. Construction Robot (EL 1) 
  97
  080. Tribe Of The Burrowers (EL Varies) 
  98
  081. Willowbrook Medical Center (EL 5) 
  99
  082. Ulgar’s Tribe (EL Varies) 
  100
  083. Abandoned Community (EL 0) 
  101
  084. Pestilent Ones (EL Varies) 
  101
  085. Lost Mutagon Graveyard (EL 0) 
  101
  086. Pit Of Horrors (EL Varies) 
  102
  087. La Mirada Police Station (EL Varies) 
  103
  088. Gang Hideout (EL 3) 
  103
  089. The Vast Ooze (EL 15) 
  104
  090. Chop Shop (EL 0) 
  104
  091. Enemy Position (EL 9) 
  105
  092. Underworld Sightless Stalkers (EL Varies) 
  105
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  3
  Domain Of The Broken Ones 
  113
  093. City Of The Broken Ones (EL Varies) 
  117
  094. Hills Of The Broken Ones (EL Varies) 
  125
  095. Village Ythra (EL 8) 
  125
  096. Village Tamaris (EL 12) 
  125
  097. Village Mansu (EL 12) 
  126
  098. Village Horeak (EL 8) 
  127
  099. Village Varia (EL 6) 
  128
  100. Village Golgarus (EL 12) 
  129
  101. Oracle (EL Varies) 
  129
  102. Village Of The Carrion Knights (EL Varies) 
  131
  103. Wall Crawlers (EL 10) 
  131
  104. Carrion Raptor Nesting Ground (EL 9) 
  132
  105. Artillery Firebase (EL 18) 
  132
  106. Foreboding Ruin (EL Varies) 
  133
  107. Horrors (EL 9) 
  134
  108. Place Of The Sky Watchers (EL Varies) 
  135
  109. Broken Ones Camp (EL 15) 
  136
  110. Amazon Fortress (EL Varies) 
  137
  111. The Old University (EL 0) 
  139
  112. Coliseum Of The Wild Men (EL 20) 
  140
  113. Place Of Ancient Ghosts (EL 7) 
  141
  114. Savage Village (EL 10) 
  141
  115. Coast Of Skeleton Ships (EL 8) 
  142
  116. Fields Of Fire (EL 17) 
  142
  117. Slave Quarries (EL 18) 
  143
  118. Junkﬁelds (EL Varies) 
  144
  119. Crashed Airplane (EL 2) 
  144
  120. Cyrus’ Crib (EL 0) 
  145
  121. Mutagon Lair (EL 16) 
  145
  122. Watering Hole (EL 11) 
  146
  123. Biodiversity Studies (EL 0) 
  146
  124. Chang’s Imported Fruits (EL 0) 
  147
  125. Fort Lox (EL Varies) 
  148
  126. Fort Kishar (EL Varies) 
  149
  127. Fort Mogo (EL Varies) 
  150
  128. Fort Jugal (EL Varies) 
  151
  129. Temple To The Serpent Gods (EL 0) 
  152
  130. The House Of Satan (EL 0) 
  152
  Enclave Of The Lost Children Of Man 
  154
  131. No Man’s Land (EL 0) 
  156
  132. Hermit’s Tower (EL 5) 
  156
  133. Washed Ashore (EL 0) 
  158
  134. Lost Corium Mine (EL 0) 
  159
  135. Chemical Crater (EL 1) 
  160
  136. Sweat Shop (EL 0) 
  160
  137. Ruins Of Lax (EL Varies) 
  160
  138. Overrun Position (EL Varies) 
  161
  139. Radio Tower (EL 12) 
  161
  140. Fallout Shelter (EL 12) 
  161
  141. Slaughter Scene (EL 0) 
  162
  142. Water Treatment Plant (EL 14) 
  162
  143. The Ark (EL Varies) 
  163
  144. Redondo Beach Community Hospital (EL 2) 172
  145. Lomita Police Station (EL 0) 
  173
  146. Nesting Cliffs (EL Varies) 
  173
  147. Enviro-commune (EL 0) 
  174
  148. Palos Verde Coves (EL 3) 
  175
  Downtown 
  176
  149. Church Of The Queen Of Angels (EL 20) 
  177
  150. Palace Of Ancient Kings (EL Varies) 
  179
  151. The Great Library (EL 17) 
  180
  152. Recording Studio (EL 0) 
  183
  153. Los Angeles Times (EL 0) 
  184
  154. Murder Scene (EL 3) 
  184
  155. Shopping District (EL 10) 
  185
  156. China Town (EL 15) 
  185
  157. Dodger Stadium (EL 0) 
  186
  158. Downtown Battleground (EL 16) 
  186
  159. Subway Entrance (EL 15) 
  187
  160. Bernard Megaplex (EL Varies) 
  187
  Sewers 
  198
  161. Oily Area (EL 1) 
  200
  162. Slime (EL 0) 
  200
  163. Sewer Exit (EL 0) 
  200
  164. Raiders Underground (EL 10) 
  201
  165. Garbage Chamber (EL 0) 
  201
  166. Explorers (EL 5) 
  201
  167. Carousel (EL 9) 
  201
  168. Lost Waste Dump (EL 7) 
  202
  169. Deep Waters (EL 11) 
  202
  170. Waterfall (EL 14) 
  202
  171. Underdogs (EL 7) 
  203
  172. The Thing (EL 8) 
  203
  173. Acid Waste (EL 1) 
  204
  174. Poisoned Waters (EL 8) 
  204
  175. Black River (EL Varies) 
  204
  176. Ooze Caverns (EL 15) 
  204
  177. Haunter In The Depths (EL 5) 
  204
  178. Trapped Screamer (EL 4) 
  205
  179. Ravening Hound Den (EL 7) 
  205
  180. Larva Cavern (EL Varies) 
  206
  181. Fungus Cavern (EL Varies) 
  206
  182. Trapped Train (EL 0) 
  206
  183. Second Trapped Train (EL 4) 
  207
  184. Homeless Refuge (EL Varies) 
  207
  185. Gang Cache (EL 0) 
  208
  186. Mischievous Runts (EL Varies) 
  208
  187. Injured Wild Man (EL 1) 
  208
  188. Sewer Workers (EL 14) 
  209
  189. Lights In The Deep (EL 6) 
  209
  190. Lost Arena (EL Varies) 
  209
  191. Mutagon Egg (EL 5) 
  209
  192. Tunnel Leading To Station (EL 15) 
  210
  193. Terminus Underground (EL Varies) 
  210
  194. Sewer Exit (EL 0) 
  210
  195. Hive A Tunnels (EL Varies) 
  210
  196. Hive B Tunnels (EL Varies) 
  210
  197. Hive C Tunnels (EL 1) 
  211
  198. Hive D Tunnels (EL 5) 
  211
  199. Hive E Tunnels (EL 14) 
  211
  200. Androids (EL Varies) 
  211
  201. Harbor Exit (EL 0) 
  211
  202. Tunnels To Ghoul Town (EL Varies) 
  212
  203. Tunnels Of The Burrowers (EL Varies) 
  212
  204. Pestilent Ones Den (EL Varies) 
  212
  205. Secret Tunnel (EL 0) 
  213
  206. Underworld (EL Varies) 
  213
  Factions Of The Necropolis 
  214
  Random Encounters 
  221
  Radio Messages 
  235
  Generic Stat Blocks 
  236
  New Creatures 
  254
  New Treasure Tables 
  269
  
  4
  Welcome to The Ruin at the End of the World, a 
  sourcebook on one of the most iconic locations of the 
  Twisted Earth setting: the ruined city of Los Angeles.  
  Better known as the “Necropolis,” this sprawling ruin 
  carpets an entire basin for miles in every direction, 
  nestled against the furthest edge of the known 
  world.  Stories of this legendary place are common 
  among the nomadic people of the desert; it is said to 
  be a desolate ruin where nothing lives, where only 
  the ashes of millions of Ancients―incinerated in 
  the Fall―ﬁll the streets.  Some claim it is a place 
  poisoned by that ancient war, and to tread there is 
  to court certain death.  Others, the few who have 
  actually made the dangerous journey across the San 
  Gabriel mountains to see for themselves, claim it is 
  not in fact dead, but very much alive.  This makes it 
  no less dangerous, however, for almost universally 
  these storytellers speak of monstrous creatures 
  holding a terrible grip over the city, waging constant 
  war against one another and killing all who trespass 
  into their jealously-guarded domains.
  The Ruin at the End of the World expands upon 
  the Necropolis setting as brieﬂy touched upon in the 
  Darwin’s World 2nd Edition rulebook (pages 206-
  216).  This setting has a long history with Darwin’s 
  World, ﬁrst as a play-by-email game run in the year 
  2000, and later serving as the archetypical “city of 
  the dead” in the Darwin’s World 2nd Edition rules, 
  showcasing the fate that befell the great cities of the 
  world since the Fall.  This 
  book brings together the 
  in-game history of Los 
  Angeles with the setting 
  overview presented 
  in Darwin’s World 2nd 
  Edition. The result is a 
  detailed location which existing parties can visit and 
  explore, or which can serve as the basis for entirely 
  new campaigns which cast the PCs as survivors 
  struggling to make their way in perhaps the Twisted 
  Earth’s most legendary place: the Necropolis.
  THE NECROPOLIS
  It is well known that the world 
  is a great, endless desert, and 
  sand the only thing which holds 
  up all life and all creation.  A 
  great rolling sea, the deserts of 
  the twisted earth stretch on forever, from east to west, 
  from the farthest north to the most distant south.  Old 
  rivers and great highways of concrete may have once 
  crossed this ugly, godforsaken terrain in the time of 
  the Ancients, but now it is all but a great dust bowl.
  But legends sometimes contest that which is 
  common knowledge, and the legend of the fabled 
  Necropolis is no exception―in fact, it is a story 
  known to nearly all who wander the wasteland, as far 
  east as the wind-swept Far Desert, and north into the 
  rugged, bleak territory of the Foundation and their 
  stark mountain monastery-fortresses.  Though their 
  litany of somber chanting and pining for Ancient 
  glories drowns out the violent winds between those 
  northern mountains, this tale is something they, 
  especially, will never forget.
  Somewhere to the south, over the San Gabriel 
  peaks―themselves a dangerous barrier, teeming 
  with hostile mutant life―the desolate dry heights 
  give way to a place only a handful have ever seen, 
  a dreamland to some and a horrible nightmare to 
  others. It is said that over the mountains lies a lost 
  city, a dead, lifeless megaplex stretching from horizon 
  to horizon, its towering maze of mile-high ‘scrapers 
  covered in a layer of grayish dust, with shadows 
  streaking across hundreds of streets for as far as the 
  eye can see.
  Those few who have seen it, have seen it from 
  afar, from the great San Gabriel mountains. By 
  day, the city is often silhouetted by the eastern sun 
  in all its coppery glory; by night, the blue moon 
  casts its haunting cerulean light over the miles and 
  miles of untouchable landscape so far below in the 
  Valley.  Observers skirting the mountains say that 
  the city is alive, that noise can sometimes be heard 
  echoing miles within its twisted, glass and concrete 
  heart―echoing hoots, the distant clang of metal, 
  and screams.  It is no wonder that outsiders from 
  the wasteland have shunned this haunted place for 
  generations, and let the San Gabriel mountains lie as 
  a virgin barrier to the great ruins beyond.
  But it is this place, the great Necropolis, that 
  persists in legends and myths to this day.  Stories 
  quickly vanishing into the haze of memory tell of 
  a city that stretches on for days in all directions, 
  conﬁned only by the great San Gabriels to the north, 
  bleak desolate heights to the east, and the beginnings 
  of the dark and ugly sea to the south and west.  
  Here, it is said, the streets and even the buildings 
  themselves, rising leagues into the sky, are coated in 
  a layer of choking, powdery ash―ashes that stories 
  say are the remains of millions of Ancients who once 
  Is this the exultant city that dwelt secure;
  That told herself, “There is no other than I!”
  How she has become a waste, a lair for wild beasts...
  – Zephaniah 2:15
  THE RUIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD
  
  5
  lived in the Necropolis, incinerated when the bombs 
  turned the labyrinthine streets and lighted boulevards 
  into a chaos of ﬁre and brimstone.
  Whatever the truth, the city is dark, lonely, and 
  forbidding.  It is seemingly limitless in size.  Clusters 
  of towering skyscrapers, burnt-out, blown-open, and 
  skeletal in their ruined state, stretch in awe-inspiring 
  rows, the dead husks of a lost civilization that sought 
  to reach into the sky and conquer the gods.  Beneath 
  them, avenues and roads, some as wide as major 
  riverbeds, lie blanketed in rubble; snaking caravans 
  of abandoned cars from before the Fall; and, of 
  course, all of it covered in that same, unsettling soot.
  - From Darwin’s World 2nd Edition
  The Necropolis setting ﬁrst came to life as a play-
  by-email game run around the year 2000, in which 
  each player took control of a community struggling 
  to survive in the radiated ruins of Los Angeles.  In 
  addition to giving life to what would become a 
  “legendary location” of Darwin’s World, this early 
  game helped shape what would evolve into two of 
  the major factions of the Twisted Earth.  Precursors 
  of the Foundation and the Cartel were among the 
  groups controlled by players of the game, as were 
  other factions that were ultimately considered too 
  Necropolis-speciﬁc to include in the eventual release 
  of the Gazetteer of the Twisted Earth.  Special (and 
  long overdue) thanks go to Alex Kashyrin, original 
  player of the Foundation, whose “vision” for that 
  iconic group also later came to deﬁne the Revenants 
  sub-faction as described in The Foundationists; as 
  well as Chris Covey, player of the Hive (and who 
  coincidentally would go on to lay the groundwork 
  for the Dark Paladins faction of the Foundation; he 
  also wrote segments of the adventure Against the 
  Wastelords and set the theme for the entire Wastelords 
  campaign series, and came up with the idea behind 
  the “Last God”), and Mlado Spasic, player of the 
  Purist Enclave, whose embellishments on my original 
  designs for those xenophobic purebloods have been 
  faithfully incorporated into this work (even down 
  to individual NPC names).  The other players of 
  the city’s factions also deserve thanks, not only for 
  their contributions which made the game fun for 
  all involved, but for setting the stage for what is 
  presented in this book.
  The Ruin at the End of the World presents the 
  Necropolis as it would have looked at the end of the 
  original Necropolis play-by-email game.  It is a city 
  that is slowly being conquered by several strong 
  factions, including an “empire” of “beastmen,” a vast 
  infestation of intelligent mutant bugs, a rising tide of 
  androids newly created in a factory somewhere near 
  the harbor, a colony of strange aquatic mutants, and 
  a small but persevering community of re-awakened 
  humans holding out in their corner of the city.  As 
  these powers rise, others dwindle and vanish; the 
  ghouls are scattered but not entirely eradicated, the 
  Foundationists are now gone (and the Cartel has 
  likewise abandoned their colonization efforts), and 
  the would-be “kingdom” of the raider prince Kruel 
  the Conqueror has been extinguished.  And while 
  these groups are gone, player characters have a 
  chance to explore the evidence of each community’s 
  extinction, and discover just what happened to them 
  in their ill-fated drive to conquer the Necropolis.
  For those few who played in the original play-by-
  email game, you will notice many major changes.  
  Hopefully you’ll recognize that these changes are for 
  the best.  A lot has been tweaked and altered not only 
  to ﬁt within the rules of Darwin’s World 2nd Edition, 
  but also to make the setting more enjoyable from the 
  perspective of a role-playing game (as opposed to a 
  strategy game).  Boundaries are slightly modiﬁed to 
  reﬂect what this author assumes would be a natural 
  evolution of the warring state of the city factions; 
  WHAT THIS BOOK IS - AND WHAT IT ISN’T
  While this book covers an entire city and offers a lot of game material on the monsters and other 
  inhabitants living within it, this book is foremost a broad overview of a single, sprawling adventure 
  location: the Necropolis.  An effort has been made to detail the entire city in as useful a manner as possible, 
  highlighting more than 200 separate encounter areas within, both above and below the city streets.  Many 
  of these encounter areas are linked to one or more of the strange factions that vie for control of the city; 
  others are merely places where rogue dangers, isolated hold-outs, or lost treasures and curious ﬁnds can be 
  found.  As a GM, you will ﬁnd the city map invaluable in keeping track of encounters and locations.
  The level of detail provided for each encounter area varies; this book is not intended to be an adventure 
  per se, but rather a sourcebook allowing parties to explore at their own pace, and allowing you as GM to 
  tailor their adventures with a minimal number of pre-set guidelines to restrict you.  This sourcebook isn’t 
  rigidly structured, forcing the PCs to go one way or another; rather it is open and ﬂexible, sketched out 
  in broad strokes.  There is room for you to contribute your own imagination to the mix of encounters and 
  resident creatures; in fact, inspiring your creativity―and thus making each visit to the Necropolis unique―
  is an integral part of the book’s purpose.
  
  6
  in addition, some minor discrepancies that existed 
  in the original game have been ﬁxed to smooth out 
  the setting’s “bumps.”  All in all these changes are 
  intended to make the Necropolis setting more of a 
  challenge and adventure for small groups wandering 
  the ruins in the shadow of the city’s major factions.
  For those who only know the Necropolis from 
  what has been written in Darwin’s World, prepare 
  for a change of pace.  The Necropolis isn’t exactly 
  like the world outside, the Twisted Earth so familiar 
  to regular players of the role-playing game.  The 
  original play-by-email game was downright 
  fantastic in its theme; consider for example a 
  race of half-man, half-animal beastmen modeling 
  their community after the Roman empire, whose 
  prejudices against humans and humanoid mutants 
  borders on the attitudes of the simians of Planet of 
  The Apes.  Or envision a race of mutated insectoids 
  that easily manipulate the tools of the long-extinct 
  human race and breed gigantic beetles to serve as 
  “living tanks” in their seemingly endless armies.  It 
  is a city where tectonic activity has created molten 
  lava beds in whose hellish light mutagons wander 
  about like dinosaurs on the prehistoric earth.  The 
  Necropolis is intentionally dramatic and fantastic; 
  it is a light-hearted combination of science-ﬁction, 
  post-apocalyptic, fantasy, and even the supernatural, 
  in which the city is just a moldering backdrop for a 
  parade of “pulp-ish” factions, communities, monsters, 
  and a buried Satanic conspiracy that dates back to 
  the Fall.  The city itself is like the Twisted Earth’s 
  version of King Kong’s Skull Island―a place where 
  the impossible is possible, and where danger lurks 
  around every corner.
  HOW THIS BOOK IS 
  PRESENTED
  For ease of use, this book is 
  broken down into two main 
  sections: the ﬁrst presents the 
  adventure locations in numeric 
  order, and the second includes secondary rules 
  that complement the setting, such as rules for new 
  monsters and stat blocks for generic challenges 
  encountered in the ruins.
  The following outlines the basic features of The 
  Ruin at the End of the World:
  INTRODUCTION
  The ﬁrst part of this book introduces the Necropolis 
  setting and explains the context in which it was ﬁrst 
  developed. It also discusses some of the themes and 
  concepts behind the sprawling city’s atmosphere.  
  Here you will also ﬁnd miscellaneous rules, including 
  rules governing movement through the ruins, a 
  system for randomly determining the contents of a 
  given hex, notes on the city map, and a more detailed 
  look at the three adventure hooks for the Necropolis 
  originally summarized in the Darwin’s World 2nd 
  Edition rules.
  ADVENTURE LOCATIONS
  The majority of The Ruin at the End of the World 
  concerns the 200+ different adventure locations 
  scattered throughout the city.  This section details the 
  various regions of the Necropolis, starting with The 
  Reaches, and moving on to Dead City, the Hive, Los 
  Angeles Harbor, Pasadena, the Domain of the Flesh 
  Eaters, the Domain of the Broken Ones, the Enclave 
  of the Lost Children of Man, Downtown, and the 
  SECRET NECROPOLIS 
  There is no magic in Darwin’s World.  Or is there?  Throughout this book you may ﬁnd tiny “Easter eggs” 
  that seem to hint at a supernatural conspiracy that brought about the Fall, as well as the current state of the 
  Necropolis.  Certainly nefarious powers were behind events taking place right before the city’s destruction 
  (in the form of the enigmatic super conglomerate known as the “Zoogenic Corporation”), but were they 
  otherworldly?  Was a prophecy really involved?  Maybe yes, maybe no―depending on your particular 
  style of play.  The Ruin at the End of the World hints at a supernatural-themed alternative to the total 
  nuclear war scenario that is considered the default of Darwin’s World, but whether or not you choose to 
  make this the basis of the Fall is up to you.
  The following areas offering tantalizing teases of what could have been, if you think a supernatural-
  themed apocalypse is something your players would enjoy:  Chemical Plant (#023), Hive B (#027), 
  Whittier Police Station (#039), Institute of Entomological Studies (#042), Cult Hideout (#047), Mission of 
  St. Michael The Archangel (#048), The Harbor (#052), Marine Institute (#067), Great Park (#070), Cyrus’ 
  Crib (#120), Biodiversity Studies (#123), Chang’s Imported Fruits (#124), The House of Satan (#130), 
  Recording Studio (#152), Los Angeles Times (#153), Murder Scene (#154), Bernard Megaplex (#160), and 
  Homeless Refuge (#184).
  
  7
  Sewers.
  Most of the adventure locations described in 
  this section are general overviews, giving the most 
  important information but leaving the details up to 
  the GM.  However, a few areas have been ﬂeshed out 
  to varying degrees of detail (generally one location 
  per city region) to give you something extra to go on, 
  as well as to give life to the most important sites.
  FACTIONS OF THE NECROPOLIS
  This section brieﬂy summarizes the factions that 
  currently exist in the Necropolis, or which have been 
  driven out in recent years.  A few of these factions 
  are no longer present in the city, while others have 
  risen to dominate their particular corner of the ruins 
  like new-age “empires.”  The communities described 
  in this section include the Androids, Broken Ones, 
  Cartel, Foundationists, Ghouls, Hive, Purist Enclave, 
  Raiders, and Serpent Gods.  Each entry gives a brief 
  overview (more information can be found by reading 
  the 200+ adventure locations), a summary of each 
  faction’s general attitude, and where the faction’s 
  forces are typically found.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  Since a lot of a party’s time will be taken up traveling 
  between encounter areas as they explore the ruins, 
  each region of the Necropolis has its own random 
  encounter table.  However, the actual description 
  of each random encounter is found in this section, 
  separate from the main text, for ease of reference.  
  This list is by no means exhaustive, and creative GMs 
  should tailor, tweak and add to these lists to keep the 
  random encounters of the Necropolis unexpected and 
  challenging.
  RADIO MESSAGES
  Brieﬂy mentioned in the text of the adventure 
  locations, this section gives further guidelines for 
  using the strange phenomenon of the Hermit’s radio 
  messages during play.
  GENERIC STAT BLOCKS
  This section presents a large number of stat blocks for 
  creatures and NPCs encountered in the Necropolis, 
  from soldiers of the Broken Ones empire to xeno 
  scouts of the Purist Enclave.  If a given creature 
  referenced in an adventure location is not found in 
  this section, a notation made in the text will show 
  you where the creature can be found (in a different 
  source).
  NEW CREATURES
  The New Creatures chapter of this book details 
  21 new monsters that are exclusive to The Ruin at 
  the End of the World, with each entry including a 
  description and full game statistics for using them in 
  the game.  In addition, a new template (“Ogrish”) is 
  presented in this section.
  SURVIVORS IN THE NECROPOLIS
  This section offers guidelines for making characters 
  from the Necropolis, instead of using characters 
  who hail from beyond the city.  In addition to 
  suggestions for character creation (such as starting 
  at a higher level than normal to allow new characters 
  to survive in the deadly Necropolis setting), this 
  chapter also presents a new system for determining 
  starting equipment for characters who are more like 
  “survivors” than “adventurers.”
  NEW TREASURE TABLES
  Building on the tables originally presented in the 
  Darwin’s World supplement Scav’s Swag, this book 
  introduces a number of new tables for randomly 
  determining other forms of post-apocalyptic treasure, 
  such as civilian weapons, rare military weapons, the 
  contents of vehicles, and miscellaneous ﬁnds taken 
  from dead bodies.
  NEW ADVANCED CLASSES
  The Ruin at the End of the World presents three new 
  advanced classes: the Ghost Raider, the Raging 
  Claw, and the Xeno Scout.  All of these classes 
  make an appearance somewhere among the various 
  communities of the Necropolis, but these classes 
  are also available to any character who meets their 
  prerequisites, whether they hail from the Necropolis 
  or not.
  BEASTMAN FEATS
  Since The Ruin at the End of the World makes good 
  use of the Beastmen supplement (by Charles Rice), 
  a number of new feats have been introduced in this 
  book for use by beastman characters and NPCs.
  THE CITY MAP
  The Ruin at the End of the World 
  features a number of maps, 
  including a large hex map 
  showing the entire Necropolis.  
  There are two versions of this 
  map: one intended for the GM 
  (which indicates the location of every adventure area 
  detailed in the book using a three-digit number), and 
  one intended for the players (which is essentially 
  featureless except for the hexes).
  
  8
  
  9
  This city map is intended to serve as a tool for both 
  the GM and the players.  The player version of the 
  map will allow players to keep track of their progress 
  and explorations in the city, and make notes on what 
  sites they’ve encountered, heard about from other 
  inhabitants, or even escaped from.  The GM version 
  of the map will help you keep track of the party’s 
  movements in the city, as well as reference speciﬁc 
  locations should the PCs stumble upon them as they 
  go.
  TRAVEL ON THE CITY MAP
  Traveling across the city map is not as easy as it 
  might look.  Though on average a human walks at 
  a rate of about 3-4 miles per hour, the city’s road 
  network isn’t what it used to be.  Vast regions of 
  rough and uneven rubble, roadways torn up and 
  eroded away, natural sinkholes, highways congested 
  with the rusted wrecks of thousands of vehicles―all 
  of these make progress difﬁcult.
  In game terms, the party can move a number of 
  hexes per day equal to a random roll (the random 
  element simulates the varying possibility of ﬁnding 
  intact streets, shortcuts through the ruins, etc.).  At 
  the start of a given day, the players should not know 
  the result of the roll; only by actually traveling will 
  they realize if progress has been good or bad.  The 
  only exception is if the party deliberately backtracks; 
  in this case the players may dispense with rolling 
  and may instead travel the distance they traveled the 
  previous day, so long as it returns them to the point 
  they were at the day before.
  In addition, travel speed varies depending on which 
  region of the Necropolis the PCs are in.  Some areas 
  are relatively desolate, while others (like Downtown) 
  are still highly built-up, making travel slower.
  Region
  Progress/Day
  Reaches
  2d6+10 hexes
  Dead City
  1d10+10 hexes
  Hive
  1d10+10 hexes
  Pasadena
  1d10+6 hexes
  Los Angeles Harbor
  1d10+4 hexes
  Domain of the Flesh Eaters
  1d6+4 hexes
  Domain of the Broken Ones
  1d10+4 hexes
  Enclave of the Lost Children
  1d10+4 hexes
  Downtown
  1d4+4 hexes
  Sewers
  1d10+4 hexes
  If the characters’ movements take them into 
  another region, use your discretion in determining 
  how far they can travel at their current speed.  If for 
  example the party moves from Dead City into the 
  Reaches their progress might quicken, but if they 
  move from the Domain of the Flesh Eaters into 
  Downtown they will likely be slowed down.
  VEHICLES
  The movement rates shown above may vary if the 
  PCs manage to acquire a vehicle.  If moving by 
  boat, for instance, they will ﬁnd no obstructions to 
  their movement (except perhaps for encounters with 
  aquatic creatures).  In such a case the movement rate 
  should be 40 hexes per day.  If by helicopter, then 
  barring any interference from the ground (such as city 
  inhabitants ﬁring at them as they ﬂy overhead), the 
  PCs could easily cover the whole map in one day.
  More likely, however, the PCs will want to move 
  by ground vehicle―a car, truck, hummer, or even 
  tank.  In such a case the movement rate would seem 
  to logically increase, but keep in mind that the L.A. 
  roads aren’t what they used to be.  In fact, ground 
  movement with a vehicle might be slower than by 
  foot (as the vehicle is forced to go slow over difﬁcult 
  terrain, gets stuck in the rubble for hours and must be 
  pushed/pulled free once tools can be located, etc.).
  For general purposes, consider a ground vehicle 
  to move at the speed indicated on the table above, 
  but roll the variable number of hexes twice and 
  ABBREVIATIONS
  A number of advanced classes, feats, mutations, 
  and articles of equipment mentioned in this book 
  won’t be found in the basic Darwin’s World 2nd 
  Edition rulebook.  Instead they can be found in 
  a variety of Darwin’s World supplements and 
  sourcebooks, or other RPGObjects products.  
  To help you ﬁnd where the rules for these are 
  located, the following key has been provided:
  AMT
  Another Man’s Treasure
  BST
  Beastmen
  B&G
  Blood & Guts
  B&L
  The Broken & the Lost
  F/MG
  The Foundationists/Metal Gods
  LP
  The Lost Paradise
  MRh
  Metropolis Rho/Urban Decay
  R&U
  Rare & Unusual Weapons After the 
  Fall (Modern Dispatch #14)
  REW
  The Ruin at the End of the World 
  (new to this book)
  SS
  Scav’s Swag
  SW
  Sandwalkers
  WF
  Wasteland Fury
  
  10
  take the highest roll (for example, when moving 
  Downtown the speed will be the highest roll of 2 
  d4s, plus 4 hexes per day).  However, for every 3d6 
  hexes traveled (cumulative, day by day) the vehicle-
  mounted party will be certain to hit an obstruction 
  (such as a street too congested with wrecks to drive 
  down, a dead end created by fallen buildings, etc.) 
  which stops all movement for the rest of that day.
  These guidelines should work well in most cases, 
  but if a situation arises where these rules seem 
  unreasonable (or unrealistic), by all means improvise 
  and determine a daily speed more ﬁtting to the 
  circumstances.
  “EMPTY” HEXES
  Because of obvious space limitations, not every hex 
  on the city map is detailed in this book.  While The 
  Ruin at the End of the World details just over 200 
  separate hexes for PCs to explore, there are times 
  when you as GM will have to determine what lies 
  in a given hex that isn’t detailed in the text.  Though 
  for the most part you can describe these hexes as 
  “devastated ruins” and be conﬁdent that your players 
  will want to move on, sometimes the situation will 
  require more information than that.
  If the PCs are traveling through an undetailed hex 
  and the situation requires you to make a decision on 
  what buildings/sites are present, roll on the following 
  table to determine just where, exactly, they ﬁnd 
  themselves.  You can use the table below for a lot of 
  things; here are some examples:
  • 
  If the PCs make camp for the night, use the 
  table to determine the best spot they can ﬁnd 
  in the time before nightfall;
  • 
  If the PCs decide to set up camp in a given hex 
  to avoid being caught out in a sandstorm, roll 
  on this table to determine the most ideal place 
  they can ﬁnd in which to weather the storm;
  • 
  If the PCs stumble on a random encounter in 
  an empty hex, roll to determine the speciﬁc 
  environs in which the encounter takes place;
  • 
  If the PCs are successfully followed into the 
  ruins by forces from a Necropolis community, 
  roll to determine where the PCs are caught 
  when their enemies catch up to them;
  • 
  If the PCs are wounded and decide to lay low 
  for a while, roll to determine the safest place 
  they can ﬁnd to rest for a few nights.
  Assume that whatever you roll is the most interesting/
  secure/ideal/etc. place the PCs can ﬁnd in that hex; 
  there may be other buildings in the hex, but whatever 
  you roll is where the PCs happen to be when the PCs 
  choose to stop.
  You may want to make a small map/sketch of the 
  site in the event of combat, and tailor minor "ﬁnds" 
  to ﬁt the nature of the location.  It is assumed that 
  most areas will be so badly damaged and/or stripped 
  clean that nothing too valuable is likely to be found 
  by the PCs if they explore within; however, at your 
  discretion any random site could also be the potential 
  seed for an adventure location of your own devising.  
  In this case feel free to populate the hex with 
  creatures/dangers of your own creation, as well as 
  treasure suitable to the location (and its inhabitants, 
  if any).
  D100
  Setting
  01
  Sewage Treatment Plant
  02
  City Dump
  03
  Rail Yard
  04-05
  Warehouse
  06-07
  Junkyard*
  08
  Auto Scrapyard*
  09
  Homeless Camp
  10
  Crackhouse
  11
  Stripjoint/Peepshow
  12
  Adult Movie Store
  13
  Transformer Station
  14
  Bridge w/ Control House
  15
  Bus Depot
  16
  Truck Stop
  17-18
  Industrial Park
  19
  City Jail/Detention Center*
  20
  Small Airport
  21
  Rooftop Heliport
  22
  Slaughterhouse
  23-24
  Factory/Assembly Line*
  25
  Foundry
  26-27
  Highway Overpass
  28
  City Park
  29
  Impound Lot*
  30
  Bottling Factory
  31
  Computer Factory
  32-33
  Bar
  34
  Video Arcade
  35
  Fish Market
  36
  Antique Store
  37
  Bookstore
  38
  Nightclub
  39
  Motel
  40-41
  Fast Food Restaurant
  42
  Open-Air Market
  43
  Water Tower
  44
  Repair Shop
  45-46
  Convenience Store
  47-48
  Home Improvement Superstore
  49
  Skater Park
  50-51
  Sprawling Parking Lot
  52-53
  Gas Station
  54
  Playground
  55-56
  Apartment Building
  57-58
  Abandoned Post-Fall Campsite
  59-60
  Barren Ruins
  61-62
  Private Home*
  63-64
  High School
  65-66
  Elementary School
  67-68
  Church
  
  11
  69-70
  Strip Mall
  71
  Post Ofﬁce
  72
  Trailer Park
  73-74
  Parking Garage
  75
  Athletic Field
  76-77
  Ofﬁce Building
  78
  Sporting Goods Store
  79
  Department Store
  80-81
  Grocery Store
  82
  Ethnic Restaurant
  83-84
  Movie Theatre
  85
  Community Library
  86
  Fire Station
  87
  Upscale Boutique*
  88
  Auto Showroom*
  89
  Robot Dealership*
  90
  Museum*
  91
  Courthouse
  92-93
  Bank*
  94
  Highrise Hotel*
  95
  Cosmetic Surgery Clinic
  96
  Commercial Laboratory*
  97
  Convention Center
  98-99
  Huge Mall*
  00
  Mansion*
  * Locations marked with an asterisk (*) may still 
  have security measures in place (at the GM’s 
  discretion), so PCs hoping to explore the site may 
  have to contend with potential dangers such as alarms 
  (alerting any creatures nearby or living within), 
  automatic locking doors, or even robot sentries, 
  depending on the speciﬁc location.
  In some instances the PCs may not like their environs 
  and will want to move on.  If the PCs are hoping to 
  set camp and don’t like the results of the roll, for 
  example, you can allow them another roll (or two)―
  but keep track of time.  You can use subtle pressure, 
  such as a hastily-approaching dusk, to get them to 
  settle with what they’ve got.  Alternatively, you could 
  call for Fortitude saves to avoid fatigued if they keep 
  looking for another place.  Don’t let the PCs exhaust 
  the table by rolling over and over until they ﬁnd a 
  place they like; sometimes they’ll just have to make 
  do with what’s in the area.
  BALANCE
  One of the key issues in d20 role-playing is balance, 
  an aspect of design that can often make or break 
  an adventure.  When it came to writing The Ruin 
  at the End of the World a decision had to be made: 
  whether to scale the adventure for a particular range 
  of character levels or remain true to the material 
  accumulated from the play-by-email game.  In the 
  end, staying true won out.
  As a result you will ﬁnd that the adventure 
  locations in The Ruin at the End of the World run 
  from low-level challenges to those better suited for 
  entire parties of epic level.  Since the Necropolis is an 
  open setting, rather than a story-based adventure that 
  requires the PCs visit every site to solve a mystery 
  or defeat a particular enemy, this works well.  The 
  PCs will hopefully learn through trial and error to be 
  stealthy, and to explore carefully, instead of barging 
  onto every location they stumble across.  Many 
  dangers can (and should) be portrayed as too difﬁcult 
  or too dangerous for the party―at least until they 
  gain more experience (and better gear).  The city 
  is supposed to be a deadly place, where legends of 
  quick death are indeed quite true.
  But don’t use the chaotic maze of varying 
  Encounter Levels as an excuse to kill the party off; 
  as with all adventures, you as GM must be ready 
  to ad lib and adapt the material herein to avoid 
  catastrophe as the game progresses.  Trying to create 
  an environment of “danger around every corner” 
  is different from letting the PCs wander onto a 
  “landmine encounter” that kills them all.  Ultimately, 
  don’t forget that everyone at the table is here to 
  have fun―not to get their characters killed off by an 
  encounter they had no chance against.
  ADVENTURE HOOKS
  The Darwin’s World 2nd Edition 
  rulebook sheds some light on the 
  Necropolis setting and offers three 
  generic hooks for using the fabled 
  city in your campaign.  Since this 
  book is just a neutral portrayal of the 
  city, its inhabitants, and possible adventure locations, 
  a lot of the background on why the characters 
  are involved in the Necropolis is left up to you.  
  However, here are some suggestions that may help in 
  concocting an overarching plotline.
  ADVENTURE HOOK #1
  What was listed as an “adventure hook” (described 
  on page 216 of Darwin’s World 2nd Edition) could 
  be a whole campaign in its own right, suitable for 
  characters of virtually any level―and with prospects 
  of advancement not only in terms of experience, but 
  also in the eyes of the PCs’ particular faction.
  In this long-term adventure idea, the PCs are sent 
  along with a contingent of colonists to try and start 
  a new settlement among the ruins of the Necropolis.  
  Sure, others have tried and failed, but not every 
  Twisted Earth faction has learned the hard truth that 
  it may just be better to leave well enough alone in the 
  Necropolis....
  The plot of this campaign involves not only 
  crossing the mountains (either the San Gabriels or 
  Santa Anas), but also ﬁnding a place among the ruins 
  to build a stronghold for the ﬂedgling colony.  In the 
  early stages of the campaign, the PCs will engage 
  in various missions and adventures such as scouting 
  
  12
  ahead of the pioneers, dealing with monsters living 
  among the mountain trails, and ﬁnding fresh water 
  sources for the colonists as they make their perilous 
  journey.  Rockslides, avalanches, and dust storms will 
  threaten the colonists as well; the PCs must to guard 
  them and make sure everyone makes it through alive.
  Once they reach the city, the dangers only increase.  
  If the PCs have made a name for themselves already, 
  they may be asked their opinion on a good site for 
  the community, and invited to help plan its defenses.  
  This gives players a chance to help design the 
  community’s compound, choose their own quarters, 
  put thought into its defenses, and bring to life other 
  often-overlooked details of community building.  
  Once its layout is established, construction will 
  begin.  Like settlers in the pioneer Wild West, the 
  colonists are of course be on edge, afraid of every 
  strange sound coming from the ruins, and desperate 
  for heroes to turn to and follow.
  At this stage the PCs will be enlisted to scout the 
  ruins, deal with rogue dangers (such as wandering 
  monsters that threaten the construction of the 
  colony’s compound), and ﬁnd possible sources of 
  food and water.  They’ll also have to deal with local 
  denizens discovered living nearby, so that settlers 
  can begin small-scale agriculture among the ruins.  
  Slowly the PCs will develop a sense of camaraderie 
  with the colony, and develop friendships/relationships 
  with the civilians who rely on them for protection.  
  There is much opportunity for role-playing 
  throughout this campaign arc, so play it up!  This will 
  also be the ideal time to begin introducing the other 
  faceless inhabitants of the city, even if only subtly 
  at ﬁrst (momentary sightings of Ratmen scurrying 
  through the night, the distant buzz of giant insects 
  that remain eerily unseen, etc.), to build tension and 
  hint at the wonders and horrors waiting just beyond 
  the colony’s walls....
  From here you can take the campaign in a number 
  of directions.  Individual colonists might go missing, 
  and the PCs are asked to go out and ﬁnd them (they 
  may have been eaten by a monster living nearby, or 
  simply got lost in the ruins), giving the PCs a chance 
  to explore more of the colony’s surroundings.  Or 
  perhaps strange sightings of “creatures” cause enough 
  concern that the colony’s leaders charge the PCs 
  with investigating―possibly leading to encounters 
  with one or more of the city’s established factions.  
  The results could either be friendly (i.e. leading to a 
  meeting with the Ratmen, or discovering the holdouts 
  living in Den or Sanctuary), or terrifying (stumbling 
  onto the Androids, triggering their armies into action 
  again).
  Perhaps instead the colony suddenly faces a 
  calamity: an unexpected blight has claimed the 
  colony’s food reserves, or a fungus has tainted the 
  water brought with them over the mountains, or 
  a strange new disease is popping up among the 
  colonists themselves.  The PCs are called in to help, 
  which means going out into the ruins in search of a 
  way to solve the problem.  The PCs will be outﬁtted 
  with whatever the colony can muster and sent off to 
  face the ruins alone… with the colony’s fate hanging 
  in the balance.
  Eventually, once the colony manages to come 
  together, it will come into contact with one of the 
  bigger factions.  Once they realize what they’re 
  up against, the colonists will face a crisis of 
  determination.  If they’ve done well, made allies, or 
  made signiﬁcant gains (including ﬁnding caches of 
  weapons, recruiting native tribes to join the colony 
  and bolster its ranks, etc.), the colonists might decide 
  to stay and ﬁght despite the odds against them.  When 
  the existing groups of the city, such as the Hive or 
  Broken Ones, realize that a new faction is rising in 
  their midst, they’ll turn to face this new threat and 
  challenge it in open battle.  In this city, more than 
  anywhere else on the Twisted Earth, a community’s 
  right to exist is based solely on their ability to ﬁght 
  for their lives.  Facing a grave new danger, the PCs 
  will have to rise up as leaders of the colony and wage 
  war for their very survival.  The climactic conclusion 
  of such a campaign couldn’t be more epic!
  ADVENTURE HOOK #2
  Adventure Hook #2 doesn’t have the long-term 
  implications of Adventure Hook #1, but with the right 
  effort and planning it could certainly give it a run for 
  its money in terms of adventure.  In this story seed, 
  the PCs are hired/enticed to go to the Necropolis 
  to track down a previous expedition that recently 
  vanished; the lost expedition could be a group of 
  colonists, an intrepid explorer and his entourage, 
  a scientiﬁc team looking for lost technology, a 
  merchant and his followers seeking to make contact 
  with native inhabitants, or even a group of pilgrims/
  prospectors seeking some fabled site within the ruins 
  (such as the Lost Corium Mine or the Palace of the 
  Ancient Kings).  The PCs might be motivated by 
  offers of monetary reward or perhaps loyalty (perhaps 
  the expedition was composed of people belonging 
  to the same factions as the PCs, or perhaps loved 
  ones of the PCs were a part of it).  In any case this 
  should seem a daunting task―cross over the radiated 
  mountains and venture to a city only mentioned in 
  legend, to ﬁnd a lost band of explorers in a ruined 
  metropolis that stretches as far as the eye can see.
  For this adventure seed, the party will need to be 
  experienced and self-sufﬁcient, as their journey will 
  be long and arduous.  The PCs must be up to the 
  challenge of crossing the mountains and then holding 
  their own in a city that at all times seems hell-bent 
  on the destruction of trespassers.  Strange creatures 
  are everywhere, and powerful adversaries live in 
  
  13
  entrenched cells throughout the ruins, always wary 
  of rivals.  The PCs, comprising just one small band, 
  seem insigniﬁcant in comparison.
  But it is their small numbers that will keep the 
  PCs safe… for now.  Moving “under the radar,” 
  so to speak, the PCs should be able to ﬁnd where 
  the expedition went and where it vanished without 
  attracting too much notice from the city’s major 
  factions.  Eventually ﬁnding the site where the 
  expedition last made camp, the PCs ﬁnd signs of an 
  attack and a struggle―and tracks leading off into the 
  ruins.  From here it becomes a hunt that will lead the 
  PCs on a wild goose chase across the city.  Following 
  the trail, the PCs enter the territory of the Hive, and 
  meet the monstrous denizens thriving there.  Fighting 
  their way through the infested ruins they must 
  penetrate deep into a Hive bughill, using stealth to 
  slip past countless masses of monstrous insectoids.  
  Finding many bodies in the bowels of the bughill, 
  they fear the worst―but manage to ﬁnd one or two 
  expedition members still alive in a cavern deep under 
  the earth.  The survivors have been driven mad by the 
  horrors to which they’ve been subjected, but the PCs 
  learn from them that others in the expedition escaped 
  when their Hive captors came under attack by 
  “bestial mutants” (the Broken Ones).  Though not all 
  of the captives were freed by the attackers, some did, 
  and there is still hope that they can be found alive.
  With this knowledge, the PCs strike out across 
  ghoul territory tracking down the Broken Ones 
  raiding force that took the Hive’s captives with them.  
  Eventually they must enter the Domain of the Broken 
  Ones and do epic battle against the terrible dinosaur-
  like mutagons living there.  Even worse, they must 
  inﬁltrate the City of the Broken Ones, only to ﬁnd that 
  most of the captives are to be fed to the animals in 
  that degenerate city’s great arena!
  Hatching an escape, or leading a direct raid, 
  the PCs gather what they believe is the last of the 
  expedition, only to learn that one or two important 
  members (the expedition’s leader, or perhaps a loved 
  one of their own) were spared the arena, only to 
  be taken to be sacriﬁced to the mysterious Serpent 
  Gods.  Escaping the City of the Broken Ones, the PCs 
  must venture to the Temple to the Serpent Gods, and 
  from there, venture into the forbidden region known 
  as “Downtown” to ﬁnd the last members of the 
  expedition!
  ADVENTURE HOOK #3
  The third adventure hook suggested in the Darwin’s 
  World 2nd Edition rulebook offers a new campaign 
  idea altogether, in which the players play characters 
  who are natives of the city.  Survival is the theme of 
  the entire campaign, living each day one step ahead 
  of certain death.  The Necropolis is the perfect setting 
  for such a feral ﬁght for survival; the Survivors in the 
  Necropolis section of this book offers more in-depth 
  ideas for bringing this idea to life.
  GETTING INTO THE CITY
  Unless you’re playing with the 
  option put forth in the Survivors 
  in the Necropolis section (in 
  this book), you’ll have to ﬁgure 
  out how the PCs came to the 
  Necropolis.  There are potentially 
  three separate ways of reaching the city proper, as 
  explained below.
  SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS  
  Though not explicitly detailed in this book, the San 
  Gabriels (and the Santa Monica mountains directly 
  to the west) have typically been portrayed as the 
  primary barrier separating the rest of the Twisted 
  Earth from the Necropolis proper.
  In the Twisted Earth setting, the San Gabriel 
  mountains are a foreboding mountain range guarding 
  the northern approaches to the city, separating 
  the Necropolis from what was once known as the 
  Mojave Desert.  These are the tallest mountains in 
  the region, and even during the time of the Ancients 
  suffered from a poor road network and miles of 
  unbroken wilderness.  Long after the Fall, the old 
  roadways have been completely lost to time―buried 
  in sandstorms, hidden beneath the rubble of countless 
  yearly avalanches, etc.  As a result the mountains are 
  generally considered impassable by larger parties 
  from the wasteland, though routes can sometimes 
  be found by persistent and daring explorers during 
  certain times of the year.
  PCs making their way to the Necropolis through 
  the San Gabriels will end up either in Pasadena 
  or along the northern frontier of the Domain of the 
  Broken Ones.  But they face the toughest trek of all, 
  over treacherous mountains and through miles and 
  miles of barren peaks and forests as dry and dead 
  as ages-old kindling.  Those beasts that cling to a 
  miserable existence high in these mountains are true 
  monsters, radiated “things” that have crawled out of 
  the Necropolis to live on the fringes of that place.  
  Sample denizens of the San Gabriels might include 
  packs of rad wolves and ravening hounds, and 
  (emerging from caves only at night) small bands of 
  screamers and night terrors.
  SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS
  The Santa Ana mountains border the vast ruins 
  of the Necropolis on their east side, presenting a 
  formidable obstacle to those who would venture 
  there.  Unlike the San Gabriels, which are known 
  for the creatures that infest them (and prey on 
  
  14
  would-be mountaineers), the Santa Anas are mostly 
  desolate.  Though there is little life to be found in 
  these mountains, stories abound of radiated hotspots 
  (fallout from the Fall, when winds over Los Angeles 
  carried radiation to the east) that make the range 
  deadly to those who would travel among the peaks.  
  These hotspots do still exist, but a party properly 
  equipped (as the Cartel were; see elsewhere in this 
  book for details) might be able to cross the mountain 
  range with little difﬁculty to reach the Necropolis 
  beyond.
  Any group passing over the Santa Ana mountains 
  will enter the city via the Reaches.
  SAN FERNANDO
  The ruins of old San Fernando snake their way into 
  the Necropolis from the north.  This ruined city is 
  not detailed in this book due to space limitations, and 
  in fact the exact nature of the city is left up to you.  
  In general, however, assume San Fernando is not 
  just abandoned and desolate, but dangerous as well.  
  Considering that groups have chosen to traverse the 
  San Gabriels and Santa Anas instead of using San 
  Fernando’s road network to reach the city, there is 
  certain to be some threat there to convince travelers 
  to go around.  Some possibilities might include 
  deadly radiation, an unusually large population of 
  native ghouls, widespread rumors of a strange new 
  disease, or hordes of plague zombies.
  If the PCs enter the Necropolis from this direction, 
  they will begin play in the northeastern part of the 
  Domain of the Broken Ones (near the border with 
  Pasadena).
  
  15
  THE REACHES
  “The Reaches” comprise 
  the easternmost edge of the 
  Necropolis proper, a region of old 
  burned-out buildings and entire 
  neighborhoods gutted by the ﬁres that swept the city 
  during the nuclear apocalypse.  For generations this 
  was the only part of the city that outsiders visited, 
  and then only rarely; merchant caravans forced 
  over the mountains by raider attacks, or wandering 
  clans taking shelter in the outer ruins to weather 
  a particularly deadly sandstorm.  Though visits 
  were infrequent, enough skirted through this outer 
  region over the years that its general emptiness and 
  lifelessness came to give the entire Necropolis the 
  reputation of a “dead city.”  Of course, this simply 
  wasn’t the case.
  For ages these old city blocks stood empty and 
  abandoned, giving comfort only to the rare visitor 
  that came every twenty or thirty years.  But in recent 
  times, with the rise of the city’s new and warring 
  factions, the Reaches have again begun to see 
  visitation by living creatures―not from outside the 
  city, but by desperate animals ﬂeeing the onslaught of 
  the ever-expanding Hive.
  In game terms, “the Reaches” is a general term 
  for the area of the city along the easternmost edge of 
  the map―one of the most desolate regions, where 
  encounters are few and far between.  Most such 
  encounters, of course, are with animals, but more 
  interesting encounters are possible as well (see 
  below).
  The Reaches are more than empty, however.  
  Almost ﬁfteen years ago, the Cartel (a merchant 
  clan from the lands beyond the city) visited this area 
  and used the desolate neighborhoods as their base 
  of operations.  Constructing a small fort, they began 
  to establish a fragile colony here, lulled by the false 
  sense of isolation created by the Reaches’ seeming 
  abandonment.  In time the Cartel’s colony of far-
  ﬂung farms and homesteads would be shattered by 
  the rise of the Androids faction, which swept though 
  the southern part of the Reaches and drove the Cartel 
  completely from the Necropolis.  The Androids have 
  returned to the Los Angeles Harbor area and are no 
  longer present in the Reaches, but the devastation 
  they wrought is still quite evident.
  The Reaches are most likely to be the ﬁrst 
  neighborhoods encountered by player characters 
  who arrive at the city for the ﬁrst time (although if 
  you’re playing with the “Survivors in the Necropolis” 
  campaign option, the PCs could start anywhere in 
  the city).  Beyond the Reaches lie the mountains, 
  and beyond those dry peaks lie the wastelands of the 
  Twisted Earth, home to its many groups and their 
  endless feuds.  Crossing over the San Gabriels (or 
  the Santa Anas), the party is greeted by this desolate 
  region, and from here they begin their adventures in 
  the Necropolis...
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  The Reaches comprise a large area running from the 
  foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in the south to 
  the menacing wilderness of the San Gabriels in the 
  north.  In between lie the old cities of San Dimas, 
  Placentia, Orange, and Costa Mesa ―all abandoned 
  and gutted from the ﬁres that raged across the city 
  during the Final War.  Yet while a sense of isolation 
  is part-and-parcel of life (and travel) in the Reaches, 
  random encounters do occur on occasion.
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 
  
  16
  12.  Roll on the table below to determine the nature 
  of a random encounter.  Individual encounters are 
  detailed in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2-3
  Hand-From-Heaven
  4-5
  Little Thief
  6-7
  Lone Mutt
  8-10
  Herd Animals
  11-13
  Starving Animals
  14-15
  Ruin Pickers
  16-17
  Corium Prospectors
  18-19
  Wild Men
  20
  Weird Weather
  001. CARTEL OUTPOST (EL 4)
  This area marks the western edge of dry, 
  dead forest country that leads up into the hills 
  ﬂanking the reaches of the infamous Necropolis.  
  The ground here is well-beaten, and a small 
  fortiﬁed compound dominating a rocky hill, its 
  awkwardly-leaning towers barely clearing the 
  tops of the naked trees of the forest.
  This location is where the primary stronghold of 
  the Cartel was constructed during their disastrous 
  attempt to colonize the Necropolis.  This considerable 
  fort was built not just as a place to which citizens 
  could ﬂee in times of danger (though it certainly 
  was formidable), but also as a trading post.  Even 
  more importantly, it was intended to store the vast 
  number of artifacts and resources the Cartel hoped to 
  scavenge from the city and weasel out of the hands 
  of its inhabitants (who they thought would be “easy 
  marks”).
  The Cartel’s planners hoped regular caravans from 
  the desert would be able to ascend the far side of the 
  mountains and traverse the thick dry forests to reach 
  this fortiﬁed outpost, opening a lucrative trade lifeline 
  between the colonists and 
  the Cartel’s normal stomping 
  grounds far to the east.  A road 
  was even being constructed to 
  make the navigation of large 
  diesel-fed trucks possible, but 
  ultimately the ambitious efforts 
  of the Cartel were dashed when 
  their scouts accidentally released 
  the Android army that would 
  eventually destroy their colony 
  and permanently drive the Cartel 
  from the area.
  GM’s Note:  The old 
  compound was badly damaged 
  when the Cartel’s soldiers 
  fought a courageous delaying 
  action here, allowing the 
  colonists to escape through the 
  forest and over the mountains.  
  The Androids mustered a 
  considerable force, however, 
  and eventually overcame the 
  fort’s defenses and slaughtered 
  the defenders.  Those that didn’t die in the stubborn 
  last-ditch defense were marched off to the Androids’ 
  “conﬁnement center” (see Area #056), where they 
  either died of starvation or still live in captivity.  A 
  few others escaped, eventually settling in the small 
  community of Sanctuary (see Area #011).
  The compound itself is badly damaged, but the 
  PCs could conceivably use it as a base in their initial 
  explorations of the city.  However, a pack of wild 
  dogs currently inhabits the ruins, and facing lean 
  times, these animals will attack to defend their den.
  Medium-size Dogs (11):  HP 13 (d20 Modern).
  002. LOST MERCHANT CARAVAN (EL 
  0)
  The wind blows steadily over a scene of 
  carnage up ahead.  The remains of several 
  wagons sit abandoned in the rubble, some with 
  broken wheels and others turned on their side.  
  Skeletal remains can be seen here and there 
  amid the wreckage―probably wagon drivers 
  who were cut down trying to ﬂee the scene of an 
  ambush.
  
  17
  During the Android assault on the Cartel colony, 
  every Cartel colonist who refused to surrender 
  immediately to the Androids was considered a 
  “looter” and potential “partisan,” and suffered the 
  consequences.  This site marks the scene of an 
  Android atrocity, where a formation of their soldiers 
  attacked and wiped out a small caravan of colonists 
  bringing supplies to the outlying homesteaders deeper 
  in the ruins.
  In the attack the Androids destroyed the caravan, 
  put the supplies they were carrying to the torch, and 
  marched any survivors off to the Conﬁnement Center 
  (at Area #056).  They have not returned, leaving 
  this place as mute evidence of their unquestioning 
  purpose―to “pacify” the city and enforce martial 
  law.
  GM’s Note:  The Androids weren’t completely 
  thorough in their destruction of the caravan.  If the 
  PCs spend an hour searching the remains of the 
  wagon, they ﬁnd (with a successful Search check at 
  DC 18) 1d2 Trade Goods and 2d4 Consumables.  In 
  addition to these random ﬁnds they also uncover 1d3 
  juju potions (each healing 1d4+2 hit points).
  003. ABANDONED HOMESTEAD (EL 0)
  The husk of an old primitive farm sits here at 
  the center of small, dry, and barren cropﬁeld.
  One of several small farms built by the ambitious 
  settlers of the long-abandoned Cartel colony, this 
  homestead’s inhabitants ﬂed when initial reports of 
  the Android attack on their people reached them.  
  Taking their livestock and belongings with them, they 
  left the structure completely empty.
  The Androids came in their inevitable sweep, but 
  ﬁnding no resistance moved on.  The site has since 
  been forgotten.
  GM’s Note:  The PCs might ﬁnd this old 
  settlement useful as a base of operations due to its 
  isolation and remoteness.  The building is relatively 
  intact and would provide ideal shelter during a 
  sandstorm as well.
  004. FREE RANGE (EL 5)
  This area may have once been a sprawling 
  park, but now it is merely a ﬂatland covered with 
  sporadic growths of tall grass.  As you approach, 
  you see a sizeable herd of mutated cattle grazing 
  in the clearing.
  The mutated cattle are actually angoose, herd animals 
  once kept by the Cartel colonists for meat and milk.  
  When the colony was destroyed, many of these 
  animals escaped and now live free among the ruins.
  The herd of 14 angoose merely watches the PCs 
  if they keep their distance, but will ﬁre their quills 
  if approached.  If the PCs shoot at them, they will 
  stampede.
  Angoose (14):  HP 37 (page 133, Terrors of the 
  Lost Paradise).
  005. RUINED HOMESTEAD (EL 6)
  The crumbling, blackened ruin of a small 
  farm sits here amidst the rubble.  Watching for 
  a moment you spy a trio of metallic-skinned 
  humanoids walking cautiously through the 
  wreckage, weapons at the ready.
  This place was formerly a small farm set up 
  by Cartel colonists during their failed attempt to 
  settle the city and make peaceful contact with its 
  inhabitants.  When the Androids at Area #059 were 
  accidentally re-awakened, they fanned out into 
  the ruins to pursue the Cartel forces and destroy 
  their “hideouts.”  This farm was just one of several 
  attacked and burned to the ground by the relentless 
  Android onslaught.
  Though this place has long been abandoned, the 
  Androids periodically return to make sure more 
  “looters” and “rioters” haven’t gone back to using 
  it as a “refuge.”  If the Android patrol spots the 
  party, they immediately demand the PCs’ surrender 
  (speaking in Ancient, however; the PCs may not 
  SMOKE IN THE NIGHT
  A minor consideration that might come into play is the sighting of smoke from the camps (or strongholds) 
  of ruin denizens, allowing player characters to ﬁnd their way in a sea of rubble and labyrinth of streets.  
  Usually visible at dawn or at dusk (when the inhabitants are cooking breakfast and dinner respectively), 
  these thin wisps act as “beacons” for travelers (intentionally or not).
  There is always a chance that the party, moving through the ruins at dawn or dusk, spots signs of a 
  camp or settlement in their current hex, or even up to one full hex away.  The DC for this Spot check can 
  vary; signs of a large community or camp might have a low DC of 15, while a mere party of creatures 
  sitting around a small ﬁre might only be spotted with a DC of 20 or more.  Obviously this only applies 
  in situations where a campﬁre might realistically be found―locations such as Den, Sanctuary, or Savage 
  Village.  At night the PCs might even see the bonﬁres of ghouls―and knowing no better, they might 
  mistakenly be drawn there!
  
  18
  understand them).  If the PCs do not immediately 
  comply, or if they make any false or threatening 
  moves, the androids open ﬁre.
  Security Androids (3):  HP 24.
  Development:  If the PCs understand the Androids 
  and foolishly choose to surrender, they will be 
  disarmed, tied up, taken into custody, and eventually 
  marched off to the Conﬁnement Center (Area #059) 
  to meet whatever fate awaits them there.
  006. FARM (EL 2)
  Up ahead is an unexpected sight: a small 
  ramshackle farmhouse sits in a small clearing in 
  the rubble, surrounded by a small ﬁeld, which in 
  turn is encircled by a low wall made from stone 
  scavenged from the ruins.
  This small farm is the residence of a stubborn old 
  man who spends most of the day toiling in the sparse 
  ﬁelds outside the farmhouse.  A 
  former colonist who bought into 
  the Cartel’s drive to re-settle 
  the city, he left the miserable 
  wasteland for a better life here.  
  So far he has been modestly 
  successful, carving from the 
  inhospitable ruins a small, 
  sustainable farm that lies far 
  from the nearest inhabited 
  settlement.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Bardek, 
  the old man, came to the 
  Necropolis with his daughter 
  following a family tragedy.  
  Just days after being married, 
  the young woman’s husband 
  (a Cartel soldier) was killed 
  ﬁghting raiders in the wasteland.  
  This tragic loss was the last 
  straw for Bardek, convincing him to give trying 
  to live in the deserts to the east and.  Taking his 
  daughter with him, he decided to try his hand at being 
  a colonist.
  Bardek has always been a stubborn man.  When 
  other colonists tried to convince him and his daughter 
  to join their homesteads for communal security, he 
  refused, arguing that they could do better on their 
  own.  Scoffed at, and warned that they wouldn’t last 
  long alone, Bardek and his mute daughter nonetheless 
  went about their work.
  One day a breathless rider arrived at the farm, 
  warning of an army of androids sweeping the colony, 
  and urging the old man and his daughter to ﬂee.  
  Though Bardek thought long and hard about his 
  daughter’s fate, he chose to stay—and she chose to 
  remain with him.  Bardek’s daughter died several 
  years ago, her death brought about by a band of 
  Ghost Raiders who slipped into their farm after 
  Bardek had left to go foraging.  Leaving her with 
  child―and a shattered mind―the vile raiders were 
  never heard from again, but the damage had been 
  done.  Bardek returned and did what he could, but 
  his faithful daughter eventually slipped from him.  
  Before she died she left him with a granddaughter, 
  whom he has raised as lovingly as he can for the past 
  ﬁve years.
  Bardek is a wiry and ﬁt old man, but age has 
  inevitably drained him.  He is a tough old codger 
  who no longer trusts outsiders, and absolutely reviles 
  raiders.  Loyal to the Cartel (despite the fact that 
  they ﬂed the city, leaving a few colonists behind), 
  he refuses to leave; his life is here, after all, and he 
  entertains illusions that perhaps the Cartel will one 
  day return.  Still, he worries about his ﬁve year-
  old granddaughter, Ymy, and secretly hopes to ﬁnd 
  someone to take care of her before he passes on.
  Bardek (Mutant Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3):  CR 3; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+6; HP 20; Mas 14; 
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 12 
  (+0 size, +0 Dex, +2 class); BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk 
  +3 melee (1d6+1, riﬂe butt), or +2 ranged (2d8, black 
  powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, bludgeoning vulnerability; AL Ymy; 
  SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +3; AP 1; Rep +0; Str 12, 
  Dex 11, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 15, Cha 11.
  Occupation:  Herdsman (Handle Animal, 
  Survival).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Earth and Life Sciences]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Interior Moisture 
  Reservoir, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Skills:  Handle Animal +2, Hide +2, Knowledge 
  (Earth and Life Sciences) +1, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +2, Navigate +3, Profession +4, Repair +1, 
  
  19
  Spot +4, Survival +7, Treat Injury +4.
  Feats:  Filthy, Great Fortitude, Guide, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore, Survival Sense.
  Possessions:  Black powder riﬂe, 10 rounds of 
  shot, rag clothes, waterskin, juju kit, compass, 1d2 
  days of trail rations.
  Ymy (Mutant Post-Apocalyptic Hero 1):  CR 1; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d8; HP 5; Mas 10; Init 
  +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 11, touch 11, ﬂatfooted 11 
  (+0 size, +0 Dex, +1 class); BAB +0; Grap -2; Atk 
  -2 melee (1d3-2 nonlethal, unarmed), or +0 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, bludgeoning vulnerability; AL 
  Bardek; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1; AP 0; Rep -3; 
  Str 7, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 12.
  Occupation:  Herdsman (Handle Animal, 
  Survival).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Earth and Life Sciences]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Interior Moisture 
  Reservoir, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Skills:  Handle Animal +3, Hide +2, Knowledge 
  (Earth and Life Sciences) +0, Move Silently +2, 
  Profession +3, Survival +4.
  Feats:  Filthy, Low Proﬁle, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore.
  Possessions:  Rag clothes, doll.
  Bardek knows of the community at Sanctuary; scouts 
  from that small settlement discovered his farm a few 
  months ago and offered him and his granddaughter 
  a place there―but he doesn’t want to go.  Not only 
  can’t he bring himself to leave his farm, he has a 
  strong dislike for that community’s leader, Calico 
  (based on what he’s heard Calico say about the 
  Cartel).
  Bardek:  HP 20.
  Ymy:  HP 5.
  Treasure:  Bardek’s possessions are quite humble, 
  but he still has some potassium iodide tablets that 
  were issued to all colonists by the Cartel when they 
  ﬁrst crossed the Santa Ana mountains.  He might 
  be willing to trade these for food, water, or other 
  survival items.  He has six tablets total.
  Development:  If the PCs prove they have peaceful 
  intentions, Bardek might be willing to let them 
  use his farm as a temporary base at which to heal 
  up between forays into the ruins, and may even be 
  willing to supply them with food and water for a few 
  days.
  007. CAMP OF THE SHADOW PEOPLE 
  (EL 7)
  Ahead you see a small camp set up amid the 
  rubble.  Tents made from the stitched hides of 
  leathery desert beasts are clustered around two 
  or three cooking ﬁres.
  This small camp, set up close to the outskirts of 
  the city, is occupied by a tribe of Shadow People, 
  renegades from the deserts beyond the Necropolis.
  Shadow People are fully described in Darwin’s 
  World 2nd Edition: Terrors of the Twisted Earth.  
  Dedicated desert dwellers, these mysterious nomads 
  would never willingly venture into a city of the 
  Ancients (let alone the infamous Necropolis), 
  preferring instead to cleave to the deep deserts where 
  the scorpion and coyote are their friends.  Alas, the 
  small tribe was lured here for a very desperate reason: 
  their leader, a powerful mentalist, was recently 
  inﬂicted with a potent poison, and having exhausted 
  the tribe’s own stock of natural remedies, the chief’s 
  son Akhar led the tribe here in the hope of uncovering 
  Ancient medicines among the ruins.
  Aware of the dangers living in the ruins of the 
  Necropolis (and terriﬁed of them), the tribe is doing 
  its best to remain completely unseen and unnoticed 
  during their brief stay.  They have only encountered 
  a few stray beasts so far, but they have spotted bug 
  ﬂyers from Area #027 more than once.  Thankfully 
  they weren’t seen, but Akhar isn’t taking any chances.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Currently Akhar has limited 
  his people’s scouting to the nearby ruins (one or two 
  hexes in each direction).  Each patrol consists of 
  only two or three men; Akhar initially sent just one 
  at a time, but when two of his fellow tribesmen went 
  missing, he grew more cautious.
  Akhar and the Shadow People are desperate to 
  ﬁnd a cure for the poison afﬂicting the chief, who 
  is now delirious.  Normally it is almost unheard of 
  for Shadow People to make peaceful contact with 
  strangers (let alone to ask for help), but Akhar has 
  very few options left.
  If the PCs are discovered by Akhar’s scouts, he 
  may order the PCs captured and brought back to the 
  camp to be searched.  If they have medicines that can 
  help, Akhar will take these before conﬁscating the 
  party’s weapons and throwing them back out into the 
  ruins. (He won’t kill them, as is normally the custom 
  for those who have seen the insides of a Shadow 
  People camp, as he grudgingly believes he owes them 
  for saving his father’s life.)
  If the PCs don’t have medicine on them, Akhar will 
  give them a chance to heal his father through the use 
  of any medical skills they might possess (or claim to 
  possess).  Of course they’ll probably be killed if their 
  
  20
  efforts don’t make a noticeable difference within a 
  few days, but it may buy the party enough time to 
  ﬁgure out a plan of escape!
  Akhar (Shadow Person Dedicated Hero 3/
  Survivalist 6):  CR 12; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 
  3d8+3 plus 3d6+3 plus 6d10+6; HP 70; Mas 13; Init 
  +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 17, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 15 
  (+0 size, +2 Dex, +5 class); BAB +10; Grap +10; Atk 
  +10 melee (2d4, falchion), or +12 ranged (2d8, black 
  powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ neural 
  telepathy; AL Shadow People; SV Fort +7, Ref +9, 
  Will +7; AP 6; Rep +3; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 
  12, Wis 14, Cha 10.
  Mutations and Defects:  Neural Mutation - 
  Telepathy x2.
  Skills:  Bluff +3, Climb +6, Diplomacy +3, Gather 
  Information +3, Hide +5, Knowledge (Twisted Earth) 
  +3, Listen +10, Move Silently +3, Navigate +12, 
  Ride +6, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10, Survival +13.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapon Proﬁciency, Far 
  Shot, Flight Trigger, Guide, Mental Communication, 
  Mind Stun, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Primitive 
  Technology, Stargazer [B&L], Track.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Empathy, Intuition.
  Talents (Survivalist):  Called Shot +1d6, Way of 
  the Land, Hunter, Called Shot +2d6.
  Possessions:  Black powder riﬂe, 10 rounds of 
  shot, leather armor, falchion, compass, two juju 
  potions (1d4+2).
  Akhar’s clan consists of himself and 12 Shadow 
  People (use the stats for the Shadow Person psionic 
  in Darwin’s World 2nd Edition: Terrors of the Twisted 
  Earth).  His father is considered a non-combatant in 
  his current condition.  At any given time, 4-6 of their 
  number are out scouting the nearby ruins (in two-man 
  patrols), while the rest remain at camp.  All of these 
  are on watch, wary of every sound heard and every 
  movement spotted out of the corner of their eyes...
  Akhar:  HP 70.
  Shadow People Psionics (12):  HP 27.
  Treasure:  In addition to their personal equipment, 
  the Shadow People have brought three weeks’ worth 
  of water for their entire party and half that in food, 
  as well as three fever potions [B&L].  They also 
  keep 1d2 Useful Stuff in their camp, and possess one 
  desert horse apiece, as well as a single domesticated 
  gront used to haul the tribe’s tents (when packed up).
  008. DEN (EL VARIES)
  Nestled in the ruins of the industrial quarter of 
  this area is a surprising sight―a small fortiﬁed 
  village.  The place looks like an old frontier 
  stockade.  Smoke from campﬁres ﬁlls the air, 
  and the familiar sounds of everyday life in the 
  wasteland―drunken debauchery, loud bartering 
  and auctioneering―can be heard from beyond.
  Den is one of the ﬁrst real camps of outside settlers 
  to spring up in the outer reaches of the Necropolis 
  since the abandonment of the Cartel and Foundation 
  colonies years ago.  Though it is obviously a rough-
  and-tumble place, the presence of walls, towers, and 
  the odd guard or two spotted on the tops of teetering 
  catwalks suggests it could be a potential safe haven 
  here in the Necropolis.
  Den is a degenerate outpost whose inhabitants, one 
  and all, were drawn to the city by their own obsessive 
  treasure-fever.  Legends abound throughout the 
  West of ruin-pickers ﬁnding lost motherlodes of 
  technology and valuables in the abandoned cities of 
  the region, and the Necropolis―for all its sinister 
  reputation―is by far the largest untouched city of 
  them all.  It is thus something of a surprise that there 
  aren’t more camps like Den at the furthest fringes of 
  this great and mystifying ruin.
  Den was originally established by a large band 
  of corium prospectors who came to the Necropolis 
  seeking a legendary motherlode of corium from 
  the city’s lost reactor station.  Following rumors 
  their people have fostered for generations, the 
  prospectors have set up Den as their staging point 
  for their ventures into the ruins.  Over the past year 
  they haven’t found anything substantial, but their 
  presence has attracted others who believe there is 
  safety in numbers.  As such, the town has grown 
  considerably since its ﬁrst buildings were erected by 
  the prospectors.  Today Den is home to more than 
  just drunken and rowdy corium miners (though to be 
  sure they outnumber everyone else), but also a large 
  population of degenerate scavs, diseased mutants, and 
  even a few unscrupulous traders daring to make the 
  journey there just in case the prospectors hit on the 
  ‘lode they’re looking for.  
  GM’s Note:  Though it is a place where thieving 
  corium miners, charlatan merchants, and murderous 
  scavs congregate, Den is one of only a few real “safe 
  havens” within the ruins of the Necropolis―it’s a 
  place player characters can rest, heal up, train, and 
  trade for new items.  Structurally it may seem to be 
  a fragile and insecure bubble, but Den is far enough 
  from most other denizens of the ruins that it is 
  probably safer than it looks.
  In addition to being a refuge between forays into 
  the ruins, Den is also the ideal place to trade artifacts 
  for supplies.  However, the availability of items in 
  the shops of Den varies day by day, depending on the 
  successes or failures of the very scavs that patronize 
  them (and whose efforts alone keep the town aﬂoat).  
  Since everything bought or sold here was at one time 
  found in the surrounding ruins by scavs and tech 
  looters, everything in Den is used, damaged, and 
  
  21
  patched up before being sold again.  PCs looking for 
  brand-new gear aren’t likely to ﬁnd it here, but every 
  now and then the scavs manage to bring something 
  to the marketplace that is rare or unique.  One never 
  knows.
  Food, water, and possibly mundane mounts can be 
  bought in Den on a regular basis, but weapons, armor, 
  artifacts, and even ammunition are hard to come 
  by.  In addition, though its permanent population is 
  limited to the native corium prospectors and their 
  families, enough transients ﬁll the streets of Den at 
  all times that ﬁnding provisions or rooms in one of 
  the village’s “boarding houses” always requires a 
  Knowledge (Streetwise) check at DC 18.  Even if 
  an item or lodging can be secured, the prices will 
  certainly be inﬂated to help make each merchant’s 
  stay in this squalid ‘burg worthwhile!
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Den is “ruled” by an 
  enormously fat woman known affectionately by 
  her fellow corium prospectors as “Honey.”  A big 
  woman entering middle age, she exhibits a beefy 
  toughness and brash manner of leadership that is 
  uncharacteristic of most women on the Twisted Earth.
  Though outsiders have come to contribute much 
  to the community’s success, Honey runs the camp 
  like a mean-spirited stepmother, favoring her “real 
  children” (the prospectors in camp) over scavs and 
  other visitors from outside.  She is a bully and a 
  brute, and though she’s a woman she is fearless 
  and, more importantly, immensely strong.  She has 
  been known to lead a gang of roustabouts to beat 
  up vagrants who don’t pay their bills at the town’s 
  boarding houses, or to collect “ﬁnes” owed by 
  outsiders for crimes committed within Den’s walls.  
  Since many of the laws in Den are spontaneously 
  created by Honey on a whim, outsiders would be 
  wise to try and remain unseen whenever she and her 
  group of personal thugs pass by on the street.
  Honey (Mutant Tough Hero 6/Strong Hero 
  3/Charismatic Hero 1):  CR 10; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 6d10+12 plus 3d8+6 plus 1d6+2 plus 
  9; HP 80; Mas 14; Init +5; Spd 30 ft; Defense 22, 
  touch 16, ﬂatfooted 21 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +5 class, +6 
  natural); BAB +7; Grap +10; Atk +13 melee (1d8+6, 
  brass knuckles), or +8 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 
  ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, 
  massively obese; AL Den; SV Fort +8, Ref +5, Will 
  +3; AP 5; Rep +4; Str 17, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 
  10, Cha 12.
  Occupation:  Corium Prospector (Gather 
  Information, Search).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Current Events]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Protective Dermal 
  Development x2, Massive Obesity x2 [SW].
  Skills:  Bluff +4, Climb +5, Gather Information +6, 
  Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Business) +0, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +2, Knowledge (Streetwise) +1, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +1, Profession +3, Search +1.
  Feats:  Brawl, Improved Brawl, Improved 
  Initiative, Intimidating Strength*, Knockout Punch, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Toughness, Unbreakable* [B&L], Weapon Focus 
  (unarmed).
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Robust, Damage 
  Reduction 1/—, Damage Reduction 2/—.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate.
  Possessions:  Brass knuckles, corium lantern, 1d12 
  corium pieces.
  Den consists of a tightly-packed cluster of decrepit 
  huts, buildings, and makeshift tents crowding out 
  the entirety of its inner yard; a pathetic ramshackle 
  wall around the whole town gives its inhabitants 
  the illusion of a secure defense.  The population 
  consists of 60 corium prospectors, 12 ruin pickers, 
  10 scavs, 4 merchants, and 8 mutants (who are 
  closer to simpering wild men and terminals than 
  actual character types).  The prospectors ostensibly 
  rule the town under their leader, Honey, but at any 
  given time only 40 or so are present in Den; the other 
  30 are in well-ordered work parties scrounging the 
  nearby ruins.  The ruin pickers and scavs are entirely 
  independent characters; one day they may all be 
  present, the next they may all be gone, but when in 
  Den they typically stay to the drinking holes and 
  the town’s seedy drug den (when they’re not trying 
  to sell their goods to the town merchants).  The 
  merchants are always present, always doing business, 
  at all hours of the day.  Finally, the mutants who 
  manage to live in Den are kept as whipping boys for 
  bullying prospector thugs, as village idiots, or in rare 
  cases, as menial servants and laborers for one of the 
  merchants.
  A NOTE ON TRADE
  It is important to remember that in communities outside of Den, the corium piece has little or no value.  
  The Broken Ones and Purists, for example, have no need for corium, and would certainly only trade with 
  strangers (i.e. PCs) through a barter process―if they’ll trade at all.  Even the inhabitants of Sanctuary, once 
  part of the Cartel, no longer see corium as valuable, and instead will trade only for items they need.
  
  22
  Honey:  HP 80.
  Corium Prospectors (60):  HP 26.
  Ruin Pickers (12):  HP 20.
  Scavs (10):  HP 52.
  Merchants (4):  HP 23.
  Mutants (8):  HP 7.
  009. CAMP OF THE DESTINED (EL 6)
  Though they stick to no one place each night, this hex 
  has been taken over by a pair of Destined, mysterious 
  tribal humanoids whose entire culture was destroyed 
  by the Shadow People of the deep desert (the race 
  of “Destined” is detailed in The Broken & The Lost: 
  New Terrors).  Driven to the verge of extinction, their 
  tribes annihilated in an all-out war of racial hatred, 
  the Destined were scattered to the far corners of the 
  Twisted Earth.
  The two Destined temporarily dwelling here are a 
  male and female of the species.  Though to outsiders 
  they might seem like man and wife, in reality the two 
  only recently stumbled upon one another.  Initially 
  wary, the shock of ﬁnding another member of their 
  increasingly rare race (and here of all places!) forced 
  both to lower their weapons and forge a temporary 
  alliance.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Rel and Kora (male and female 
  respectively) are the two Destined hunters who now 
  ﬁnd themselves here, in the desolate ruins of the 
  Necropolis.  Both Rel and Kora were drawn here on a 
  similar mission, though for different reasons.  Never 
  having met each other before, both were lured to the 
  ruins of the “great city beyond the desert” by their 
  racial hatred of the Shadow People.
  Rel has long been a survivor, living in the desert 
  as a hunter and tracker, evading the death that awaits 
  most such loners. Only upon reaching his twentieth 
  year did he learn the fate of his people, whispered 
  from the dying lips of the man who trained him 
  .  Though he had never known any other of the 
  Destined, Rel took up arms and swore to kill every 
  last Shadow Person in the world.  His travels led him 
  to the west, and eventually onto the trail of the small 
  tribe that now resides just a mile or so away at Area 
  #007.
  Kora, like Rel, came here hunting the tribe at Area 
  #007.  Raped by one of the Shadow People warriors 
  from that tribe and left for dead, she managed to 
  defy the odds and survive.  She swore to kill the 
  Shadow People for what they did to her.  Eventually 
  she caught up to the tribe and, slipping into their 
  camp under the cover of darkness, slit her wrist and 
  dropped her own blood into the wine of the Shadow 
  People chief.  Her poisonous blood brought on the 
  slow and agonizing illness that now afﬂicts him.
  But Kora wasn’t content with poisoning the 
  chief.  She has followed the tribe knowing they will 
  come here to try and ﬁnd a cure for the poison.  She 
  was surprised to ﬁnd another Destined here, also 
  following the same quarry, and that remarkable 
  coincidence has caused her to re-think her suicidal 
  plan.  Enamored by Rel, she no longer wants to die.  
  But Rel seems convinced they will succeed, and so 
  she stays, ready to avenge not just herself, but their 
  entire race.
  Rel (Destined [B&L] Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3/
  Survivalist 5):  CR 10; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+6 plus 5d10+10; HP 58; Mas 15; Init +3; Spd 
  30 ft; Defense 18, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 17 (+0 size, 
  +1 Dex, +5 class, +2 equipment); BAB +7; Grap 
  +10; Atk +10 melee (1d6+3, two-bladed sword), 
  or +8 ranged (1d6+3, boomerang [B&L]); Full Atk 
  +8/+8/+3 melee (1d6+3, two-bladed sword), or +8/+3 
  ranged (1d6+3, boomerang [B&L]); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ paralyzing gaze, poisonous blood; AL 
  Kora; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +3; AP 4; Rep +1; Str 
  16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Hide +8, Jump +5, Listen +9, 
  Move Silently +8, Navigate +12, Search +7, Sense 
  Motive +3, Spot +9, Survival +11, Treat Injury +3.
  Feats:  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Endurance, 
  Exotic Melee Weapon Proﬁciency (two-bladed 
  sword), Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency (boomerang), 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Track, Two-
  Weapon Fighting.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Wasteland 
  Lore, Survival Sense.
  Talents (Survivalist):  Called Shot +1d6, Way of 
  the Land, Hunter, Called Shot +2d6.
  Possessions:  Two-bladed sword, boomerang 
  [B&L], leather armor, two juju potions (1d4+2), juju 
  kit, waterskin, 1d2 weeks of trail rations.
  Kora (Destined [B&L] Fast Hero 3/Survivalist 
  5):  CR 10; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+6 
  plus 5d10+10; HP 58; Mas 14; Init +3; Spd 40 ft; 
  Defense 20, touch 20, ﬂatfooted 17 (+0 size, +3 Dex, 
  +7 class); BAB +7; Grap +9; Atk +9 melee (1d6+2, 
  two-bladed sword), or +10 ranged (1d6, compound 
  bow); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ paralyzing gaze, 
  poisonous blood; AL Rel; SV Fort +6, Ref +8, Will 
  +3; AP 4; Rep +2; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, 
  Wis 13, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Hide +14, Knowledge (Twisted 
  Earth) +1, Listen +6, Move Silently +12, Navigate 
  +7, Spot +6, Survival +11, Treat Injury +3, Tumble 
  +9.
  Feats:  Dead Aim, Endurance, Exotic Melee 
  Weapon Proﬁciency, Far Shot, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed, Improved 
  Increased Speed.
  Talents (Survivalist):  Called Shot +1d6, Way of 
  
  23
  the Land, Hunter, Called Shot +2d6.
  Possessions:  Compound bow, 10 arrows, two-
  bladed sword, one juju potion (1d4+2), juju kit, 
  compass, waterskin, 1d2 weeks of trail rations.
  Rel and Kora are hiding out for the time being, 
  observing the Shadow People camp by night.  
  They’ve already killed a number of the Shadow 
  People (solitary scouts sent out to scrounge for 
  medicine), and now the Shadow People seem 
  reluctant to come out at all.  The Destined pair is 
  patient, however, and will wait as long as it takes for 
  the Shadow People to let their guard down.
  Rel:  HP 58.
  Kora:  HP 58.
  Development:  If the PCs stumble upon Rel and 
  Kora, the pair assumes the party to be potential 
  enemies.  They will try to avoid the party, but if 
  pursued they will make a game of the chase, leading 
  the PCs into the ruins and trying to split them up.  
  Once the PCs have made a nuisance of themselves, 
  Rel and Kora will try to kill them to preserve the 
  secrecy of their hideout.
  Treasure:  In addition to their personal items, Rel 
  and Kora have stockpiled 1d3+1 Simple Foods.
  010. VILLAGE OF THE RAT PEOPLE (EL 
  VARIES)
  You have seen many strange sights in your 
  day, but here lies one of the weirdest―and most 
  haunting.  Up ahead, the city is broken by a great 
  complex of deeply overgrown thickets. From the 
  thickets rise the tops of great metal structures, 
  towers, and the eerie skeletal remains of other 
  odd buildings that defy immediate identiﬁcation.  
  Though quiet, the place is somehow frightening... 
  statues of strange half-man, half-beast creatures, 
  perhaps deities once worshipped by the Ancients, 
  can be seen peering out from behind the curtain 
  of ivy that covers everything.  One such statue 
  is a large rat-headed man, another a strange-
  looking canine beast erect on two legs, and 
  another a duck wearing some kind of  military 
  uniform.  Dozens of these statues, and numerous 
  abandoned buildings, lie strewn about in silent 
  testament to the strange nature of the Ancients.
  Though the survivors of the Fall will likely never 
  understand its original purpose, this place was in 
  fact one of the largest (and certainly most famous) 
  amusement parks in America.  Considering the 
  madness and lawlessness exhibited at other locations 
  throughout the Necropolis, one can only imagine 
  what chaos ran rampant here during the Fall, when 
  word of an impending invasion of the West Coast 
  spread through the city.  Indeed, if one looks hard 
  enough, one can ﬁnd the broken skeletons of 
  countless children scattered all about the grounds 
  (trampled in the panic)―though thankfully the 
  vegetation does a mercifully good job of hiding most 
  of these tragic remains from sight.
  Though it looks abandoned, this sprawling 
  complex is in fact inhabited.  To the newcomer, the 
  ruins look empty and lifeless from the outside, so 
  overgrown by weeds and ivy that it hardly looks 
  worthwhile to hack one’s way through to explore 
  the interior.  Rust covers everything; the wind (and 
  periodic sandstorms) have stripped the paint from the 
  old rides and rollercoasters. Many statues of cartoon 
  ﬁgures lie broken, eerily missing eyes and limbs, 
  some stripped down to their metal framework.  Of 
  course the secret inhabitants prefer it this way; they 
  leave the overgrown exterior as it is and concentrate 
  their activities towards the heart of the place, well out 
  of sight.
  The amusement park grounds are home to a small 
  “village” of beastmen, creatures that were once 
  slaves of the Broken Ones empire.  Servants of the 
  mole genotypes (see the Catacombs entry at Area 
  #093), one of their great elders long ago found an 
  old city map among the sewers as they were digging.  
  The map―actually a brochure for the amusement 
  park―gave directions to the lost park and showed 
  many faded pictures of happy people, families, 
  and plentiful food.  The ratmen thought this was 
  an ancient religious text providing directions to 
  some “paradise” far across the city.  To the ratmen, 
  who had never known any place other the City of 
  the Beastmen, reaching this “paradise” would be a 
  monumental task… but inspired by the “mouse-god” 
  that featured prominently in the “text,” they set about 
  making their exodus a reality.
  Escaping from the tyranny of the Broken Ones, 
  the entire race of rat genotypes (save for a few who 
  balked and stayed behind) ﬂed into the ruins of the 
  Necropolis, never to return.  The journey was hard, 
  but no harder than they expected.  Vile mutants, 
  screamers, ghouls, and other creatures preyed on the 
  ﬂeeing peasants, until at least half their number had 
  been killed off.  But eventually they made their way 
  here, and located the lost park among the ruins.
  The ratmen have lived here for a little over a 
  decade, and though they did not ﬁnd the “paradise” 
  they were looking for, they did ﬁnd freedom.  They 
  have come to believe that their exodus was just part 
  of a greater journey that will one day lead them to the 
  place they seek.  The ratmen continue to worship the 
  “mouse-god,” and use the old park not only as their 
  village, but as a temple that they have dedicated to 
  the “mouse-god’s” worship, and to the contemplation 
  of the Ancients.
  When the Cartel came to the Necropolis they 
  found unlikely allies among the ratmen.  Though 
  
  24
  their initial meeting was violent, both groups soon 
  recognized the value of an ally in the city, and 
  peaceable terms were negotiated.  A tentative trade 
  agreement was conﬁrmed.  Just when an alliance was 
  sealed, the Cartel uncovered the ruins of the Android 
  Base Complex (Area #059) and revived the sleeping 
  danger within.
  In just weeks, the Androids had destroyed the 
  Cartel.  The ratmen sent warriors to aid their allies, 
  but they were crushed as well in what few battles 
  they participated in.  Though the ratmen wanted to 
  continue the ﬁght against the monstrous Androids, the 
  Cartel’s leaders called for a full retreat, leaving their 
  ratmen allies to fend for themselves.
  Since that time the ratmen have lived in fear of the 
  Androids.  The Androids, for their part, seem to have 
  stopped their drive, and are concentrating their efforts 
  elsewhere.  The ratmen are only slightly relieved, for 
  they do not understand the Androids or what their 
  aims might be.  The ratmen continue to live in their 
  village, perpetually afraid of the Androids’ return.
  GM’s Note:  If the PCs plan to explore the park, 
  they will have to bring machetes or another means of 
  hacking through the vegetation.  After some effort, 
  however, they will come across a wooden wall which 
  runs around the entire park.  This wall is obviously 
  relatively new, and is quite sturdy.
  However, the PCs are watched as they approach 
  the wall.  A group of 2-4 ratmen is observing them 
  from hiding, and if the PCs do not leave, they raise 
  the alarm.  Once the alarm is raised, the entire 
  village mobilizes to defend the community; the 
  entire gathering will eventually emerge from deep 
  within the heavily-vegetated grounds, brandishing 
  clubs, cleavers, and javelins of their own, chanting in 
  unison the name of their beloved deity:  “Emmisee, 
  kayeewhy, emmo-you-esee!”
  Ratmen (42):  HP 11.
  Development:  The ratmen are really only 
  malicious towards intruders (and Androids), so if 
  the PCs attempt to parley or surrender, their lives 
  will be spared.  Once it is established that the party 
  means them no harm, the ratmen will invite the 
  party into their “village,” where they will freely 
  explain their situation, their role as former allies of 
  the Cartel (painting a tragic but truthful image of 
  their “abandoned” by their human allies), and what 
  they know of the city―including what their scouts 
  have seen of the Androids (they can describe Areas 
  #057 and #061, and will even mention sightings of 
  “huuuumans” being kept as slaves by the Androids).
  The ratmen also know of Sanctuary (Area #011), 
  as they have had dealings with the inhabitants of 
  that small community in the past.  They describe 
  Sanctuary’s leader, “Calico,” as a trustworthy man, 
  and if the PCs ask, they provide directions to that 
  place.  If the PCs are particularly diplomatic and 
  friendly, the ratmen may even offer the PCs their 
  village as a temporary shelter, along with small 
  portions of food and water in return for minor trade 
  goods.  If an exceptional relationship is formed, the 
  ratmen may even provide the PCs with 1-2 ratmen 
  as guides who will take them to any of the locations 
  mentioned above.
  
  25
  DEAD CITY
  One of the more upscale parts 
  of old Los Angeles, the region 
  now known as “Dead City” 
  (formerly Anaheim, which 
  technically stretches into the 
  neighboring Reaches) was just another example of 
  the city’s frivolous focus on the entertainment of the 
  Ancients.  Though in the gulf of years separating 
  the past from the present the city has collapsed in 
  places and taken on a dusty, grayish color, once upon 
  a time Dead City’s skyline was alight with the signs 
  of its many diverse attractions.  The fantasy getaway 
  of Disneyland and numerous sports arenas dotted 
  the old city, though today these have withered into 
  crumbling reminders of the hedonism of the past.
  In recent times, a great band of Raiders came to 
  this city from the deserts beyond the Necropolis, 
  fearing the many enemies they had made during their 
  successful career as bandits and thieves.  Their leader, 
  Kruel the Conqueror, dreamt of creating a raider 
  empire among the ruins.  He hoped to uncover old 
  artifacts amidst the rubble that would help him create 
  an unstoppable army which could conquer the city 
  and make it the capital of a new raider kingdom to 
  rival the strongest factions of the Twisted Earth.
  Kruel’s ambitions were to be his undoing.  Though 
  the raiders managed to carve a niche of their own, 
  and even settled parts of Anaheim’s eerily empty 
  streets, they soon realized that they shared this 
  deceptive emptiness with others.  Small bands of 
  ghouls harassed the raider frontier from the west, 
  and though the raiders dismissed them as a minor 
  nuisance at ﬁrst, these ghouls were merely scouting 
  parties sent from the great ghoul enclave that thrived 
  just out of sight beyond the raiders’ borders.
  
  26
  Over time, ghoul incursions became a serious 
  problem; ghoul hunters would often creep into raider 
  camps and steal civilians and slaves to devour, 
  leaving the raiders desperately short of labor.  But 
  when the raiders turned their attention to the north, 
  they came under an even greater threat.  During 
  a great sandstorm, scouts sent out to expand the 
  northern frontier stumbled onto a small Hive bughill.  
  These scouts foolishly opened ﬁre on the startled 
  bugs, killing them before returning to the ruins and 
  setting camp.  That night, more Hive bugs emerged 
  from the depths of the bughill (using the underground 
  highways connecting each of the Hive’s strongholds) 
  and took the camping raiders by surprise.  The 
  bugs injected the horriﬁed raiders with a paralytic 
  poison that induced delirium, then impregnated each 
  transgressor with a larva that, in a matter of days, 
  would erupt from the host’s body as a newborn 
  member of the Hive.
  The raiders awoke the next day and returned home 
  with only vague recollections of what had happened.  
  Within a few days, they fell inexplicably ill and died; 
  the mutant larvae were released, slaughtering over a 
  dozen raiders in their northern camp.
  On hearing reports of the slaughter, Kruel 
  mobilized his men and struck north, intent on 
  crushing this nightmarish new threat to his dream.  
  Taking with him hundreds of his most loyal and 
  savage followers, he led his vehicle-mounted warriors 
  on a destructive campaign that would ultimately end 
  in his people’s complete and total destruction.
  Though they fought bravely and brilliantly, the 
  Hive’s ability to rapidly generate new spawn quickly 
  overwhelmed the raiders.  Kruel’s forces were 
  eventually beaten back to their stronghold at the 
  heart of Anaheim, where they waited to make their 
  last stand.  Surrounded by scuttling hordes of mutant 
  bugs, swarm bugs, and giant tank beetles, Kruel 
  realized only too late that his dream of conquering 
  the Necropolis had been a fool’s errand.
  In the end, Kruel’s raider kingdom was erased 
  by the marching armies of the Hive, who sallied 
  forth from their bughills to destroy every last raider 
  encampment.  Kruel himself was slain in his much-
  vaunted Anaheim stockade.  After taking many 
  prisoners away to meet their fates as incubators, the 
  Hive abandoned this region once more to the silence 
  of time.
  Today the ruins are still largely empty, though in 
  recent years small bands of ghouls, having escaped 
  the fall of their once-great enclave to the west, have 
  been spotted in the area.  These ghouls are scattered 
  and disorganized; they live a nomadic existence, 
  wandering the various neighborhoods and never 
  staying in one place too long.  The destruction 
  wrought by the Hive in its war against Kruel’s raider 
  empire is still evident in the burned-out camps and 
  the ruins of the old Raider Stockade (Area #015), and 
  as such even the predatory ghouls are quick to move 
  on and leave this desolate region behind.
  In addition, a few small bands of Ghost Raiders ― 
  former bandits who survived despite the destruction 
  of Kruel’s empire ― share this nebulous no-man’s 
  land with the ghouls.  Living each day just one step 
  ahead of death,  surviving as both hunter and hunted, 
  these desperate men pose a potential danger to 
  travelers foolish enough to pass through Dead City.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  To the new arrival, Dead City seems to be just that: 
  dead.  Empty skyscrapers rise on either side of 
  abandoned streets, and only silence greets the ear 
  of the patient listener.  With the destruction of the 
  Raiders, most of Dead City has once again returned 
  to its natural state, a place where only animals 
  pick through the ruins of the past.  But creatures 
  do dwell out there in the ruins, stealthy predators 
  who’ve learned to stay quiet for fear of attracting the 
  insectoid menace of the Hive.
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 
  10.  Roll on the table below to determine the nature 
  of a random encounter.  Individual encounters are 
  detailed in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2-3
  Ghouls
  4-5
  Killer Scav
  6-7
  Lone Mutt
  8-9
  Flying Bugs Attack!
  10
  Corpses
  11
  Random Noises (Surface)
  12-13
  Settlers
  14-15
  Ruin Pickers
  16-17
  Friendly Scav
  18-19
  Wild Men
  20
  Weird Weather
  011. SANCTUARY (EL VARIES)
  Up ahead you see a curious sight, perched 
  atop an elevated section of highway overpass 
  that has been isolated from the rest of the 
  highway by clean breaks in the road.  Someone 
  has constructed a small town atop the concrete 
  structure, almost forty feet above your head.  
  Though it seems secure enough already by 
  virtue of its elevation, the town is ringed by a 
  ramshackle wall, and the tops of small huts and 
  buildings can be seen poking up from beyond.  
  Guards in thin wooden towers shout a garbled 
  warning; apparently you’ve been seen.
  
  27
  Like the small village of Den (see Area #015), 
  Sanctuary is one of the ﬁrst settlements of outsiders 
  to dare the hazards of the Necropolis in an attempt 
  at survival and proﬁt.  Unlike Den, Sanctuary is 
  not populated by corium prospectors, but rather by 
  industrious settlers who hope to turn the ruins into a 
  new home.
  When the PCs arrive, the watchmen in the village’s 
  towers alert the guards, who clamber acrobatically 
  down ropes dangled from above to drop all around 
  the party, effectively surrounding them.  The guards, 
  both male and female, demand that the PCs holster 
  or put away their weapons (though they can keep 
  them); if the PCs agree, they are cautioned against 
  violence, then allowed entry into the village.  This is 
  accomplished by either climbing straight up (before 
  the guards reel the ropes back in), or by waiting for 
  laborers in the town above to lower an elevator cage.  
  Once this is done, the PCs are taken up off the city 
  streets and into the haven of Sanctuary.
  Once inside Sanctuary’s walls, the PCs ﬁnd it 
  to be a somewhat crowded and xenophobic place, 
  but one that still recognizes that trade is a vital part 
  of survival.  The PCs are regarded as a curiosity, 
  but unless they break the local prohibitions against 
  violence and theft, they are given a chance to trade, 
  exchange information, and secure temporary lodgings 
  for a night or two.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Sanctuary is run by Calico, a 
  former mercenary hired by the Cartel who, like many 
  other settlers who followed that mercantile faction 
  into the city, was abandoned when the Cartel ﬂed the 
  Necropolis after their failed colonization attempt in 
  2263.  Though they had done reasonably well settling 
  the eastern fringes of the Necropolis, the advance 
  of the Androids (see Area #059) destroyed virtually 
  everything they had built and ended their bid for 
  control of the city.
  Calico and a few fellow settlers were unable to 
  keep up with the Cartel convoys heading out, and 
  eventually he and the others just gave up trying 
  to go home, cursing the Cartel for their cowardice 
  and instead choosing to stay and die.  Remarkably, 
  they didn’t; the robots just seemed to “move on,” 
  leaving them to wonder why ― and buying them 
  time to rebuild.  It has been a slow process, but 
  Calico has almost single-handedly built Sanctuary 
  into a formidable settlement where like-minded folk 
  can come for safety.  He is a guarded and cautious 
  individual, a strategist who knows the darker side of 
  human nature better than most, but he is also hungry 
  for news of the outside world and especially of the 
  Necropolis.
  Though Calico despises the formal clans of the 
  desert (namely the Clean and Cartel), he doesn’t 
  hate individuals.  Thus, unless the PCs are part of a 
  recognized trade house and act superior because of 
  their “station,” they’ll probably be alright here.  The 
  settlers don’t have much to trade (a few murmur that 
  Den is a much better place for trading, but Calico, 
  if present, will warn the PCs that said town is a real 
  “den of thieves”), but they can offer some minimal 
  
  28
  medical care, a meal, a place to sleep, and shelter 
  from the dangers that lurk in the night.
  Calico (Strong Hero 3/Mercenary 2 [AMT]/
  Guardian 1):  CR 6; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+6 plus 2d10+4 plus 1d10+2; HP 42; Mas 14; 
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 18, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 
  16 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +4 class, +2 equipment); BAB 
  +6; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee (1d6+3, combat knife), 
  or +9 ranged (2d6+2, Calico Liberty 50); FS 5 ft 
  by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility; AL 
  Sanctuary; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +1; AP 4; Rep 
  +0; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Occupation:  Merchant (Gather Information).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Diplomacy).
  Mutations and Defects:  Regenerative Capability.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Diplomacy +3, Gather 
  Information +3, Intimidate +3, Jump +4, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +3, Knowledge (Tactics) +5, 
  Profession +3, Sense Motive +8.
  Feats:  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Leadership, 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Primitive Technology, Remove Defect, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Weapon Focus (Calico 
  Liberty 50).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Mercenary [AMT]):  Weapon 
  Specialization, Connections (5%).
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2.
  Possessions:  Calico Liberty 50, two boxes of 
  9mm ammo (100), combat knife, leather armor, two 
  negation grenades, two doses of stimshot A, compass, 
  2d12 corium pieces.
  Sanctuary sits atop an isolated section of elevated 
  highway overpass, and is heavily fortiﬁed.  One 
  prime motivation for the relatively heavy fortiﬁcation 
  is the fact that a large portion of Sanctuary’s 
  population is female; it houses a total of 78 settlers 
  (44 men and 34 women), along with 12 children 
  (non-combatants).  At any given time, 8-12 males 
  and 6-10 females are out in well-organized work 
  parties, traveling to and from secret gardens hidden 
  in the nearby area (these consist of small gardens and 
  farms set up in the shells of rooﬂess buildings, on 
  top of abandoned skyscrapers, and in other hidden 
  spots; the inhabitants of Sanctuary use them to grow 
  food).  The remainder of the settlers are in Sanctuary, 
  evenly divided among watchmen, guards, and others 
  performing mundane domestic duties.
  Calico:  HP 42.
  Settlers (78):  HP 6.
  012. DISEASED BEASTS (EL 6)
  The intersection ahead bakes under the 
  sun, which hangs high overhead.  The buzz of 
  ﬂies echoes through the maze of streets and 
  alleys.  As you approach, a hideous giant rat 
  teeters forward from the shadows of a hole in 
  a nearby building, baring its ugly yellow teeth 
  in a diseased snarl.  Its entire body is covered 
  with weeping sores, and its hair has fallen off in 
  patches.  As the animal moves slowly towards 
  you, several more of the sickly beasts emerge 
  from the building behind it, growling together...
  
  29
  These animals, a total of 5 rat dogs, recently 
  ventured too near the Diseased Crater at Area #014 
  and became infected with the virus still lingering 
  at that ancient site.  Having grown sick from the 
  exposure, the animals are sapped of strength and have 
  come here to cool off in the shade.  Mad from fever, 
  the animals move to attack the PCs as soon as they 
  are spotted.
  Rat Dogs (5):  HP 9*.
  GM’s Note:  The rat dogs are infected with 
  septicemic plague and thus have reduced attribute 
  scores, as reﬂected in the stat block below.  Note that 
  each time one of these creatures injures a character 
  with its bite, that character must make a Fortitude 
  save (DC 16) to avoid becoming infected!
  Rat Dog (Diseased):  CR 1; Medium-size Mutated 
  Animal; HD 2d8*; HP 9; Mas 9*; Init +2; Spd 40 ft; 
  Defense 13, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 11 (+0 size, +2 Dex, 
  +1 natural); BAB +1; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6+2, 
  bite); Full Atk +2 melee (1d6+2, bite); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ ﬂea cloud, keen sight, scent; AL none 
  or owner; SV Fort +2*, Ref +5, Will +1; AP 0; Rep 
  +0; Str 13*, Dex 15, Con 9*, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +1 (+3 when 
  tracking by scent), Swim +4.
  Feats:  None.
  013. DISEASED RUIN-PICKERS (EL 7)
  A man calls out to you, raising his arms in the 
  air.  A weak smile shows on his face, and a small 
  campﬁre smolders nearby.
  A small family of 4 ruin pickers has set camp here 
  indeﬁnitely.  Though normally motivated to keep 
  moving (to avoid being in any one place more than 
  once), the ruin pickers are currently staying put 
  because each of them has recently become ill.
  GM’s Note:  The desperate ruin pickers (husband, 
  wife, grown son and teenage daughter) all became 
  sick after consuming the carcass of a rat dog they 
  killed several days ago in the ruins.  Unbeknownst to 
  them, the animal was from the pack at Area #012, a 
  group of animals that wandered too near the Diseased 
  Crater at Area #014.  Now the ruin pickers have all 
  contracted the septicemic plague, and are likely to die 
  as a result.
  Though the ruin pickers are afraid for their lives, 
  they try their best not to show it.  They know any 
  outward signs of illness will likely drive strangers 
  off (if not invite an immediate shot through the head 
  by a paranoid scav).  Desperate for water (to cool the 
  fever) and medicine (to help alleviate the “unknown 
  illness”), they’re not above trying tricks to get what 
  they need.
  When the PCs arrive, the father does most of 
  the talking, trying to play it cool in order to trade 
  for supplies.  A Sense Motive check vs. his Bluff 
  will determine something’s not right, however.  In 
  addition, any character making a Treat Injury or 
  Knowledge [Earth and Life Sciences] check (DC 13 
  or 18 respectively) will recognize the signs of the 
  plague.
  Ruin Pickers (4):  20 HP.
  Development:  The ruin pickers are desperate to 
  save their own lives.  If they have to, they’ll attack 
  the PCs to get what they want.  The only things 
  the PCs can do to avoid bloodshed is give them 
  medicine, treat their injuries, or prove that they don’t 
  have anything that can help them.  Otherwise the ruin 
  pickers inevitably try to overtake the PCs and kill 
  them for what’s in their packs!
  Treasure:  The ruin pickers have 1d6 light rods, 
  1d2 Simple Foods, and 1d3+1 Trade Goods hidden 
  in their camp, all of which can be found with a 
  successful Search check at DC 13.
  014. DISEASED CRATER (EL 8)
  The concrete earth in this intersection is pitted 
  by a singularly enormous crater, the impact 
  of which destroyed every glass window in the 
  buildings facing the intersection.  The remnants 
  of an old, broken missile sit in the crater, where 
  it seems the warhead failed to detonate.
  An old police car sits idly nearby, collecting 
  rust.  Dozens of human skeletons ring the crater, 
  still wearing the tattered remnants of ancient 
  clothing.
  The crater in this hex ― the source of the illness 
  affecting the ruin pickers at Area #013 and the sick 
  animals at Area #012 ― was created by a biological 
  missile warhead that struck the city during the ﬁrst 
  phases of the apocalypse.  Only a few bystanders 
  were killed by the weapon’s actual impact, and when 
  reports of “something hitting the ground” ﬁltered 
  over the radio, a police car was rushed to the scene to 
  check it out.
  When it became clear a missile had hit, a large 
  number of civilians gathered to steal a glimpse, many 
  of them children.  Though the police tried to keep the 
  bystanders back, they were too late, as the invisible 
  toxins inside the warhead had already been released.  
  Most of the two dozen men, women, and children 
  died in spasmic ﬁts in just a few minutes, while the 
  ﬂeeing survivors, gagging on their own melting faces, 
  carried the disease out of the area, spreading it out of 
  control.
  GM’s Note:  Though the intersection is now empty 
  and quiet, the disease carried by the warhead is still 
  pervasive here.  Any handling of skeletons, their 
  possessions, the two vehicles, or even the ground 
  soil will expose party members to the invisible 
  germs.  The disease has mutated over the years, and 
  is somewhat less potent than it originally was.  Still, 
  
  30
  it is potentially lethal; use the statistics for septicemic 
  plague (see Darwin’s World 2nd Edition: Campaign 
  Guide).
  Treasure:  A search of the bodies here uncovers 
  2d3 Junk (re-roll anything that seems inappropriate 
  to the situation).  The contents of the police car can 
  be determined using the table presented under the 
  Looting Police Cars sidebar.
  015. RAIDER STOCKADE (EL VARIES)
  This adventure location was originally featured in 
  Modern Dispatch #3 (Necropolis Diaries).  
  One of the most dominant manmade features of 
  the abandoned cityscape of Anaheim is the ashen, 
  crumbling stockade.  The stockade, which looks 
  vaguely reminiscent of an old-style slave fortress 
  from the colonial period, stands out because it rests 
  in the middle of a large expanse of land cleared all 
  around it.  This land, where the raiders’ slave subjects 
  were once forced to grow modest crops, has all but 
  deteriorated into a choking dustbowl.
  The raider stockade was made from scavenged 
  brick and stonework, brought from throughout the 
  locale by slaves and erected with the blood and 
  sweat of the same.  The fragile framework is covered 
  in whitish clay drawn from the sewer tunnels that 
  crisscross the area (before these were eventually 
  collapsed; the raiders discovered ghouls in the 
  neighboring area to the east and took measures to 
  prevent further subterranean attacks).  The clay still 
  burns with a soft glow when the sun catches it.  But 
  the stain from smoke and ﬁre and other signs of some 
  devastating attack reveal that even the fort’s tall 
  ramparts did little to save it in the end.
  GM’s Note:  Parties that approach the stockade 
  risk being seen by its current inhabitants (see below), 
  for they must cross nearly 100 yards of ﬂattened 
  terrain to get to the foot of the walls.  Allow the ghoul 
  sentries in the Raider Village (Area B) and in the 
  Tower (Area H) a Spot check at DC 15 to notice the 
  party coming.  If they are spotted, the ghouls quietly 
  alert the whole pack and wait in ambush for their new 
  prey.
  A. DEVASTATED CROPLAND (EL 0)
  From your vantage point in the low, broken 
  buildings surrounding the compound, you see 
  a broad ﬂat area apparently cleared for crops 
  long in the past.  Whoever once tended the ﬁelds 
  surrounding the compound must have perished 
  (or deserted) long ago, for now only dust and 
  rubble can be seen between your hiding spot and 
  the stockade ruins some hundred yards distant.
  The cleared terrain consists of shallow dry soil, once 
  unsteady cropland and now utterly barren.  Wind 
  erosion has eradicated the efforts of countless slaves.  
  A Search check (DC 15) by anyone in this area 
  uncovers the broken remains of human/humanoid 
  skeletons here and there, marking the spots where 
  dead defenders were dragged to be eaten by their 
  Hive attackers.  Anything of use was scavenged long 
  ago.
  B. RAIDER VILLAGE (EL 1)
  The only sound to meet your ears is that of 
  your own collective feet crunching on barren 
  soil, kicking up dust as you go.  Here, the great 
  gates of the embattled stockade lie broken 
  open by some tremendous force ― and beyond 
  lies a hidden village ﬁlled with skeletons and 
  rubble like a graveyard of horrors.  As you pass 
  beneath the cool shadow of the towering walls 
  overhead, you see an open area large enough to 
  keep almost a thousand people safe from attack 
  ― but littering the grounds, standing like ebony 
  monuments to destruction, are the ﬁre-blackened 
  shells of cars, trucks, and entire buildings.  
  LOOTING POLICE CARS
  Scavs (and other adventurers) quickly learn 
  that the remains of old police cruisers are 
  often sitting “treasure troves,” just waiting to 
  be opened.  Easily distinguished from other 
  rusting vehicles (because of their telltale black 
  and white paint scheme), these vehicles are 
  renowned for having useful equipment inside, as 
  well as weapons.
  Whenever the PCs encounter a police 
  car, there is a 50% chance that it has useful 
  equipment inside.  If this is the case, roll 
  twice on the following table to determine the 
  combined contents of the vehicle.
  D20
  Contents
  1-2
  Spike strip
  3-4
  Car opening kit
  5-6
  Battery-ﬂood ﬂashlight
  7-8
  Professional walkie-talkie (with power cell)
  9-10
  First aid kit
  11-12 Lock release gun
  13-14 Mossberg shotgun plus 1d100 rounds of 12-
  gauge ammunition
  15-16 Net gun [F/MG]
  17-18 Gas mask plus 1d2+1 tear gas grenades
  19-20 Stage IIIC identity card
  Note that a given police car will usually be 
  locked up, so the PCs may need to break in 
  to get at its contents.  This typically requires 
  a Disable Device check at DC 20; note that a 
  police cruiser’s trunk doesn’t pop open from 
  inside.
  
  31
  Once a small town ﬁt neatly behind these walls, 
  but some tremendous battle here left the entire 
  settlement utterly destroyed.
  All is quiet.  All is still.
  As if the sight of the decaying stockade wasn’t 
  creepy enough, entry into the central courtyard 
  beyond the imposing walls is even more eerie.  
  Under the shadow of the tall, crumbling walls can 
  be seen the refuge of the long-dead raiders: a huge, 
  barren, rubble-strewn “town” lies dead, its narrow 
  streets littered with the burned-put husks of cars, 
  motorcycles, and even a truck or two.  All appear to 
  have been destroyed in some catastrophic battle, and 
  skeletons can be seen in 
  driver seats, on roofs, and 
  all over the place.  It is a 
  scene of startling carnage 
  and eerie desolation.
  This place is the scene 
  of an eleventh-hour chaos 
  ― it is where the raiders 
  made their last stand when 
  the Hive ﬁnally came 
  to eradicate them for 
  trespassing into the Hive 
  lands to the north.  Fortiﬁed 
  behind their walls, the 
  raiders thought themselves 
  safe, but the overwhelming 
  power of the enemy was too 
  great even for their ruthless 
  soldiers.  The front gates 
  were brought down by a 
  huge mutant specimen of 
  the Hive, and the courtyard 
  was compromised.
  The raiders fought a 
  quick, desperate, and 
  ultimately futile battle here.  All of their remaining 
  vehicles were used in the defense.  From the walls, 
  they focused their attacks inwards to shower the 
  invaders with weapons ﬁre.  They fought among the 
  streets, hiding in their shelters.  The effort cost the 
  Hive a great number of their own, yet in the end the 
  raiders were slaughtered to the last man, and the town 
  all but burned down.
  GM’s Note:  For most of the day, only a single 
  ghoul will be found lurking in town among the ruined 
  trucks, buildings, and other debris.  This ghoul keeps 
  an eye out on the approaches to the compound, 
  as well as the streets of the walled town, and 
  immediately goes to alert his fellows if living beings 
  are seen or heard.  Unless the intruders are a force 
  from the Hive, the ghouls will prepare an ambush in 
  which to garner new food reserves for the coming 
  weeks, either here among the streets or in the tunnels 
  below (see Area C).
  Ghoul (1):  HP 12.
  C. BUNKERS/TUNNELS (EL 6)
  A number of low, squat, concrete bunkers and 
  pillboxes sit at the base of the great walls, and even 
  inside the courtyard itself.  Each of these is poorly 
  constructed but nonetheless effective for their 
  purpose: to provide cover for their occupants while 
  giving an overlapping view of the approaches to the 
  raider fort.
  Getting into a bunker is almost impossible from 
  the outside, since they are only pierced with narrow 
  ﬁring slits (and each slit has an iron hatch that can 
  swing over to cover it completely, though many of 
  these have fallen off or rusted away).  Attacking 
  someone within the bunker would be quite difﬁcult, 
  as the bunker affords nine-tenths cover.
  A series of tunnels dug beneath each bunker 
  connects the pillboxes to the interior of the compound 
  (see map).  Each tunnel is barely ﬁve feet high and 
  two feet wide, permitting only single-ﬁle movement 
  in absolute darkness.  Turning around in a tunnel is 
  difﬁcult because they are so narrow, and requires a 
  move action to accomplish.
  The ghouls of the compound sometimes retreat 
  to these tunnels during the day to avoid the painful 
  effects of the sunlight.  If the party comes by day, the 
  enemy may well be encountered here.
  Ghouls (6):  HP 18, 15, 15, 12, 12, and 10.
  Treasure:  The bunkers are each empty, except 
  perhaps for the shattered remains of some poor 
  unfortunate or two who fought to the end within.  
  
  32
  There is a 10% chance that any bunker contains a 
  skeleton still armed with a black powder riﬂe (but 
  only one in the entire complex).  One or two of the 
  underground tunnels may also still contain a crate 
  or two of gunpowder for the defenders’ muskets 
  (another 50% chance of 10-100 shots of powder; only 
  two such surviving caches at most).  The ghouls have 
  not taken these, for they lack the intelligence to use 
  them!
  D. WALLS (EL 0)
  Old walls, cracked and crumbling, stand 
  over the entire stockade.  From their summit 
  can be seen the entire region surrounding this 
  lost stronghold ― the 
  deserted cropland below, 
  and the beginnings of the 
  ruined city beyond.
  The walls of the stockade 
  are accessed via broad 
  stairs on each of its walls, 
  wide enough for four men 
  abreast to ascend at a time.  
  The walls have suffered 
  from attack, ﬁre, and decay, 
  however, and in many 
  places have crumbled or 
  collapsed so badly as to 
  prevent movement along 
  the ramparts.
  From their summit, one 
  can see anywhere in the 
  compound’s ﬁeld of vision.
  E. RUINED STRONGHOLD (EL 0)
  Central to the village, 
  built on a low rise, 
  stand the remains of 
  what must have once been a strongpoint, a last 
  line of defense for those who lived and died 
  here.  A large squat bunker, destroyed by ﬁre 
  and crushing force, surveys the deserted village 
  around it in silence.
  This was an additional bunker stocked with supplies 
  and arms for the raiders to retreat to should their 
  walls be compromised.  The battle for the raider 
  compound didn’t last long enough for a pitched battle 
  here, but the bandit prince (Kruel) attempted to ﬂee 
  here in hopes of escaping certain death.  He died 
  outside without ever reaching safety.
  In the end, even the bunker’s strong stone walls 
  were no match for the ﬁreballs produced by the 
  massive Hive beetles.
  Characters searching the charred ruins ﬁnd little 
  more than the remains of an old strongpoint.  Fire 
  seems to have ignited a cache of gunpowder stored 
  here, causing the bunker to literally explode.  Anyone 
  or anything that had been within disintegrated 
  completely in the blast.  Nothing remains.
  F. COMMUNITY GARAGES (EL 0)
  Here the cool shadow of the overhead wall 
  masks a large building erected long ago.  Three 
  huge bays pierce the building’s front, revealing 
  only darkness within.  The wreckage of vehicles 
  lies scattered all about.
  This huge building was built by the raiders for 
  the maintenance of their ﬂeet of vehicles, which 
  they brought with them from beyond the mountains 
  or otherwise scavenged from the ruins of the 
  Necropolis.  As the raiders boasted a number of 
  mechs with some appreciable skill among their ranks, 
  this was no doubt the centerpiece of their power.
  This place, as elsewhere, is a ruin.  What used 
  to be a huge workshop capable of supporting and 
  repairing a dozen vehicles at once is now merely 
  a dusty cavern.  Skeletons in badly rotted leather 
  armor lie strewn about; the rusted hulks of two or 
  three armored-up autos sit idly in the shadows.  
  Cobwebs hang over nearly everything.  Old banks 
  of tool chests, tables, and work areas are destroyed, 
  thoroughly plundered by some unknown force long 
  before the party’s arrival.
  Treasure:  A Search (DC 15) of the entire garage, 
  taking 1d3 hours, allows some scavenging of what 
  little remains.  There are enough tools remaining 
  scattered throughout the rubble (apparently 
  
  33
  overlooked) to comprise a full mechanical tool kit.  
  In addition, one of the “destroyed” vehicles could in 
  fact be salvaged with a successful Repair check.  This 
  vehicle is a Ford Crown Victoria.
  G. COLLAPSED FORTRESS (EL 0)
  A cathedral-like ruin stands here, mutely 
  glaring back down at those who trespass into the 
  deserted compound.  Ash-blackened outer walls 
  and collapsed inner walls tell a story of ﬁery 
  destruction that left the place a shattered ruin.
  This place was once a grand fortress (by raider 
  standards), where the best warriors of the raider clan 
  made their home along with their prince Kruel.  A 
  church before the Fall, the raiders desecrated the 
  ruin further by turning it into a stronghold with 
  buttressing, reinforcement, and their very presence.  
  The bodies of disobedient slaves were cruciﬁed 
  outside; beneath the place, in collapsed tunnels, 
  they kept their harems of captives, all of whom died 
  when the building burned and the entire citadel came 
  tumbling down.
  GM’s Note:  Among these prickly, dangerous 
  ruins, a Search check (DC 18) will reveal a number 
  of well-concealed tunnels that lead into the earth 
  and under the walls to connect the various bunkers 
  throughout the area.  Searching aboveground has a 
  10% chance, per person per round, of causing some 
  kind of minor collapse that will alert anyone and 
  everyone in the compound to the party’s movements 
  (no Listen check required).
  H. TOWER (EL 1)
  Towering over the compound is a ramshackle 
  covered wooden tower, which no doubt permits a 
  grand view of the entire compound and ruins.  A 
  ladder, sheathed in piping (probably to prevent 
  the climber from being sniped at) leads up to its 
  summit.  The entire structure creaks unsteadily in 
  the wind.
  Climbing to the tower top takes a full three rounds.  
  At its summit, the tower is found to be a creaking, 
  unsteady structure, barely 20 feet by 20 feet.  Narrow 
  shuttered windows run the length of each side, 
  permitting 360-degree vision from an unprecedented 
  THE GHOULS 
  The ghouls living in the ruins of the old raider stockade are survivors of the ghoul enclave that once 
  infested the city ruins to the east, but was shattered by the onslaught of the great Hive.  Though the once-
  mighty ghoul “empire” was crushed and forced underground, many ﬂed their people’s ruin to live out a 
  dangerous, savage existence on the fringes of Hive territory.
  The 8 ghouls living here are a band of escapees that have clung to a pack organization purely for 
  survival.  If they cannot secure food in this locale they will eventually move on, ever eastwards, towards 
  the hills, searching for prey while evading Hive patrols.
  If and when the PCs are discovered in “their” stockade, the ghouls attempt to gather their numbers 
  before ambushing the enemy.  If it is day, they retreat to the tunnels in the Bunkers (see map) to ambush 
  unsuspecting PCs who come down after them.  Alternatively, they wait here until nightfall to emerge and 
  take anyone camping among the ruins by surprise.
  If it is night, the ghouls gather en masse and emerge in a pack to confront the enemy, moving between 
  the party and the compound gate to prevent escape.
  In general, the ghouls will ﬁght until only about one-third of their original numbers remain, at which 
  time they try to escape if possible (they value nothing among the stockade ruins, and thus don’t hesitate to 
  ﬂee if seriously threatened).
  Ghouls (Mutant Post-Apocalyptic Hero 2):  CR 2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+2; HP 18, 15 
  (x2), 12 (x3), 10 (x2); Mas 12; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, ﬂatfooted 11 (+2 Dex, +1 class); 
  BAB +1; Grap +1; Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, claw), or +4 ranged (by weapon); Full Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, 2 
  claws), +1 melee (1d6+1/19-20, bite), or +4 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, darkvision, albinism, cannibalism; AL none; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will -1; AP 3; Rep +0; 
  Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 3.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Sensitive Sight, Serrated Dental Development, Albinism, Cannibalism.
  Skills:  Climb +2, Hide +7, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Search +2, Spot +6, Survival +4.
  Feats:  Alertness, Primitive Technology, Multi-Attack, Weapon Finesse (claws, bite).
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli Lore.
  Possessions:  None.
  
  34
  height.  This allows a full view of the raider village 
  within the walls, as well as the cropland beyond.
  GM’s Note:  At any given time there is likely a 
  ghoul reluctantly stationed here to keep a lookout.  
  This ghoul descends from this perch if the alarm 
  must be raised, or if ﬁghting is heard elsewhere in the 
  compound.
  Ghoul (1):  HP 10.
  016. SHARKEY’S AUTO REPAIR (EL 5)
  A side street here leads off into the shadow of 
  taller buildings.  In the garbage-strewn alley, a 
  number of old cars are parked outside a nearby 
  shop.  An old faded sign overhead depicts 
  smiling automobiles and more familiar shapes, 
  which you recognize as wrenches and bolts. 
  An old auto repair shop is found in this hex.  
  Parked outside are the equivalent of ﬁve Dodge 
  Neons, though none of these are in working condition 
  (though they may be salvaged, as a Complex repair 
  task).  An additional Dodge Neon and an Acura 3.2 
  TL can be found inside in various states of repair, 
  abandoned during the Fall.  A character making a 
  Spot check at DC 25 will notice a Yamaha YZ250F 
  parked around the corner; this bike is in working 
  condition (with a quarter tank of fuel), and is loaded 
  with treasure (see below).
  The old shop is a lightless labyrinth of tight 
  passages, dusty storage rooms, and garage.  When the 
  PCs ﬁrst enter, allow them to make a Listen check 
  at DC 20; if they succeed, they hear the sound of 
  someone searching through the tools in one of the old 
  storage rooms towards the back of the place.  If they 
  fail, allow the single occupant of the building to make 
  a Listen check (same DC) to hear them, thus getting 
  the jump on the party!
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Searching the abandoned shop 
  is a single ghost raider named Phantom, attracted here 
  by the prospect of ﬁnding tools and spare parts for 
  his vehicle (the Yamaha YZ250F the PCs may have 
  noticed outside).  The raider will be alarmed by the 
  presence of the PCs, and attacks them only if he can 
  get a surprise round; if they become aware of him, he 
  instead tries to slip out of the building via a backdoor 
  or through a window.  He will not surrender.
  Phantom (Mutant Fast Hero 4/Ghost Raider 
  1 [REW]):  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  4d8+8 plus 1d8+2; HP 32; Mas 14; Init +2; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 20, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +2 
  Dex, +6 class, +2 equipment); BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk 
  +4 melee (1d6+1, combat knife), or +5 ranged (2d6, 
  black powder pistol); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility; AL none; SV Fort +4, Ref 
  +5, Will +1; AP 4; Rep +2; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, 
  Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 7.
  Occupation:  Wanderer (Drive, Navigate)
  Background:  Radical (Hide).
  Mutations and Defects:  Multi-Faceted Eyes, 
  Aberrant Deformity.
  Skills:  Balance +4, Craft (mechanical) +4, 
  Disguise -8, Drive +10, Hide +12, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +4, Move Silently +11, Navigate 
  +9, Repair +11, Ride +3, Search +4, Sleight of Hand 
  +4, Spot +2, Survival +6, Tumble +9.
  Feats:  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Intuitive 
  Mechanic, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Uncanny Dodge 1.
  Talents (Ghost Raider [REW]):  Vehicle 
  Tinkering.
  Possessions:  Two black powder pistols, 20 rounds 
  of shot, leather armor, combat knife, sunglasses, 
  canteen.
  Phantom is not part of any of the existing Ghost 
  Raider group, and lives alone as a maverick.  He is 
  particularly despised by Metal Jaw’s gang, and if 
  captured he might try to bargain for his freedom by 
  telling the PCs about Metal Jaw’s tribe at Area #018.
  Phantom:  HP 32.
  Treasure:  Phantom’s motorbike is burdened 
  with the stuff he uses to survive in the Necropolis, 
  including two moth-eaten blankets, 1d3 extra pairs 
  of socks, a lockpick set, a survival kit (missing 
  everything but the re-usable items), a hand-operated 
  gas siphon (used to transfer fuel from wrecked cars to 
  his motorcycle), a magnesium ﬁrestarting kit, a roll of 
  ion bonding tape, and 1d2 rolls on Table 1: Junk.
  The abandoned auto repair shop has other items 
  of value as well.  A Search check (DC 13) uncovers 
  the equivalent of a deluxe mechanical toolkit, a ﬁre 
  extinguisher, two ﬂashlights (with drained power 
  cells), a manual tire pump, and two manual car jacks.
  017. GOLDEN DRAGON (EL 9)
  An eerie building stands near a highway 
  overpass in this neighborhood, its green and 
  red walls covered with strange lettering.  The 
  fanciful design of a gold dragon adorns each 
  side of the building.  Even from a distance you 
  can hear the sound of its tubular wind chimes 
  humming in the wind.
  Once a lavish Chinese restaurant, this building, the 
  “Golden Dragon,” has only recently become the 
  hideout for a small group of Ghost Raiders.  These 
  well-hidden marauders are using the restaurant’s 
  strategic location to monitor Area #015 and Area 
  
  35
  #018 nearby.  They are currently holing up in the 
  building until they feel ready to strike either of these 
  areas.
  There are four ghost raiders in the Golden Dragon; 
  at any given time one is certain to be on watch, 
  using binoculars to spy either Area #015 or Area 
  #018 (he is thus on one side of the building or the 
  other).  There is a 50% chance that another of the 
  raiders is awake, and is watching the other side of the 
  building.  There is only a 20% chance that the other 
  two are awake; otherwise they are both asleep in the 
  restaurant proper.
  GM’s Note:  If the PCs are spotted, the raiders 
  will remain hidden, hoping the PCs move on.  If 
  they enter the building, the 3 ghost raiders and their 
  leader (1 ghost raider elite) try to attack them from 
  surprise, hopefully killing them as quietly as they can 
  (and preserving the secrecy of their hiding spot).
  Ghost Raiders (3):  HP 22.
  Ghost Raider Elite (1):  HP 36.
  Treasure:  The raiders keep their four Yamaha 
  YZ250F dirt bikes in the remains of the restaurant 
  itself, which they have made their camp.  Under 
  the peeling golden pillars of towering Buddhas, 
  the raiders keep all of their belongings, ready to 
  move out at a moment’s notice.  These include two 
  camping tents (each collapsible so as to be ported in a 
  rucksack), a standard ﬂashlight with a full power cell, 
  eight liters of water, a dozen packaged ready-meals, 
  a ﬁrst aid kit, a stage IIM identity card, and two tear 
  gas grenades.
  018. GHOST RAIDER TRIBE (EL VARIES)
  This hex is home to a “tribe” of Ghost Raiders, 
  former members of the raider empire of Anaheim 
  who managed to escape the destruction of their 
  stronghold by ﬂeeing before the ﬁnal battle against 
  the Hive.
  The tribal raiders who live in this village only 
  vaguely resemble the once-proud and arrogant 
  predators they once were.  In the years since the 
  fall of their empire, these men have degenerated 
  into savages, turning to even more brutal ways to 
  survive.  Though they maintain a small ﬂeet of rusted 
  motorcycles and battle cars, they have decorated 
  these with wild swirls of paint and with the teeth, 
  horns, and skulls of creatures (and humanoids) they 
  have hunted in the ruins.
  The typical raider of this isolated community is a 
  half-naked, malnourished savage, covered in ashen 
  gray body paint, his face decorated to resemble a 
  skull or screaming mask.  Crow feathers decorate his 
  wild hair, and jewelry made from strings of human 
  teeth adorn his arms, wrists, neck, and chest.  What’s 
  worse, these raiders have descended into cannibalism: 
  every month the entire tribe gathers and slaughters a 
  captive and ritually feasts on his ﬂesh.  If no captives 
  are available, trials by combat determine which tribe 
  member ﬁlls this role instead....
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The leader of these savage 
  raiders is a madman of hypnotic charisma named 
  “Metal-Jaw,” once one of the top generals in Kruel 
  the Conqueror’s inner circle of military leaders.  
  Though he served as one of Kruel’s most loyal 
  generals, ﬁghting ghouls and Hive insects with 
  equal ferocity (and making a name for himself as a 
  great warrior, often leading his men into battle from 
  the front), Metal-Jaw eventually began to change.  
  Reprimanded for questioning Kruel’s suicidal 
  insistence on staying and ﬁghting the Hive, Metal-
  Jaw gathered up what men would follow him and 
  slipped out of the compound at night, just days before 
  the ﬁnal attack.  They have never looked back.
  Over the years, Metal-Jaw has slipped into his own 
  insanity.  Hunted by the Hive and by the remnants of 
  the ghouls of the region, he and his people have been 
  pushed too far.  Metal-Jaw believes himself to have 
  become a kind of “god of death,” having escaped the 
  fate of his fellow raiders by ﬂeeing.  Though his band 
  survived, he sees this existence as a kind of “limbo,” 
  and he and tribe as neither living nor dead.  He has 
  acquired for his people a frightening reputation 
  despite their weakened situation, pioneering cunning 
  tactics that exemplify the nature of Ghost Raiders ― 
  stealth, camouﬂage, hit and run tactics, and covering 
  their trail when they vanish into the night.
  Metal-Jaw spends his days cloaked in the powdery 
  white dust of ground human bones, with strokes of 
  red paint around his eyes and nostrils.  His jaw, torn 
  from his face in a brutal battle during his rise as a 
  raider ofﬁcer, is now a steel bear-trap.  He wears a 
  horned headdress that, combined with his half-metal 
  face, makes him look like a demon, and he drapes his 
  otherwise naked body in the stitched skin of former 
  communal sacriﬁces.
  Metal Jaw (Mutant Strong Hero 3/Raider 5/
  Ghost Raider 5 [REW]):  CR 13; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 5d10+5 plus 5d8+5; HP 
  76; Mas 12; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 25, touch 20, 
  ﬂatfooted 23 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +8 class, +1 natural, 
  +5 equipment); BAB +11; Grap +12; Atk +12 melee 
  (1d6+3, cleaver), or +14 ranged (2d6, Uzi); FS 5 ft 
  by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility; AL 
  none; SV Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +2; AP 6; Rep +4; Str 
  12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 12.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Radical (Knowledge [Tactics]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Multi-Faceted Eyes, 
  Bizarre Pigmentation.
  Skills:  Craft (mechanical) +4, Drive +12, Hide 
  +10, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (Tactics) +11, Move 
  Silently +10, Navigate +7, Repair +15, Ride +7, 
  
  36
  Search +4, Spot +1, Survival +10.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Intuitive Mechanic, Mounted 
  Archery, Mounted Combat, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy, 
  Vehicle Expert, Vehicle Dodge, Weapon Focus (Uzi).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Raider):  Chaps and Chains +1, 
  Bloodthirsty Cry, Chaps and Chains +2, Horrifying 
  Kill.
  Talents (Ghost Raider [REW]):  Vehicle 
  Tinkering, Shadow Vehicle, Cheap Repair, Banshee 
  Wail.
  Possessions:  Uzi, four boxes of 9mm ammunition 
  (80), leather armor, dermal plating +1 [F/MG], 
  cleaver, two white phosphorous grenades, one juju 
  potion (1d4+2), Yamaha YZ250F dirt bike.
  Though they live on the verge of starvation, Metal-
  Jaw somehow manages to keep his men mindlessly 
  loyal to him ― no doubt through brainwashing and 
  the use of powerful drugs.  His men even go so far as 
  to actually believe their leader’s quixotic claim to be 
  the “god of death.”  Seeing themselves as his “undead 
  servants,” his followers have absolutely no fear of 
  death; they believe they have already died and now 
  live in a painless, immortal limbo.
  The tribe consists of 23 Ghost Raiders and 6 
  Ghost Raider elites.  These men conform to the 
  stats presented for generic ghost raiders (and ghost 
  raider elites), except that in addition to their regular 
  abilities each of these men is also immune to fear.  
  Their community is a secret village hidden among the 
  ruins, well-fortiﬁed against attack.
  Metal Jaw:  HP 76.
  Ghost Raiders (23):  HP 22.
  Ghost Raider Elites (6):  HP 36.
  Development:  The PCs could very well stumble 
  upon a group of Metal-Jaw’s raiders while moving 
  through this hex, or any of the hexes surrounding this 
  one.  If undetected, the raiders shadow the PCs for 
  several hours, striking only once the sun has dipped 
  below the horizon.  When they attack, they do so to 
  take captives, perhaps snatching one or two PCs and 
  riding off, leaving the rest of the party behind.
  Anyone taken captive by the raiders will likely 
  meet Metal-Jaw and the rest of his tribe over dinner... 
  or as dinner....
  019. HIDDEN PARADISE (EL 0)
  Up ahead the ground seems to have split open 
  from past tectonic activity.  The sound of rushing 
  water echoes down this chasm, which splits the 
  road, and a nearby building, cleanly in two.
  Located in this hex is a unique “garden” of sorts.  
  Infrequent rainwater, falling on the city and pooling 
  in surrounding districts, gathers here, spilling down 
  through a collapsed street into what may have 
  once been a sewer tunnel.  Here the vegetation has 
  managed to survive the hostile elements due to the 
  high level of moisture, and a lush garden of ivy, 
  mosses, and fungus has been able to ﬂourish.  
  The PCs can scale the tiered, broken rock face of 
  the rift to reach the bottom below with only a few 
  minor Climb checks (1d3 checks at DC 13).  Once 
  they reach the underground garden, they ﬁnd a series 
  of subterranean caves which are likewise overgrown 
  with lush ﬂora, many of them heavy with luscious 
  fruit.
  GM’s Note:  The tunnels connecting this area to 
  the sewers collapsed long ago, and as such the PCs 
  cannot access the sewers via this “sunken garden.”
  Treasure:  A full day spent exploring the caves 
  nets the party edible fruits and vegetables that will 
  provide food and moisture needs for 1d4 people for 
  1d4 days.
  020. ANGEL STADIUM (EL VARIES)
  Dominating the ruins in this part of the 
  city are the crumbling remains of an ancient 
  sports arena, some kind of enormous coliseum 
  dedicated to the self-perceived athletic 
  superiority of the Ancients.  Though the structure 
  is badly decaying from age, the roar of engines 
  turning over, the drunken laughter of many men, 
  and the sounds of a large settlement can be 
  heard drifting over its tall outer walls.
  The most prominent feature of this hex is the ruin 
  of Angel Stadium, once a popular sports arena in 
  Anaheim.  Now the wreckage of this great coliseum 
  has been taken over by a band of powerful raiders 
  known across the wasteland (i.e. beyond the city) as 
  the “Immortals.”
  A scourge of the desert communities of the Rift 
  Valley region of the Twisted Earth, the Immortals 
  are well-known to most people from beyond the 
  boundaries of the Necropolis (PCs from outside 
  the city will recognize their banners, ﬂapping from 
  the tops of the tallest parts of the stadium’s ruins, 
  with a Knowledge [Twisted Earth] check at DC 18).  
  Natives of the deserts over and beyond the Santa Ana 
  mountains, the Immortals were drawn to the ruins of 
  Los Angeles by stories of the infamous raider prince 
  Kruel the Conqueror and his exodus over those 
  mysterious peaks to the great Necropolis.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The leader of the Immortals 
  is a man known only as Khan, a ruthless but 
  unusually intelligent ― and patient ― warlord.  
  
  37
  The lure that drew this bloodthirsty would-be king 
  to the Necropolis lies far back in the man’s past; 
  years ago, during the same battle that allowed the 
  young and ambitious Khan to wrest control of the 
  Immortals from his former master, Khan learned a 
  great secret.  This secret was so secure, so forbidden, 
  that it was only whispered between members of the 
  small but elite brotherhood of men who dare to call 
  themselves “raider kings” (the respective leaders of 
  the great raider gangs of the world ― the Ravagers, 
  Wastelords, etc.).  Though all were enemies and bitter 
  rivals, this secret was so potent that it is said not even 
  the worst among them would allow it to be revealed.
  How Khan managed to pry loose this well-guarded 
  secret is unknown, but it said as soon as he learned it 
  he became a man obsessed.  He spent years searching 
  for “something,” an object he wouldn’t speak of to 
  his closest advisors and consorts, eventually leading 
  the entire gang over the mountains to the ruins of the 
  Necropolis.  Many abandoned him, thinking he’d 
  gone mad, but his charisma was so powerful that a 
  virtual army remained loyally at his side.
  Today Khan has made the ruins of Angel Stadium 
  the home of his Immortals, using the great ﬁeld 
  to array his army of vehicles and to build a small 
  tent city for his gang followers.  In truth, Khan is 
  desperately trying to ﬁnd an ancient artifact that 
  predates the Fall, one of potentially tremendous 
  power.
  Raider legend has it that a certain “object” once 
  stood as a unifying symbol to the many motley 
  street gangs of the pre-Fall world.  Long ago, before 
  the apocalypse, a near-deiﬁed gang leader known 
  mysteriously as Cyrus united the fractured gangs 
  of the great Western cities (from California to the 
  Midwest) into one enormous “mega-gang;” with 
  membership numbering in the tens of thousands, this 
  mega-gang threatened even the government of old.  It 
  is said that Cyrus reigned over an era of pure terror 
  and intimidation, with his vast legions of unseen 
  followers inﬁltrating the streets of cities all across the 
  nation.  In time, the authorities put a bounty on the 
  cult ﬁgure’s head, but this only elevated him in the 
  eyes of his followers, enﬂaming gang violence for 
  decades to come ― a great urban uprising that only 
  ended with the coming of the Fall itself.
  Injured by an assassination attempt by rivals 
  from the East Coast, Cyrus was said to possess an 
  engraved walking cane that during his brief but 
  brilliant lifetime came to symbolize his uniﬁcation 
  of the great gangs of his era, an icon that despite his 
  decrepitude only added to his powerful charisma.  
  Popular belief among many of the gangs of the 
  current, superstitious era holds that any raider able 
  to recover this lost artifact could claim Cyrus’ 
  birthright: total command of all raider gangs west of 
  the Mississippi.
  Remarkably, this legend has remained relatively 
  intact over the centuries, suggesting that Cyrus did 
  in fact exist.  Furthermore, the respect and reverence 
  raiders give to his name ― and the idea that his cane 
  has some special signiﬁcance ― are shared at least 
  to some extent by virtually every raider gang on the 
  Twisted Earth.
  Khan was drawn to the Necropolis by stories that 
  quietly suggested Kruel the Conqueror had, in fact, 
  found the Cane of Cyrus during his time in the desert, 
  just prior to his exodus.  Others believe Kruel ﬂed 
  to the Necropolis either to ﬁnd the Cane here in the 
  ruins (Cyrus was said to be a native of Los Angeles), 
  or else stash it like a pirate of old, to await some 
  future attempt to take over the gangs of the West and 
  create a new empire.
  Khan seeks the Cane at all costs; he has consulted 
  many secret sources and, with no little consideration, 
  believes Kruel did at some point possess the Cane 
  during his exile to the city.  He has brought his entire 
  gang over the radiated Santa Ana mountains here 
  to the ruins of Anaheim, searching for any signs of 
  Kruel, his fallen empire, and the whereabouts of the 
  Cane.
  Like all raiders, Khan is a brutal ﬁghter and 
  cunning tactician.  Unlike most, however, Khan 
  also has an uncharacteristic knowledge of history, 
  the culture of the Ancients, and of raider law and 
  customs.  He is a wily diplomat, respected by 
  older and more experienced raider leaders for his 
  brashness, bravery, and refreshing honesty.  He 
  believes (possibly rightly so) that by ﬁnding the Cane 
  and returning with it to the desert, he will be able to 
  force the raider gangs of the Twisted Earth to bow to 
  his command.  If this were to happen ― which it very 
  well might ― Khan would stand to become the leader 
  of a new “nation” on the Twisted Earth, comprised 
  of the worst bandits, rapists, and murderers the world 
  has ever known....
  Handling The NPCs:  Khan is a powerful raider, 
  and the PCs would be wise to avoid his domain.  His 
  camp is almost entirely restricted to the insides of 
  the old stadium, but enough exits exist in the old 
  structure that they certainly couldn’t be trapped 
  within.  Scouts and lookouts riddle the ruins and will 
  certainly raise the alarm at the ﬁrst sign of outsiders 
  approaching.
  If the PCs try to make contact with Khan, he may 
  be willing to deal with them, but only insofar as to 
  learn what, if anything, they know about the Cane 
  of Cyrus.  His speciﬁc reaction to the PCs depends 
  on how they handle themselves; weak characters, 
  if they know nothing, are likely to be enslaved or 
  killed to prevent knowledge of his camp from getting 
  out.  If they impress him, he will try to hire them to 
  ﬁnd the Cane (though he certainly won’t mention its 
  signiﬁcance), offering a generous reward… one that 
  
  38
  might give the PCs reason to suspect his motives.
  In battle, Khan generally rides on the back of a 
  battle cycle (driven by one of his elites) with energy 
  pike in hand, ready to skewer unmounted foes with a 
  charge.
  Khan (Mutant Strong Hero 2/Dedicated Hero 
  2/Charismatic Hero 2/Raider 7):  CR 13; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 2d8+6 plus 2d6+6 plus 2d6+6 
  plus 7d10+21; HP 101; Mas 17; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 32, touch 21, ﬂatfooted 30 (+0 size, +2 Dex, 
  +9 class, +11 equipment); BAB +11; Grap +15; Atk 
  +15 melee (2d8+5, energy pike), or +13 ranged (2d6, 
  Ruger MP-9); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, regenerate 2 hp per 10 mins, night 
  blindness; AL Immortals; SV Fort +13, Ref +8, Will 
  +6; AP 6; Rep +6; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 15, 
  Wis 15, Cha 17.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Bluff, Diplomacy).
  Background:  Radical (Drive).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accelerated White Blood 
  Cell Activity, Night Blindness.
  Skills:  Bluff +19, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +5, 
  Drive +11, Gather Information +18, Intimidate +17, 
  Investigate +4, Knowledge (Current Events) +8, 
  Knowledge (History) +8, Knowledge (Tactics) +8, 
  Listen +4, Repair +6, Ride +3, Sense Motive +4, Spot 
  +6, Survival +4
  Feats:  Alertness, Armor Proﬁciency (heavy), 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency 
  (medium), Deceptive, Exotic Melee Weapon 
  Proﬁciency, Leadership, Mounted Combat, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Ride-By Attack, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Spirited Charge.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Skill Emphasis 
  (Intimidate).
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate.
  Talents (Raider):  Chaps and Chains +1, 
  Bloodthirsty Cry, Chaps and Chains +2, Horrifying 
  Kill, No Survivors.
  Possessions:  Energy pike, power backpack, Ruger 
  MP-9, one box of 9mm ammunition (32), advanced 
  metal armor, combat knife, pocket nurse (loaded with 
  three doses of stimshot B).
  Khan’s gang consists of 280 Immortal Raiders and 
  another 30 Immortal Raider Elites, all living in the 
  ruins of the stadium.  At any given time 10 raiders are 
  on duty as lookouts (in two-man teams at strategic 
  points throughout the rubble), while another ﬁve or 
  six (including one elite) patrol the ruins nearby with 
  orders to “look for anything unusual.”  Since these 
  men don’t know what exactly they’re looking for 
  (Khan won’t tell them), they could easily assume the 
  PCs, or something the PCs carry, ﬁts the bill.  They 
  attack any armed parties they see.
  Khan:  HP 101.
  Immortal Raiders (280):  HP 30.
  Immortal Raider Elites (30):  HP 50.
  Treasure:  The Immortals have a legion of 
  vehicles, including ﬁfteen battle cycles, twenty battle 
  cars, ten battle hummers, and two blockade runners.  
  Their communal stockpiles (arranged throughout 
  their camp, with the more volatile supplies stored 
  in underground parts of the old stadium to prevent 
  sabotage by inﬁltrators) include fuel stocks, food and 
  water supplies, explosives, ammunition, spare parts 
  for their machines and weapons, and small caches of 
  medicines (GM’s discretion on the actual amounts; 
  rad-purge should be among them).
  021. UNCOVERED FIND (EL 0)
  This area is especially sandy, with dunes 
  collecting between the buildings on either side 
  of the streets crisscrossing the region.  However, 
  ahead you see a cluster of rusted, wind-blasted 
  vehicles in an intersection, partially buried in the 
  sand, their tops exposed.
  The PCs have stumbled upon the remains of a raider 
  scouting expedition originating from the community 
  that once stood at Area #015.  It vanished during a 
  particularly violent sandstorm several years back.  
  The ﬁckle winds of the Necropolis have unearthed 
  these lost vehicles, and the PCs are the ﬁrst to 
  stumble upon them.
  If the PCs investigate, they ﬁnd three battle cars, 
  THE IMMORTALS
  Though unknown to the denizens of the Necropolis, the Immortals are a rising raider gang in the deserts of 
  southern California and Arizona, a pox that has appeared in recent years to plague the major trade routes of 
  the Cartel.  This powerful gang of Radicals has shown a carefree destructiveness that is unmatched in their 
  part of the desert, making them one of the most formidable gangs of the West.
  The Immortals get their name from the inhuman toughness and resilience they exhibit in battle, traits 
  which can be directly traced to their members’ mutations (see the Immortals’ stat blocks for details).  Many 
  victims who have ﬂed their aggression have spread word of their seeming invincibility, giving them an 
  almost god-like reputation among the less-civilized people of the wasteland.
  
  39
  all in relatively good working order (preserved by 
  the sand; a few hours of maintenance could get them 
  back up and running), each painted with the words 
  “Fireteam Falcon” on its hood.  Three desiccated 
  corpses sit in the lead vehicle, where the occupants 
  apparently took shelter when the storm hit.  They 
  appear to have been buried alive by the freak 
  accumulation of sand, and suffocated within.
  Treasure:  The three bodies all wear leather armor.  
  One is armed with a Mossberg, the other two with 
  TEC-9 machine pistols (the bodies also have among 
  them 1d6 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition and 6d10 
  rounds of 9mm ammunition).  There are three empty 
  canteens, and a single (empty) can of dog food that 
  they apparently shared as their last meal.
  022. LOST SETTLERS (EL 2)
  A small camp lies ahead.
  A small group of 5 settlers hailing from the 
  community of Sanctuary (Area #011) are making 
  camp in this hex.  Sent out into the ruins to harvest 
  food from one of several secret farms (see Sanctuary 
  for details on their farming methods), the settlers got 
  lost on their way back, wandering deeper into the 
  city.  Terriﬁed of drifting too far from their fortiﬁed 
  settlement, the settlers have temporarily pitched camp 
  until they can get their bearings.
  When the PCs arrive, the camp’s occupants are on 
  edge; they’re thirsty, hungry, and close to panicking.  
  Unless the PCs approach cautiously, they will likely 
  open ﬁre out of fear and surprise.
  Settlers (5):  HP 6.
  Development:  The settlers are grateful if the PCs 
  approach openly and peacefully.  Though wary, they 
  are eager for assistance.  Their two senior leaders are 
  currently arguing over a map and antiquated compass 
  that neither can ﬁgure out how to use (and both claim 
  is “broken”).  A character making a Diplomacy check 
  at DC 16 can convince the men to let her try and 
  use the device; next, a Survival check at DC 12 will 
  allow that PC use the compass (which works ﬁne) to 
  pinpoint their exact location.  Once this information 
  is passed on, the settlers will be in a much better 
  mood ― but eager to strike camp and set out for 
  home.
  If the PCs make a good impression, the settlers 
  offer to lead the PCs back to Sanctuary with them; 
  smart PCs may recognize the need to ﬁnd allies and a 
  secure base in the city.  On the way back the settlers 
  may also pass on some useful information with a 
  Gather Information check (see Settler Talk).
  SETTLER TALK
  Assuming the PCs befriend the settlers at Area #022 
  (or during a random encounter in which settlers from 
  Sanctuary are encountered), they can attempt to make 
  a Gather Information check at DC 12 to glean some 
  information on what the settlers have seen in this 
  area.  With each success, either roll or pick a piece of 
  information from the list below.
  The settlers observed what they describe as an 
  “enormous ﬂying bug” pass overhead a few days ago.  
  The creature was burdened, carrying “junk” in its 
  mandibles.  Though they were afraid it would return 
  with others, it didn’t.  If asked, the men say it headed 
  off to the northeast (towards Area #029).
  When the men ﬁrst became lost they sent one 
  of their number out to forage for food.  The scout 
  encountered a pack of “grotesque dogs” to the 
  southwest, which appeared to be horribly diseased.  
  He didn’t dare approach the animals, and snuck away.  
  Since then the men have been rationing the supplies 
  they brought with them, afraid to eat anything local 
  for fear of contamination.
  The men haven’t seen any themselves, but they 
  warn the PCs about “Ghost Raiders.”  If the party 
  asks what these Ghost Raiders are and where they 
  came from, the men say a raider fortress once stood 
  at the heart of Dead City, but was destroyed by an 
  unknown enemy of great power.  A few survivors of 
  this lost raider empire continue to pop up now and 
  then in the ruins, though they are invariably insane 
  and psychotic.  These shadowy killers are known as 
  Ghost Raiders.
  
  40
  THE HIVE
  When the Hive ﬁrst came to the 
  surface and began to expand, 
  they quickly came into contact 
  with other Necropolis factions.  
  Ravenous for scrap metal and other materials with 
  which to begin building their colossal “bughills” (a 
  more efﬁcient means of housing their burgeoning 
  population than living in underground tunnels), they 
  embarked on scavenging forays that inevitably drew 
  them into the territory of others.
  One of these factions was the Raiders of Kruel 
  the Conqueror, whose people attacked the bugs 
  out of fear at their ﬁrst meeting.  Reacting to this 
  perceived act of aggression, the primitive bugs fought 
  back furiously but ineffectively at ﬁrst.  Though the 
  raiders managed to strike deep into Hive territory 
  and strike the ﬁrst few blows, the hive mind behind 
  the Hive slowly became more acute to the threat, and 
  adapted.  During the ﬁghting, the ﬁrst generation of 
  giant ﬁrebugs was engineered and used to ﬁght back 
  what the bugs now considered an invasion.  The 
  raiders attempted to beat off the ﬂood of bugs that 
  poured over their northern frontier, but such efforts 
  ultimately failed.  Overwhelmed, the raiders fought 
  to the death to defend their isolated fortress.  Their 
  bravery was lost to the Hive, however, who took the 
  last surviving raiders captive, to serve as incubators 
  for a generation of bugs to replace those lost in the 
  ﬁghting.
  After the Raiders fell, the Hive expanded 
  unfettered, eating up entire neighborhoods in the 
  eastern reaches of the city.  Stripping these regions 
  of everything useful, they fed their hunger for 
  knowledge and building materials by tearing apart 
  the landscape.  Left unchecked, they managed to 
  build numerous bughills until they ﬁnally came into 
  conﬂict with the Foundation colony in Pasadena and 
  the powerful ghoul enclave in and around Compton.
  The mutant bugs had battled ghouls before, 
  but now they had the might to ﬁnally crush the 
  ghoul presence on their frontier once and for all.  
  Embarking on a merciless campaign, the Hive’s 
  armies rolled over the ghoul enclave in relatively 
  short order and shattered the considerable ghoul 
  presence in the Necropolis.
  As for the Foundation, they, like the Raiders, 
  failed to recognize the true threat posed by the Hive.  
  Already struggling with their colonization attempt, 
  the Foundationists were alarmed when the ﬁrst Hive 
  
  41
  bugs were spotted near their borders.  In haste the 
  Foundationists conceived of a plan to ally with the 
  raiders they suspected lived far to the south, hoping 
  to contain the Hive by presenting a uniﬁed front.  
  Unknown to them, the raider presence had already 
  been destroyed, but the Foundationists prepared an 
  expedition nonetheless.  The Foundationist envoys 
  traveled through contested Hive territory in an 
  armored humvee, carrying an encoded laser disc 
  containing a tempting offer of alliance between the 
  raiders and Foundation aimed at destroying the Hive 
  “infestation.”  Secure in the knowledge that mindless 
  bugs couldn’t crack the code even if the disc fell into 
  their hands, the Foundationists waited for a response.
  The bugs caught the envoys trying to cross through 
  their lines.  When mutant bugs surrounded the 
  vehicle, the envoys’ escort of paladins opened ﬁre.  
  The bugs defended themselves, overwhelming the 
  diplomatic convoy and killing the occupants.  But 
  they managed to retrieve the disc and, unknown 
  to the Foundationists (who believed them to be 
  unintelligent insects), they were clever enough to 
  crack the code and decipher the message.
  The Foundationists got their response in the 
  form of a full-out attack by the Hive, which now 
  recognized the Foundation as a possible enemy.  
  Gleaning from the coded disc vital information 
  about the locations of Foundation outposts, the Hive 
  was able to swarm into the ruins of Pasadena and 
  overwhelm the Foundation colony there.  In a matter 
  of weeks, the Foundationists were forced to abandon 
  the colony, as well as any hopes of colonizing the 
  city.
  Today the Hive remains the dominant force in the 
  eastern part of the city.  They continue to build on 
  their newly-acquired territory, but in recent years 
  have come into conﬂict with the fringes of the Broken 
  Ones empire.  The Broken Ones view the Hive as 
  just one more obstacle to their conquest of the city, 
  and the Hive, in turn, sees the vast number of Broken 
  Ones as an obstacle to their expansion.  A state of war 
  exists between the two, but little headway has been 
  gained since hostilities erupted.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  The region that now falls under the Hive’s control 
  is largely dead and deserted; their expansion has 
  driven most life forms from the area.  In addition to 
  tearing down large sectors of the old city to build 
  their towering bughills, the Hive has also destroyed 
  the habitat of many native animals.  Birds, dogs, and 
  even rats no longer have a secure sanctuary in the 
  area, and as a result the streets are frequently found to 
  be barren and deserted.
  Encounters in Hive territory are infrequent, and 
  those that do take place likely involve mutant bug 
  scouts, formations of swarm bugs moving to the 
  
  42
  frontlines with the Broken One empire, or a ﬂight of 
  bug ﬂyers zooming overhead in search of materials to 
  scavenge for the latest construction endeavor.  These 
  encounters are dangerous for groups both small and 
  large, as the Hive bodes no trespassers in “their” 
  domain.  Most inhabitants of the city consider a trek 
  through Hive territory to be tantamount to suicide (or 
  worse, considering what the ‘bugs are said to do to 
  their captives...).
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 
  10.  Roll on the table below to determine the nature 
  of a random encounter.  Individual encounters are 
  detailed in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2-3
  Lone Mutt
  4-5
  Bats!
  6-8
  Flying Bugs Attack!
  9
  Corpses
  10-12
  Scavenging Bugs
  13-14
  Random Noises (Surface)
  15-17
  Bugs on the Move
  18-19
  Rope Worm
  20
  Weird Weather
  023. CHEMICAL PLANT (EL VARIES)
  The ruins of a polluted industrial complex 
  occupies this area.  Enormous chimneys, one of 
  which has crumbled to little more than a nub, 
  rise over the sprawling main building.  The smell 
  of sulfur and alkaline is heavy here.
  This building was condemned even before the 
  Fall.  Interestingly, this small chemical plant, 
  geared to the production of pesticides, was one 
  of the ﬁrst properties purchased by the eccentric 
  Ronald Bernard, CEO of the Zoogenic Corporation 
  (see later for details), during his rise to wealth and 
  power.  Already somewhat unstable, Bernard had 
  long despised humanity’s unﬂinching disregard 
  for insects, and the use of pesticides to essentially 
  commit “genocide” against the insect species of the 
  world enraged him.  Bernard thought it wonderfully 
  ironic to purchase the pesticide factory ― instead 
  of manufacturing poisons here, he embarked on a 
  strange research project aimed at creating a powerful 
  mutagen that would transform common insects into 
  enormous monsters.
  The plant served as the test bed for experiments 
  that would later lead to Bernard’s success in creating 
  the progenitors of the Hive.  But before he realized 
  this vision, he hoped to use the chemicals here to start 
  a nationwide panic; disguised as common household 
  bug-killers, his chemical sprays would instead mutate 
  ants, roaches, and spiders into gigantic variations that 
  would wreak havoc.
  For whatever reason, Bernard never marketed 
  his chemicals in this fashion, instead dedicating his 
  efforts to a more ﬁtting ― and ultimately longer-
  lasting ― legacy of revenge on behalf of animalkind 
  (see Area #160).  He voluntarily shut down the plant 
  and abandoned it early in his corporate rise to fame.
  GM’s Note:  The old plant is still heavily polluted 
  with contaminants.  There is a 1 in 10 chance that at 
  some point a random PC is forced to make a Reﬂex 
  save at DC 18 to avoid being burned by acidic 
  compounds still dripping from old pipes or leaking 
  from storage tanks.  On a failed save that PC suffers 
  1d6 points of acid damage.
  In addition, the ruins have become home to 
  unusually large bugs.  Unrelated to the insects of 
  the Hive (except perhaps for their common creator), 
  these creatures are unintelligent, merely possessing 
  inordinate size as a result of the mutagens still present 
  in the local water table.  When the PCs ﬁrst visit this 
  location, roll to determine the type and number of 
  creatures present:
  D10
  Type
  Number
  1-2
  Small monstrous spiders*
  3d8
  3-4
  Medium-size monstrous spiders*
  3d6
  5-6
  Large monstrous spiders*
  2d6
  7-8 Medium-size monstrous cockroaches
  3d4
  9-10
  Large monstrous cockroaches
  2d4
  * The statistics for these creatures are found in d20 
  Modern.
  Treasure:  Though there is no “treasure” to be 
  gained here per se, clever PCs might devise a way 
  to collect the acidic compounds still present in these 
  ruins (consider this place an unlimited source of Mild 
  acid).
  024. MADMAN (EL 3)
  There’s a madman living in this hex, a former captive 
  of the Hive.  Captured months ago, he was driven 
  insane by his treatment at the hands of his captors 
  (which included impregnating him with a Hive 
  larva), but somehow he managed to escape.
  When the PCs enter this hex, they have a good 
  chance of being noticed by the demented recluse.  
  The madman wanders the ruins and buildings of the 
  area, talking to himself at times, yelling at others, 
  or whispering in a conspiratorial tone ― all of it 
  gibberish.  Though the PCs might hear him, they 
  certainly won’t see him (at least unless they sneak up 
  on him), as he is a master at hiding and shadowing 
  those who wander too close to his “refuge.”
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The madman is paranoid and 
  crazy, and if spotted he presents a shocking sight: 
  a withered elderly man wearing only torn rags, his 
  half-naked body covered with grotesque scars where 
  
  43
  he used his broken ﬁngernails to cut the bug parasite 
  out of his own stomach.  Wild-eyed and cackling, he 
  will ﬂee, laughing and screaming as he goes.  He will 
  try to lose the party, but if they manage to catch up 
  or corner him, he ﬁghts to the death to avoid capture 
  ― all the while raving like a lunatic.
  Madman (Fast Hero 3/Skulk 3):  CR 6; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 3d8+3; HP 34; 
  Mas 12; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; Defense 19, touch 19, 
  ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +6 class); BAB +4; 
  Grap +7; Atk +7 melee (1d6+3, combat knife), or +7 
  ranged (1d3+3, thrown rock); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 
  5 ft; SQ none; AL none; SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +4; 
  AP 3; Rep +1; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 
  14, Cha 6.
  Occupation:  Slave (Climb, Survival).
  Background:  Feral (Listen, Navigate, Spot).
  Skills:  Balance +5, Climb +6, Escape Artist +8, 
  Hide +12, Listen +9, Move Silently +12, Navigate 
  +3, Search +4, Sleight of Hand +7, Spot +9, Survival 
  +7, Tumble +12.
  Feats:  Alertness, Dodge, Forsaken, Mobility, 
  Play Possom [B&L], Run, Sand in the Eyes [B&L], 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Slippery Foe [B&L], 
  Stealthy.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Uncanny Dodge 1.
  Talents (Skulk):  Sweep, Sneak Attack +1d6.
  Possessions:  Combat knife, rocks (for throwing), 
  2d3 rats (partially eaten).
  Madman:  HP 34.
  Development:  If the battle here makes a good 
  deal of noise, there is a 1 in 12 chance that the sound 
  attracts a patrol of 1d3 bug ﬂyers moving through 
  the area.  If this is the case, the bug ﬂyers arrive 2d4 
  rounds after combat starts, attacking anyone out 
  in the open in the hopes of taking them to the 
  nearest Hive bughill.
  025. HIVE A (EL VARIES)
  The buildings throughout this entire region 
  seem to have been picked over for everything 
  that wasn’t nailed down; window panes, 
  rooftop signs, and entire telephone poles have 
  been stolen away by some unknown ― and 
  inhumanly strong ― group of thieves.
  In the distance, a breathtaking sight 
  dominates the entire area: a colossal 
  “anthill,” perhaps forty stories high, rising 
  from the wreckage of the city like a monstrous 
  attempt to recreate a skyscraper of the past.  
  Even from this distance you can hear a 
  distinct “buzz” coming from its direction, and 
  around its uppermost summit ― a narrow 
  neck of rock and loose earth capped by a deep 
  black hole some thirty feet wide ― you see a 
  cloud of gigantic ﬂying bugs, each of which must 
  be as large as a man.
  This hex marks the location of a fully-constructed 
  “bughill,” one of the colossal structures that mark this 
  territory as the domain of the Hive.  This particular 
  construction, “Hive A,” is an astounding example 
  of the magniﬁcent structures the mutant bugs are 
  capable of creating.
  Hive A rises almost 40 stories above the 
  surrounding city, its bizarre conglomerate 
  construction of rubble, metal, glass, concrete, and 
  organic bug excretions clearly setting it apart from 
  the blackened wreckage of the Ancient-era buildings 
  that also share this hex.  Like all Hive communities, 
  Hive A resembles a towering anthill composed of 
  countless materials scavenged by the Hive from 
  throughout the region.  Bricks, concrete slabs, natural 
  stone, soil, wood, unidentiﬁable vegetable matter, 
  broken glass, metal pipe, electrical wire, rubber 
  tubing, rubber tires, and bones ― these are just 
  some of the materials used to create this towering 
  hill.  To the trained eye, unworked pieces of ancient 
  civilization can be seen poking out of the bughill’s 
  outer surface: whole doors and rusted grilles from 
  automobiles, scavenged by bug looters; the faded 
  slogans of old billboards torn down by industrious 
  workers; street signs and statues stolen from other 
  places near and far; and mazes of subterranean 
  plumbing and sewer pipe “requisitioned” for the 
  cause of creating a new home for an ever-growing 
  Hive population.
  There are surface entrances to the bughill, but once 
  underground these passages quickly divide and divide 
  again, with each sub-tunnel leading off in a different 
  direction: left, right, up, down, or in any combination.  
  
  44
  Hive insects can distinguish one tunnel from another 
  by scent, but for those without such keen senses, the 
  tunnel complexes quickly turn into a mind-boggling 
  labyrinth.  Unless intruders take great care to mark 
  their path, they could easily become lost in a matter 
  of minutes.
  A. SURFACE ENTRANCES (EL VARIES)
  At the base of the mighty bughill are four enormous, 
  nearly identical cave entrances that descend into 
  subterranean darkness.  Each is a broad tunnel 
  (shored up with stone, earth, and calciﬁed bug 
  excretions) intended to permit trafﬁc in and out of the 
  bughill interior.
  A given surface entrance is usually tended by 
  guardians, night and day ― in addition to regular 
  trafﬁc.  These guardians consist of 1-2 giant tank 
  bugs, 1d6+6 mutant bug guardians, and 1d2 
  mutant bug thinkers.  However, there is also a 1 in 
  4 chance that a large number of other bugs is present 
  (night or day) going to and from various points on 
  their daily routines of foraging, construction, etc.  If 
  this is the case, the guards are complemented by 5d6 
  mutant bugs.
  Giant Tank Bugs (1-2):  HP 168.
  Mutant Bug Guardians (7-13):  HP 41.
  Mutant Bug Thinkers (1-2):  HP 42.
  Mutant Bugs (5-30):  HP 17.
  Development:  Since the Hive has effectively 
  driven away all life other than their own from the 
  eastern reaches of the Necropolis, any intruder 
  spotted near a surface entrance to the bughills is 
  cause for alarm ― especially so close to one of their 
  strongholds.  If the PCs are spotted, the tank bugs 
  lumber after them, along with one-half of the mutant 
  bug guardians (and at least one elite).  The remainder 
  stay at the tunnel entrance, sending 1-2 of their 
  number to fetch reinforcements from underground.  
  More bugs show up 2d6 rounds later in the form 
  of additional giant tank bugs (from the Caverns), 
  mutant bug guardians and mutant bug thinkers, 
  swarm bugs, and bug ﬂyers summoned from the 
  Skychute (see Area H).  If the PCs haven’t gotten 
  away by then, they are certainly in big trouble....
  B. GARRISON RINGS (EL VARIES)
  Three “rings” occupy the lower-middle part of the 
  bughill, and these are buzzing with martial activity 
  night and day.  These rings of tunnels, corridors, and 
  caverns are set aside for the habitation of the Hive’s 
  garrison of mutant bugs.
  Each ring consists of a single large tunnel 
  running in a circle, off of which sprout dozens of 
  smaller tunnels and caverns.  Each cavern is home 
  to a number of mutant bugs as well as specialized 
  “troops” (such as thunder locusts).
  A given cavern contains a random number and type 
  of Hive troop, determined by a die roll:
  D6
  Number & Type
  1-2
  3d8 swarm bugs
  3
  2d8 mutant bug guardians
  4
  3d4 thunder locusts
  5
  2d4 mutant bug thinkers
  6
  Roll twice
  On average, individual caverns are spaced about 20 
  to 50 ft. apart, so reinforcements are always nearby.  
  Luckily for would-be trespassers, however, the 
  deafening buzz of so many bugs means that all Listen 
  checks made on these levels suffer a -8 circumstance 
  penalty.
  C. SALLY PORTS (EL VARIES)
  Concealed at various points on the bughill’s 
  exterior are hidden sally ports, secret “hatches” 
  through which defenders of the hive community can 
  escape to the exterior of the structure.  These allow 
  reinforcements on higher-up levels of the bughill to 
  respond to threats against the community quickly, 
  without having to descend to the surface entrances (or 
  ascend to the Skychute) to emerge.  This also allows 
  the defenders of the community to take attackers by 
  surprise, emerging from undetected points to rally 
  their strength and strike from unexpected directions.
  Individual sally ports are generally guarded by 1-
  2 mutant bug guardians, stationed just inside the 
  actual port.  Ports are exceptionally well-disguised 
  from the outside, requiring a Search check at DC 28 
  just to notice.
  A combined Strength score of 20 is needed to open 
  a typical sally port.  Since they are quite large and 
  heavy, opening (or closing) a sally port hatch requires 
  a full-round action.
  Mutant Bug Guardians (1-2):  HP 41.
  HIVE TEMPLATE
  Hive A, as depicted here, can serve as a template for the other bughill communities of the Hive.  Though 
  the individual garrison strengths, current goings-on, and even state of construction of a given Hive 
  community may vary, all bughills generally correspond to Hive A’s layout and description.  As a result, you 
  may ﬁnd it useful to refer back to this area’s text if and when the players encounter other bughills in the 
  Necropolis.
  
  45
  D. MATURATION RING (EL VARIES)
  Above the garrison rings (Area B) lies the 
  “maturation ring,” which is similar in construction 
  and layout to the garrison rings.  The maturation 
  ring, however, is used for the raising and education 
  of mutant bugs recently hatched in the Honeycombs 
  (see Area G).
  The maturation ring is alive with activity at all 
  times.  In addition to young mutant bugs living (and 
  growing) in individual caverns, more mature bugs 
  move through the tunnels and cavern complexes on 
  other speciﬁc tasks ― bringing food to hungry young 
  grubs, for example.
  Roll randomly to determine the occupants of a 
  given cavern on the maturation ring:
  D6
  Number & Type
  1
  5d6 Hive larvae
  2-3 5d6 immature mutant bugs (these have only 6 HP 
  each)
  4-5 As 2-3 above, plus 1d2 mutant bugs (standard HP)
  6
  3d3 food bugs plus 1d2 mutant bugs (standard 
  HP)
  E. STORAGE CELLS (EL 5 OR 7)
  These silo-shaped caverns, located high up in the 
  bughill, are used for any variety of purposes by 
  the Hive.  A typical storage cell is unguarded, but 
  workers arrive and depart regularly, ferrying supplies 
  to and fro.  Thus, there is a 50% chance that 1-2 
  mutant bugs are present at any given time, either 
  picking up supplies or depositing scavenged materials 
  from a recent foray.  These bugs ﬂee if they spot 
  intruders, but only so as to raise the alarm and bring 
  back reinforcements from the Garrison Ring (Area 
  B).
  If the PCs are interested in searching, you may 
  determine the contents of a given storage cell with a 
  random dice roll:
  D6
  Storage Cell Contents
  1
  Currently empty
  2-3
  Food bug “sludge” (surplus food being stockpiled)
  4
  Metal supplies (scrap metal, corrugated iron 
  sheets, barrels full of coins, nails, broken machine 
  parts, etc.)
  5
  Organic materials (leather goods, textiles, rotting 
  vegetable matter, bones, wood, rope, etc.)
  6
  Special contents (batteries, electronic parts, 
  disassembled computers, data storage devices, 
  advanced weapon parts, etc.)
  F. HARVESTER CELLS (EL VARIES)
  This ring, like various other rings in the bughill, 
  consists of a main tunnel with several smaller 
  branches, each leading to a small chamber.  These 
  chambers are home to harvesters, mutant bugs 
  whose sole duty is to function as caretakers of the 
  Honeycombs (see Area G).  The responsibilities 
  of the harvesters include keeping watch over the 
  Honeycomb level, maintaining the tunnels and 
  passages, placing live larvae inside paralyzed victims 
  brought to the hive by bug ﬂyers, sealing victims 
  inside individual honeycombs, monitoring their 
  progress, and caring for the newly-emerged grubs 
  before handing them over to the specialized bugs on 
  the Maturation Ring (Area D).
  Like other parts of the hive complex, this ring 
  is alive with activity at all hours, with workers 
  busily running back and forth, preoccupied by their 
  particular tasks.  A given stretch of tunnel on this 
  level is occupied by 2d4 mutant bugs; individual 
  chambers (of which there are three to four per tunnel) 
  are each home to an additional 2d4 mutant bugs.
  Mutant Bugs (2-8):  HP 17.
  GM’s Note:  Since the mutant bugs here are 
  generally preoccupied with their tasks, they suffer a 
  -2 penalty to Spot and Listen checks.
  G. HONEYCOMBS (EL VARIES)
  The uppermost parts of the anthill comprise the 
  “Honeycombs,” a series of interconnected levels that 
  form a sprawling “prison” several stories high.  These 
  honeycombs are constructed by harvesters (see Area 
  F), who meticulously maintain the maze of corridors 
  and individual honeycombs night and day, hour after 
  hour.
  Each individual honeycomb is a 6 x 6 x 6 ft. “cell,” 
  with walls made from a slightly translucent orange 
  material; this material is remarkably durable, mufﬂes 
  sound, ﬁlters in just enough light to see by, and yet 
  is porous enough that anyone trapped inside has no 
  trouble breathing.  Honeycomb cells are uniformly 
  hexagonal in shape, ﬁtting together in perfect 
  harmony to form vast rows of seemingly identical 
  cubicles (though the bugs of the Hive know precisely 
  how to ﬁnd a speciﬁc cell when they need to).
  Captives taken by the Hive are generally brought 
  here in a paralyzed state and sealed into one of these 
  honeycomb cells.  After a few days the harvesters 
  return, this time to impregnate the still-paralyzed 
  victim with a living Hive larva.  Once the cell is 
  sealed again, the harvesters keep a regular vigil, 
  returning every so often to check on the host until 
  the larva hatches, eating its way out of the still-warm 
  corpse.  Once the Hive larva has eaten, the harvesters 
  return to open the cell and move the larva to the 
  Maturation Ring.
  Because of the activity here, there is a 1 in 4 
  chance (rolled each minute) that any trespassers 
  navigating the maze of honeycombs will bump into 
  a group of 2-4 mutant bugs.  On encountering any 
  intruders, these bugs split their numbers in half; half 
  remain to ﬁght and tie down the PCs while the rest 
  ﬂee to raise the alarm and gather reinforcements.
  Mutant Bugs (2-8):  HP 17.
  GM’s Note:  Many of the tunnels meandering 
  
  46
  through the Honeycombs open right out into the 
  Skychute, anywhere from 20 to 100 feet over the 
  ‘chute’s bottom.  At these points bug ﬂyers can 
  deliver their paralyzed victims right into the hands of 
  awaiting harvesters, who take them promptly to cells 
  to be sealed in, awaiting impregnation....
  As with elsewhere in the complex, the constant 
  buzz of the harvesters is almost deafening.  Listen 
  checks made on these levels suffer a -8 circumstance 
  penalty.  In addition, since the harvesters are 
  preoccupied with their tasks, they suffer a -2 penalty 
  to Spot and Listen checks.
  H. SKYCHUTE (EL VARIES)
  This enormous chute rises more than 100 feet from 
  the core of the bughill to its summit, 40 stories 
  above the city.  From this chute bug ﬂyers emerge to 
  terrorize the skies over the Necropolis, searching for 
  food, resources, and live victims to bring back to host 
  the Hive’s larvae.
  The chute is a column-shaped passage, 30 feet in 
  diameter, that leads vertically into the heart of the 
  community.  It echoes and thunders with the sound 
  of beating bug wings and the buzz of giant insects.  
  Irregular perches jut out here and there all along its 
  length, on which clusters of bug ﬂyers rest ― and 
  keep watch.
  The Skychute allows the Hive a means of egress 
  that is otherwise unattainable by other inhabitants of 
  the Necropolis.  From here they can send out scouts, 
  as well as bring back scavenged (or stolen) resources 
  by air, lowering them into the depths of the Belly 
  Cavern (Area I).
  Bug Flyers (5-30):  HP 18.
  Development:  PCs seeking to rescue a kidnapped 
  comrade might consider entering via the Skychute, 
  but to do so they will need some means of ﬂying.  
  Even if they do enter the Skychute, they’ll have to 
  contend with alarmed bug ﬂyers, who take to the air 
  to ﬁght the PCs as they descend the shaft.  All in all, 
  such a rescue plan could prove to be an extremely 
  perilous ordeal!
  I. BELLY CAVERN (EL VARIES)
  This large, spherical chamber lies at the bottom of 
  the Skychute; weak light ﬁlters in from above during 
  the day.  Resources scavenged by airborne legions 
  of Hive bug ﬂyers are brought here at all hours, 
  and mutant bugs await them on the cavern’s ﬂoor.  
  Virtually anything that could be of possible use to 
  the Hive that can be transported by air is brought 
  here, ﬂown down the Skychute, and deposited on the 
  cavern ﬂoor to be scrutinized, examined, and duly 
  taken apart.
  Mutant bugs work in this large cavern at all times, 
  disassembling and experimenting with things brought 
  here by the less-intelligent bug ﬂyers.  Most of the 
  stuff turns out to be garbage, and as such is promptly 
  disassembled; any usable parts are taken off to 
  the Storage Cells (Area E).  Other items that defy 
  easy identiﬁcation stay a little longer, at least until 
  their potential use to the Hive can be ascertained.  
  The variety of objects brought here is astounding; 
  it would not be unreasonable to ﬁnd a cluster of 
  television antennae snatched from rooftops alongside 
  a complete washing machine, telephone pole power 
  boxes nestling against bronze sculptures taken from 
  city parks across the city, and lawn gnomes and 
  plastic ﬂamingoes stacked on top of framed paintings 
  by Renaissance masters whisked from old city 
  museums.
  At any given time there are 2d10 items of dubious 
  value ― and bizarre origins ― littering the ﬂoor of 
  the Belly Cavern.  3d6 mutant bug thinkers are 
  always present poring over these objects, trying to 
  ﬁgure them out or (failing that) rendering them down 
  into scrap for their usable parts.  Any alarm here 
  certainly alerts the bug ﬂyers in the Skychute above, 
  who will rush to the defense.
  Mutant Bug Thinkers (3-18):  HP 42.
  J. CAVERNS (EL VARIES)
  A number of these caverns run underground, each 
  connected to the next by broad, towering tunnels.  
  These caverns serve a variety of purposes; among 
  other things, they are used as “stables” for giant 
  tank bugs (and ﬁre bugs) and as surplus storage 
  space.  Others are used as examination rooms to 
  which heavier artifacts scavenged by the Hive are 
  dragged by tank bugs to be examined, identiﬁed, and 
  reactivated.  Most of the caverns physically resemble 
  the internal organs of a living being, their walls 
  covered in an awful-smelling, mucus-like excretion 
  deposited by the bugs for no known reason.
  A given cavern’s contents are left up to you to 
  decide; you may have a cavern be empty, occupied 
  by a few errant mutant bugs, or home to two, three, 
  or even four giant tank bugs (or ﬁre bugs) waiting 
  for the call to battle.  The PCs might stumble on 
  large formations of thunder locusts, swarm bugs, 
  and mutant bug guardians preparing for a surface 
  foray, or they might ﬁnd a handful of mutant bug 
  thinkers pondering over the curious wreckage of 
  a yacht (completely intact, brought here with great 
  care by lumbering tank bugs and teams of mutant 
  bug overseers). They might also ﬁnd something 
  potentially more useful to their current situation: for 
  example, a large, leaky tank of butane gas yanked 
  from a convenience store parking lot, or sealed crates 
  of plasma grenades that the bugs just haven’t ﬁgured 
  out how to open yet...
  
  47
  K. HIVE MIND CAVERN (EL VARIES)
  At the heart of the bughill is the cavern of the 
  resident hive mind, the living psychic “switchboard” 
  that keeps Hive A’s insectoid inhabitants in constant 
  communication with each other, despite distance and 
  obstructions.
  The Hive Mind Cavern is a huge, spherical 
  underground node lit only by phosphorescent fungus 
  brought here from speciﬁc parts of the Necropolis 
  sewers.  In this sickly green light Hive A’s hive mind 
  dwells in a motionless stupor, its conscious mind 
  busy coordinating the daily efforts of its hundreds 
  of charges (whether that be scrounging, scavenging, 
  constructing, reacting to intruders, or waging war), or 
  communicating by powerful mind link with the next 
  Hive bughill miles away.
  Hive mind A is protected at all times by 2d8+10 
  swarm bugs, 2d6 mutant bug thinkers, 2d6 
  thunder locusts, and 2-3 giant tank bugs.  Should 
  intruders ﬁnd this deep sanctuary, these protectors 
  immediately attack to drive them off, while 1-2 of 
  them ﬂee to summon reinforcements (which arrive in 
  1d3+1 rounds).  The hive mind awakens at the sound 
  of any battle taking place in the cavern, and likewise 
  joins in to defend itself from harm.
  Hive Mind A:  HP 189.
  Swarm Bugs (12-26):  HP 17.
  Mutant Bug Thinkers (2-12):  HP 42.
  Thunder Locusts (2-12):  HP 13.
  Giant Tank Bugs (2-3):  HP 168.
  L. UNDERGROUND HIGHWAYS (EL VARIES)
  These tunnels mark the beginning of the 
  “underground highways” that connect each of the 
  Hive’s bughills. Constructed either during the time of 
  the Ancients (as sewers) or by the industrious labors 
  of the Hive’s mutant bug population, these passages 
  are lit with luminous fungus scavenged from the 
  deep.  See the map of the Sewers for a complete look 
  at the Hive’s “highways” (their passages are shown as 
  thin grey lines).
  Every half-mile, there is a 20% chance that 
  travelers using one of these highways stumbles upon 
  a party of Hive bugs moving from one bughill to 
  another.  Such a party consists of random elements, 
  determined by a dice roll:
  D6
  Bug Party
  1-2 1d4+1 swarm bugs or mutant bugs
  3-4 As 1-2 above, plus 1 mutant bug thinker
  5
  As 3-4 above, plus 1d2 thunder locusts
  6
  As 5 above, plus 1 giant tank bug
  026. DESOLATION (EL 0)
  The ruins here are utterly desolate.  A 
  wide open basin sits here where built-up 
  neighborhoods should be; some force seems 
  to have stripped the entire region bare, taking 
  with it countless cars, street signs, power lines, 
  and even entire buildings.  Even the sidewalk 
  and roadways have been torn up, their asphalt 
  scavenged for some unknown purpose.
  This hex marks the center of a region of utter 
  desolation; the barren area covers two hexes in every 
  direction.
  This area has slowly been stripped by the Hive 
  in their obsessive efforts to build living space for 
  their ever-increasing numbers, fortify their territory, 
  and cement their claim on this part of the city.  PCs 
  traveling through the area ﬁnd nothing of interest 
  here.  In addition, while in this area the PCs will be 
  exposed, since only small rocks and rare stands of 
  weeds and tall grass provide any cover.
  027. HIVE B (EL VARIES)
  The sky reverberates with the sound of bees.  
  A mile away you see a huge structure rising 
  from the ruins, standing unnaturally intact 
  while the surrounding neighborhoods lie in 
  rubble.  Though it is obviously made from mud, 
  broken stone, and scavenged scrap, its exterior 
  is masterfully crafted to resemble a pre-Fall 
  skyscraper.
  “Hive B” is remarkable in that the exterior of the 
  structure uncannily resembles a pre-Fall skyscraper 
  (albeit with somewhat alien manufacturing 
  techniques).  Any character who has seen the 
  Zoogenic Corporation’s downtown headquarters (see 
  the Bernard Megaplex, Area #160; Building C in 
  particular) recognizes that this bughill shares many of 
  that building’s architectural features.
  The reason for this is that hive mind B, 
  dwelling deep beneath the bughill, is slightly more 
  psychic than others of its particular species.  As it 
  coordinated the construction of Hive B, something 
  in its subconscious mind conjured up ancestral 
  memories of Zoogenic Corporation’s involvement 
  in their race’s creation (see Area #160).  This was 
  no mere subconscious stirring, however, but rather 
  the manifestation of a deliberately-planted genetic 
  memory worked into the DNA of the progenitors of 
  the modern-day Hive.  Hive mind B was merely the 
  ﬁrst bug to unlock a secret clue encoded into their 
  species by the bioengineers at Zoogenic Corporation 
  more than 200 years ago.  This “memory clue” 
  was intended to lead their people back to Zoogenic 
  Corporation headquarters, uncover the vault hidden 
  beneath that structure, reunite with the Broken Ones, 
  Skaels, and Serpent Gods, and claim the legacy of 
  conquest that Ronald Bernard had planned for them 
  (for more on this, see the entry for Area #160).
  
  48
  The unlocking of this strange memory clue was 
  made manifest in the bughill’s outward appearance 
  ― it is an uncanny imitation of the Zoogenic 
  Corporation’s headquarters here in the Necropolis.  
  Unfortunately, however, the insects of the Hive 
  never recognized the signiﬁcance of this strange 
  phenomenon ― not as they worked on it, not even 
  now that it is fully complete ― nor do they even 
  see the resemblance between their bughill and 
  the corporation’s downtown headquarters.  Their 
  intelligence is far too alien to appreciate the aesthetic 
  similarity.
  However, to PCs who make the connection 
  (perhaps having seen one and then the other), this 
  could be powerful evidence that there is more to the 
  Bernard Megaplex than they ﬁrst thought.
  GM’s Note:  Hive B is a fully-functional bug 
  hill, with a vast complement of insectoid creatures 
  dwelling within it. Refer to the keyed description of 
  Hive A (see Area #025) for a more detailed plan of a 
  Hive bug hill.
  Hive B is a fully-functional bug hill, with a vast 
  complement of insectoid creatures dwelling within 
  it. Refer to the keyed description of Hive A (see Area 
  #025) for a more detailed plan of a Hive bug hill.
  028. BUG BRIDGE (EL VARIES)
  A deafening buzz ﬁlls the sky in this area, 
  where the ruins skirt a dried-up aqueduct 
  winding its way through the city.  Through the 
  rubble ahead you see a bridge crossing the 
  man-made concrete riverbed.  The “bridge” 
  is made up of dozens of man-sized insectoid 
  creatures, linking arms and legs and standing 
  one on top of another.  A steady stream of other 
  bugs walk along this living causeway carrying 
  sheets of scrap metal, planks of wood, and other 
  construction materials to an unseen destination.
  The Hive insects have created a “living bridge” here 
  (made out of two dozen mutant bug workers) to cross 
  the deep dry aqueduct in this part of the city.  While 
  the bugs could simply climb down and out of the 
  channel, the creation of the bridge makes it easier for 
  them to transport building materials to the site at Area 
  #034.
  At any given time there are 24 mutant bugs 
  forming the bridge, and another 2d10 mutant bugs 
  ferrying building materials across it.  There is a 1 in 4 
  chance that a giant tank bug is also present, loaded 
  up with heavier materials and being used as a beast of 
  burden.  Though the bridge strains under its weight, 
  the tank bug is able to cross without incident.
  If the PCs are detected, the bugs that spotted them 
  will raise the alarm.  The bridge bugs remain put, 
  but half of the other mutant bugs discard their load 
  to attack and hopefully chase the party off.  The rest 
  of the bugs (including the tank bug) rush off to the 
  nearby bughill.  Once they have cleared the bridge, 
  the remaining bugs making up the living bridge will 
  break ranks and join the chase after the PCs.
  Mutant Bugs (26-44):  HP 17.
  Giant Tank Bug (0-1):  HP 168.
  029. HIVE C (EL VARIES)
  A towering pinnacle of rough stone, garbage, 
  and fused mucus rises into the sky here.  A low, 
  labored buzzing echoes from within the pinnacle, 
  which sports numerous exterior tunnel entrances.  
  An awful smell of animal spoor clouds the air, 
  apparently emanating from the tunnels leading 
  underground.
  Hive C is just one of several bughills constructed by 
  the Hive in recent years.  Hive C is of typical size, 
  shape, and height for these monumental bughills, 
  and in most respects conforms to the general layout 
  detailed under Hive A (see Area #025 for a detailed 
  overview of a Hive bughill).
  Hive C is different in one respect, however.  A 
  large colony of varo bats (see New Creatures) has 
  come to infest the towering bughill, sharing the 
  conﬁned tunnels and caverns with its normal Hive 
  occupants.  Since the bats emit a musk that makes 
  them undetectable by the Hive’s insects, they live 
  here without the other inhabitants’ knowledge!  This 
  peculiar situation has caused problems for the Hive 
  bugs, who now ﬁnd caverns inexplicably ﬁlling 
  up with heaps of guano, or becoming dangerously 
  volatile due to a build-up of methane gasses that they 
  ﬁnd impossible to explain.
  The fact that the bughill is now dangerously 
  volatile means it is essentially a sitting timebomb.  
  Eventually an exposed ﬂame (either brought in by 
  exploring PCs, or by the discharge of a giant ﬁrebug) 
  will cause one of these caverns to ignite, and possibly 
  start a chain reaction that will not only kill the Hive 
  occupants, but the unwitting varo bat infestation as 
  well!
  GM’s Note:  Hive C’s population consists of 250 
  mutant bugs, 104 swarm bugs, 40 mutant bug 
  guardians, 20 mutant bug thinkers, 200 immature 
  mutant bugs, 10 giant tank bugs, 6 giant ﬁrebugs, 
  42 thunder locusts, 44 food bugs, 22 bug ﬂyers, and 
  hive mind C.
  In addition to the Hive inhabitants, there are also 
  127 varo bats living in the interior of the bughill 
  (largely concentrated in the Caverns and Garrison 
  Rings).  These creatures leave by night to hunt, but 
  their vapors remain hazardous even while they’re 
  gone.
  Mutant Bugs (250):  HP 17.
  
  49
  Swarm Bugs (104):  HP 17.
  Mutant Bug Guardians (40):  HP 41.
  Mutant Bug Thinkers (20):  HP 42.
  Immature Mutant Bugs (200):  HP 6.
  Giant Tank Bugs (10):  HP 168.
  Giant Firebug (6):  HP 85.
  Thunder Locusts (42):  HP 13.
  Food Bugs (44):  HP 32.
  Bug Flyers (22):  HP 18.
  Hive Mind C:  HP 189.
  030. MORE DESOLATION (EL VARIES)
  This area appears to have been partially 
  stripped; roads have been broken, the concrete 
  taken away, and entire buildings have been 
  collapsed.  You see strange ﬁgures working 
  busily to carry the rubble of fallen structures 
  away into the ruins, brick by broken brick.
  The Hive is currently in the process of turning this 
  hex into a desolate ruin like Area #026.  So far 
  they have only stripped this hex and those hexes 
  immediately surrounding it, but are slowly working 
  their way outwards to hexes beyond that.  In time 
  they will likely devastate the area as a result of their 
  labors.
  When the PCs arrive here, check the Spot results 
  of the 5d6 mutant bugs working nearby against 
  the PCs’ Hide totals.  If they are spotted, the mutant 
  bugs move to attack the party, hoping to capture the 
  PCs to take back to Area #027 where they can be 
  impregnated and used as living hosts for Hive young.
  Mutant Bugs (5-30):  HP 17.
  031. HIVE D (EL 14)
  The ruins of something grand stand up ahead, 
  encircled by a broad region of ruin and rubble 
  that has been stripped bare ― no cinder blocks, 
  sidewalk slabs, or telephone poles remain.
  The enormous structure seems to be only 
  partially completed, or perhaps partially 
  destroyed; by the eerie silence shrouding the 
  neighborhood, it is probably the latter.
  This hex marks the location of the ruins of Hive 
  D, one of a chain of bughills constructed by the 
  intelligent insectoid creatures of the Hive.  Hive D 
  was on the southern frontier of the Hive’s sphere of 
  control, and came under pressure from a concerted 
  drive by the androids pouring out of the Harbor 
  area.  After observing the Hive for some time, the 
  androids ﬁnally pushed north in force, bringing their 
  combined might to bear in one sweeping action.  The 
  bughill’s defenders were quickly overwhelmed, and 
  the structure pulverized by the heavy weapons of the 
  android army’s numerous combat walkers.
  The ruins of Hive D have been completely 
  abandoned by the Hive ― the insects have no plans 
  to return and rebuild the structure, believing such an 
  effort to be a waste of resources now that they know 
  how close the android lines are.  They are instead 
  focusing their energies on expanding elsewhere, 
  planning to deal with the slow-expanding android 
  presence at a later date.
  Currently the ruins are being picked over by a 
  small detachment of security androids, including a 
  combat walker (which the PCs will not likely miss, 
  as it stands two stories tall) with orders to scavenge 
  anything of use, especially items or technology 
  that might give more insight into the Hive and its 
  operations.  The androids are alert, expecting possible 
  reprisals from the Hive, and thus will ﬁre on the 
  PCs if they are spotted.  They will not chase them, 
  however.
  Security Androids (12):  HP 24.
  Combat Walker (1):  HP 106 (page 57, Metal 
  Gods).
  032. BURNING BUILDINGS (EL 15)
  Towering clouds of black smoke rise into the 
  sunlit sky in this area.  A crash thunders through 
  the district as one burning building collapses 
  in on itself, then another.  Fires rage, claiming 
  whole city blocks.
  The ﬁres here (which may extend into one or 
  two neighboring hexes, at your discretion) were 
  deliberately set by the Hive in an attempt to drive 
  out whatever is causing their patrols to simply 
  CHITIN ARMOR
  Numerous communities are known to hollow out the shells of tough creatures, wearing them as a form of 
  macabre armor.  Though more civilized groups might be disgusted by such armor, beast chitin (whether 
  from a heap turtle, mutant bug, or other hard-shelled monster) is undeniably effective.  Chitin armor 
  requires the Armor Proﬁciency (medium) feat.
  Armor
  Type
  Equip 
  Bonus
  Nonprof 
  Bonus
  Max Dex
  Penalty
  Speed
  Weight
  Cost
  Craft
  Chitin armor
  Tactical
  +5
  +2
  +1
  -5
  20
  20 lb.
  250
  22
  
  50
  “disappear” in this area.  The Hive has dispatched 
  a considerable force to see to the operation’s 
  success, including 30 swarm bugs, 10 mutant bug 
  guardians, and 1 mutant bug thinker.  Leading 
  these forces ― and setting ﬁre to block after block 
  of dilapidated housing ― are the enormous living 
  ﬂamethrowers known as giant ﬁrebugs (there are 
  ﬁve total, spread out over a relatively large area).
  The Hive forces here are determined to kill 
  whatever is attacking their patrols and preventing 
  their northeastern expansion, and are putting their 
  ﬁrebugs to good use torching large swaths of the city.  
  So far they’ve missed the target: the tribe of Bugmen 
  at Area #033 are responsible for the missing Hive 
  workers, who fell prey to the tribe’s traps and were 
  duly slain.
  The Hive creatures attack any non-Hive creature 
  spotted in the vicinity.
  GM’s Note:  The Hive ‘bugs will not pursue their 
  quarry into burning buildings.  If the PCs ﬂee into the 
  ﬁres, they must make a Reﬂex save at DC 15 each 
  round or suffer 2d6 points of ﬁre damage from open 
  ﬂames and falling debris.  If a character takes damage 
  in this manner, there is a chance her clothing and/or 
  possessions also catch ﬁre (see d20 Modern).
  Swarm Bugs (30):  HP 17.
  Mutant Bug Guardians (10):  HP 41.
  Mutant Bug Thinker (1):  HP 42.
  Giant Firebugs (5):  HP 85.
  033. PRIMITIVE TRIBE (EL VARIES)
  Other groups in the region fear this area, which 
  some believe to be haunted.  The ghouls living in 
  the ruins believe this area is populated by the Hive 
  (they claim to have seen mutant bugs operating here) 
  and give it a wide berth.  The Hive has lost several 
  bug expeditions sent out here to forage for supplies, 
  and their community’s hive intelligence has come to 
  believe some kind of powerful creature dwells here, a 
  fact that dissuades further exploration.
  In reality there is no “haunt” here, but rather an 
  ingenious and tricky tribe of humans.  The tribesmen 
  living here have been natives of the Necropolis since 
  the time of the Fall, but unlike the wild men and 
  ghouls of the city (who are also descended from the 
  city’s original inhabitants), these tribesmen did not 
  degenerate in such wild and tragic ways.  While they 
  have lost all knowledge of the Ancient world and 
  even of their own ties to the past, they remain mostly 
  human (the few mutants that are born to them are 
  killed).
  They face many dangers in their existence here, but 
  the tribesmen are brave and, more importantly, have 
  learned to be clever.  They have in the past managed 
  to ambush and overcome small groups of mutant 
  bugs from the Hive-controlled part of the city, a fact 
  that has emboldened them.  They regularly kill (and 
  eat) these creatures, and hollow out their bugshells 
  to wear as armor.  This Hive bugshell armor is 
  useful not only for protection, but also to disguise 
  themselves as mutant bugs ― a tactic that scares 
  ghouls, frightens the warriors of other communities, 
  and even allows them to avoid being attacked by bug 
  ﬂyers on reconnaissance patrols in the skies above.
  The tribe consists of 47 Bugmen; both men 
  and women contribute as warriors and hunters, so 
  there are only 19 non-combatants (children and 
  elderly).  The tribe lives in the echoing ruins of a 
  cavernous apartment complex.  The complex is 
  riddled with countless holes (from the battles that 
  raged throughout the city during the Fall), through 
  which they can watch for intruders, enter and exit the 
  building at night to forage and hunt, or ﬂee in a hurry.
  Bugmen (47):  HP 22.
  Developments:  The tribals here prefer to hunt on 
  their own terms, and will melt away if their abode 
  is discovered.  More likely, however, the PCs will 
  encounter one of their hunting parties.  Clad in 
  ingeniously-crafted chitin armor (made from the 
  hollow shells of mutant bugs; see the nearby sidebar 
  for a description of this armor), they resemble mutant 
  bugs from a distance, though up close their true 
  nature is more easily recognized (roll individual 
  Disguise checks to see how well they pass the 
  masquerade off).  The tribals should be considered 
  Hostile unless great pains are made to prove the party 
  is peaceful.  If the PCs manage to change the tribe’s 
  attitude (see Diplomacy in d20 Modern or Darwin’s 
  World: Survivor’s Handbook), the tribals may invite 
  them to their village where they can barter for food, 
  water, and (at the GM’s discretion) a small stock of 
  natural medicines.
  034. HIVE E (EL VARIES)
  The sounds of activity in this area grow 
  considerably stronger the further you go, a 
  collective buzzing that reverberates through 
  the streets from a central structure towering 
  over the ruins.  Even from afar you can see 
  that the structure is under active construction, 
  a monolithic “ant hill” reaching at least thirty 
  stories into the sky.  Hundreds of black-shelled 
  insectoid creatures work on the tower’s exterior 
  while winged bugs hover about the upper levels, 
  dropping off building materials from the air or 
  disappearing into dark tunnel openings up and 
  down the tower’s length.
  The Hive is currently constructing a new bughill 
  in this hex, evidence of their successful adaptation 
  to life in the Necropolis and, indeed, their slow 
  domination of the Los Angeles basin.  This particular 
  
  51
  bughill (“Hive E”) is currently thirty stories tall, 
  and its construction has attracted over 100 mutant 
  bugs and assorted Hive “specialty bugs” that work 
  tirelessly night and day to see its completion.
  When the PCs enter this hex, there is a 2 in 6 
  chance each half-hour that they stumble upon a 
  group of 3d6 mutant bugs moving through the 
  ruins looking for rubble and scrap to take back to the 
  bughill construction site.  The mutant bugs attack the 
  PCs on sight, hoping to capture them and use them as 
  incubators for their larvae.
  Surrounding the bughill in a rough circle 100 yards 
  wide is a ﬂattened construction area where rubble and 
  supplies are brought by foraging bugs to be piled up 
  in well-arranged heaps.  This area is also a colossal 
  worksite, with a large number of mutant bugs and 
  giant tank bugs (being used as living bulldozers) 
  scattered throughout moving materials.  Getting 
  through this cordon could be quite tricky, but unless 
  the bugs have been forewarned, the PCs may have a 
  chance (the bugs are preoccupied, after all, with their 
  collective tasks).
  Since it is not yet complete, Hive E itself is only 
  partly occupied, but a hive mind does exist in the 
  depths and numerous larvae have already been 
  planted in many of the cells in the honeycomb-like 
  upper levels.  Should the PCs somehow get inside, 
  they risk stumbling across individual mutant bugs on 
  errands, small groups patrolling the halls (or shuttling 
  captive creatures to cells where to await incubation), 
  or other encounters the GM deems appropriate.
  The current garrison of Hive E largely consists 
  of workers and overseers.  The total includes 300 
  mutant bugs, 30 mutant bug guardians, 6 mutant 
  bug thinkers, 6 giant tank bugs, 10 food bugs, 30 
  bug ﬂyers, and hive mind E.
  Mutant Bugs (300):  HP 17.
  Mutant Bug Guardians (30):  HP 41.
  Mutant Bug Thinkers (6):  HP 42.
  Giant Tank Bugs (6):  HP 168.
  Food Bugs (10):  HP 32.
  Bug Flyers (30):  HP 18.
  Hive Mind E:  HP 189.
  035. SERPENT PIT (EL 8)
  At some point as the PCs travel through this hex, 
  make a Reﬂex save for each character (DC 15).  If 
  any of the PCs fails, she accidentally causes a piece 
  of pavement to give way and is sucked down into a 
  small heretofore undiscovered cave.
  The fall into the cave is a 20 ft drop, so it inﬂicts 
  2d6 points of damage (Reﬂex save DC 12 for half).  
  The real danger only becomes evident when the 
  character hits the bottom.
  The entire cave ﬂoor is ﬁlled with snakes, driven 
  here to get away from the Hive.  Snakes from all over 
  this part of the city come here to this secret cave for 
  shelter (thus the variety present), and are alarmed by 
  any intrusion.  They move to attack whoever fell into 
  the cave as soon as she hits the ground...
  Constrictor Snakes (8):  HP 16 (see d20 Modern).
  Tiny Vipers (18):  HP 1 (see d20 Modern).
  036. ARMY/NAVY SURPLUS (EL 4)
  An enormous warehouse sits here, decaying 
  under the sun.
  This place was a military surplus outlet, offering 
  the public a variety of military camping equipment, 
  foods, surplus guns, and collectables.  The owners 
  packed up most of their wares and headed off into the 
  desert when word of war hit the news.  They boarded 
  up the building; most locals assumed it had been 
  emptied and never bothered to loot it.
  To enter the building, the PCs must either break 
  down one of the secure steel doors or tear down the 
  wooden planks covering a window and somehow 
  saw through the bars.  Inside, the warehouse is ﬁlled 
  with clothing stands, shelves, and displays, many 
  still bearing military uniforms from various pre-Fall 
  conﬂicts.  A second level, accessed by a staircase, 
  holds a large number of tents and other miscellany.
  GM’s Note:  The owners of the store always kept 
  a police emergency robot here (ironically purchased 
  at a police surplus auction) to guard the premises.  
  Though rickety and rusted, the robot rises to attack 
  intruders with its maser armament if it detects them.  
  Luckily for the PCs, this model is not equipped with 
  grenades, and is also damaged.  The robot is located 
  in a pile of junk on the ﬁrst ﬂoor, near the rear (alley) 
  entrance.
  Police Emergency Robot (1):  HP 65; down to 35 
  (page 193 of Metal Gods).
  Treasure:  This place, neglected for so long, is 
  a virtual gold mine of useful survival equipment.  
  The PCs will ﬁnd canteens, tents (of all sizes), web 
  belts, compasses, knives, entrenching tools, camo 
  sacks and covers, camo rain ponchos, all-weather 
  parkas, gloves, and military-style boots galore.  
  More uncommon ﬁnds include 2d3 leather jackets, 
  2d3 pull-up pouch vests, 1d3 light-duty vests, 1 
  tactical vest, 1d3 gas masks, and a 5% chance of a 
  full military combat suit.  There are also numerous 
  dummy fragmentation grenades (explosives removed, 
  but still useful as a deterrent with the right use of the 
  Bluff skill), as well as real weapons, including 1d2 
  AKMs, 1d2 Colt 635s, 1d3+1 M1 Garands [B&L], 
  and 1d2 M1903 Springﬁeld riﬂes [B&L].  No ammo 
  is kept here, however (the owners took all of it with 
  them when they ﬂed).
  
  52
  037. DYING TANK BUG (EL 12)
  You hear something large rumbling through 
  the ruins here.  Just moments later there is a 
  thundering crash as a building just a few streets 
  down collapses, sending a cloud of dust high into 
  the air.
  If the PCs are careful, they can easily sneak up 
  on the source of the noise: a lone giant tank 
  bug, apparently weak and senseless, wandering 
  haphazardly about the streets.  Running into buildings 
  (and destroying them in the process), it appears to be 
  sick.
  Unless the PCs get very close, it takes a Spot check 
  at DC 17 to notice the 1d6+1 varo bats clinging 
  to the tank bug’s hard shell.  Though the PCs may 
  not realize it, the varo bats’ presence is making the 
  tank bug sick; their vapors cause illness in the poor 
  creature.  The tank bug is unable to see the varo bats 
  due to their “musk” (see New Creatures), and it is 
  slowly going crazy from its inexplicable illness.
  If the PCs are spotted by the ‘bug, it identiﬁes them 
  as enemies and moves to attack.
  GM’s Note:  Though the PCs may not make 
  the connection, this encounter provides proof that 
  varo bats can’t be detected by creatures of the Hive 
  (otherwise the tank bug would have simply swatted 
  the bats off).  PCs making this discovery may now be 
  motivated to hunt down packs of varo bats to extract 
  their unique, and inﬁnitely useful, musk.
  Giant Tank Bug (1):  HP 168.
  Varo Bats (2-7):  HP 1.
  038. TRAFFIC JAM (EL VARIES)
  The rubble gives way to a huge stretch of 
  highway winding its way through the old city like 
  an ugly grey river.  Congesting this highway are 
  hundreds of old automobile wrecks, rusted over 
  and pitted from age and the elements.
  An inhuman screech sounds from somewhere 
  down the seemingly endless line of vehicles, then 
  all falls silent.
  The scene of a mass panicked evacuation of the city 
  during the Fall, this highway leading out of Los 
  Angeles to the east degenerated into one giant trafﬁc 
  jam when a truck turned over somewhere down the 
  line.  Unable to get out using the road, thousands of 
  people left their cars and tried hiking out of the urban 
  center ― leaving them exposed and unprotected 
  when the nuclear warheads went off over the city.
  The bugs of the Hive come here on a regular 
  basis to scavenge metal scrap from the hundreds 
  of cars, trucks, RVs, and other vehicles crammed 
  along the highway.  The Hive has stripped all of 
  these vehicles to the point that not a single one is 
  operational anymore; the vehicle parts make excellent 
  construction material for their bughills.
  GM’s Note:  When the PCs ﬁrst discover this site, 
  1d6+5 mutant bugs are present, scouring through 
  the wreckage of several old vehicles.  There is a 10% 
  chance that these bugs are assisted by a single giant 
  tank bug, on which the mutant bugs pile heaps of 
  scrap as if the tank bug were a living dumptruck.  
  Once the creature is fully loaded, it heads to the 
  construction site at Area #034; however, if the PCs 
  are spotted, it and the mutant bugs move to attack 
  them, hoping to make captives of the party members 
  (see Area #025 for details on what the Hive does to 
  its captives).
  Mutant Bugs (6-11):  HP 17.
  Giant Tank Bugs (0-1):  HP 168.
  039. WHITTIER POLICE STATION (EL 
  VARIES)
  An old brick building sits here, ﬂanked by rows 
  of dilapidated ruins.  Grafﬁti covers much of 
  the exterior of the structure, and the lower level 
  appears to have been ﬁrebombed, leaving dark 
  soot stains that creep up the walls.  A few police 
  cars sit outside, one of which is turned on its 
  side.  The rest have been vandalized with strange 
  symbols.
  This police station was at the heart of some mean 
  streets during the pre-Fall era, shouldering more 
  than its share of urban crime.  However, sometime 
  just before the outbreak of the war, detectives 
  here were beginning to piece together evidence 
  of an unbelievable conspiracy linking powerful 
  corporations and the seemingly inexplicable rise in 
  violence among the city’s street gangs.
  The layout of this police station follows a rather 
  generic plan shared by many police stations in the 
  Necropolis basin (you can use the Typical Police 
  Station map provided with this book for this and 
  other police stations in the city).  This building 
  features three entrances, including the normal Main 
  Entry in front, Jail Entry (prisoner loading door) 
  in the rear, and an underground garage.  The ﬁrst 
  entrance is unlocked (though it can be secured 
  from inside), and the latter two require a stage IIIC 
  identity card to open.  If the wrong card is inserted 
  or the locks tampered with, an alarm is triggered in 
  the building which activates the police robots (see 
  below).
  GM’s Note:  This station was considerably 
  damaged during the chaos of the invasion, though 
  most of the damage was done to the ﬁrst ﬂoor by 
  molotov cocktails thrown through the windows by 
  
  53
  rioters.  The most interesting features that survived 
  are indicated below:
  Garages:  This police station has an underground 
  garage.  There are 1d2 police cruisers here (treat 
  these as Ford Crown Victorias); their contents can be 
  determined by referring to the Looting Police Cars 
  sidebar).
  Armory:  The armory on the ﬁrst ﬂoor was looted 
  by escaping police personnel to keep its contents 
  from falling into the wrong hands.  The door is no 
  longer locked, and remains wide open (and rusted 
  into place).  Inside, the PCs will ﬁnd 1d2 Beretta 
  92F pistols, 1 Mossberg shotgun, and 1 stun baton.  
  There are also two boxes (30) of 9mm ammo for 
  each pistol, 1d20 rounds of 12-gauge ammo for the 
  shotgun, and a single power beltpack.
  Jails:  The police station has a small cell block 
  used to hold prisoners awaiting transfer elsewhere.  
  The jails are all mechanically-locked, requiring 
  someone outside the cell block (in an adjoining room) 
  to ﬂip a switch on the main switchboard to open a 
  particular cell’s doors.  Otherwise the jail cells prove 
  to be secure; all are empty.
  Police Robots:  Police stations before the Fall 
  were assigned a force of police robots to complement 
  their human counterparts.  Kept in small bays where 
  they could be repaired, re-armed, and maintained, 
  these robots are still here, though inactive.  There 
  are 1d4+2 police robots [F/MG] in this station; 
  they will be reactivated if the building alarm is set 
  off.  They have standing orders to capture anyone not 
  authorized to be in the building.  Anyone captured 
  will be thrown in the jail ― indeﬁnitely, since the 
  robots don’t have orders to release their prisoners.
  Ofﬁces:  Ofﬁces for the precinct detectives are 
  located on the ﬁrst and second ﬂoors.  Many of 
  the ﬁles in the second ﬂoor ofﬁce room are still 
  preserved, albeit under a layer of dust.  PCs making 
  an Investigate check at DC 21 will uncover some 
  very strange clues here.  Apparently a few detectives, 
  moonlighting without the department’s sanction, were 
  piecing together evidence of a conspiracy potentially 
  linking one “Ronald Bernard” (identiﬁed as the CEO 
  of a major international corporation based here in 
  Los Angeles) to a cult known only as the “Blessed 
  13.”  There are no ﬁles on the Blessed 13, but another 
  dossier offers a theory based on second-hand sources 
  that a powerful underworld gang leader (known only 
  as “Cyrus” on the streets) was also a member of this 
  cult.  However, the detectives apparently had no solid 
  evidence, nor any idea as to what the Blessed 13’s 
  aims were, when the station was ﬁrebombed.
  Generator:  The police station has its own 
  generator in the basement, though this requires diesel 
  fuel to run.  Currently there is no diesel in the entire 
  station, but if the PCs manage to secure a source they 
  could provide power to the building as long as their 
  fuel supply holds out.
  Police Robots (3-6):  HP 48.
  040. GHOUL TOWN (EL VARIES)
  A sprawling region spreads out before you, 
  surrounded on all sides by a tall stone wall.  
  Rolling hills can vaguely be seen beyond, 
  shrouded in abundant underbrush and errant 
  growth that winds its way through old cracked 
  avenues and under the dying husks of ancient 
  willow trees.  Thousands of bleak white 
  headstones litter the grounds in even rows, 
  
  54
  shaded at points by the sinking walls of ivy-
  cloaked mausoleums.
  This hex contains a vast cemetery, the perimeter of 
  which is surrounded by a 10 ft. stone wall.  Gates 
  exist at various points along the walls, but these are 
  kept padlocked at all times; many are rusted over, 
  while others appear conspicuously new.  Just beyond 
  can be seen the scattered skeletons of hundreds of 
  creatures, animal and humanoid alike.
  The PCs can conceivably scale the walls or 
  breach the gates; inside they ﬁnd a vast graveyard, 
  apparently devoid of life and littered like a junkyard 
  with the gnawed and discarded remains of many 
  creatures.  The heavy vegetation blanketing the 
  ground promises to be useful; the party could make 
  camp here without fear of being seen from creatures 
  passing outside.  Unfortunately, the old cemetery is 
  not entirely abandoned, as anyone staying after dark 
  will soon learn, and the heavy vegetation means the 
  PCs may not realize this until it’s too late.
  This cemetery, once the site of Rose Hills 
  Memorial Park, has become a haven for ghouls from 
  all over the city.  Though it exists well within the 
  established boundaries of the Hive, the old cemetery 
  had little to offer the insects other than a forest of 
  cracked headstones and old brittle bones.  When the 
  Hive became aware that ghouls were congregating 
  here, they mustered a huge army to destroy the 
  enclave.  In true ghoul fashion, however, the 
  “nightcrawlers” merely retreated underground and 
  dispersed all over the city, escaping the coup de grace 
  the Hive had hoped to deal them.
  The Hive has since moved on, but the ghouls still 
  return to “Ghoul Town” regularly ― it is, after all, 
  something of a sacred site to their people.  The ghouls 
  comprise one enormous tribe which has repopulated 
  itself through abundant breeding in the deepest 
  recesses of the old city sewers; they have replenished 
  a good portion their losses from the war against the 
  Hive.  Still, the ghouls are a shadow of their former 
  glory.  Ghouls once existed in literally every part of 
  the city, with a dominating presence near the Purist 
  enclave, but now they are licking their wounds and 
  slowly rebuilding their might.
  Though their tribe is fractured into numerous 
  cells and clans and scattered throughout the city, 
  many ghouls still return to Ghoul Town to forage 
  and take shelter.  Some ghouls also bring victims 
  whose meat and bones are left as tribute to the ghoul 
  clan chieftains, who on certain nights hold twisted 
  court here under the light of the Necropolis’ cerulean 
  moon.
  On any given evening, there is a good chance that 
  PCs camping in or near Ghoul Town will encounter 
  small packs of ghouls (from the resident clan) either 
  slinking through the darkness or converging on them 
  with the intent of making the party their latest prey.  
  The ghouls of the Necropolis are masters of stealth, 
  so it is most likely that their attack, when it comes, 
  will be an overwhelming ambush.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The particular clan of ghouls 
  that makes Ghoul Town their home is relatively 
  small, playing host to many more clans when the 
  entire ghoul faction is gathered (see below).  The 
  leader of these “caretakers” is a devious ghoul known 
  as Bonesplinter.  Though Bonesplinter is not as 
  powerful as the new breed of super ghouls that have 
  begun to take up the leadership of the city’s other 
  ghoul clans, he manages to keep his position through 
  supplication to the other chiefs (and by murdering 
  any ghouls among his people that are born with super 
  ghoul traits).  Though this culling has kept his tribe 
  small and diminished its potential, it has also kept 
  Bonesplinter’s rule free of would-be usurpers.
  Bonesplinter (Mutant Fast Hero 3/Strong Hero 
  3/Skulk 2):  CR 8; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+6 plus 3d8+6 plus 2d8+4; HP 53; Mas 14; Init 
  +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 18, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 17 (+0 
  size, +1 Dex, +7 class); BAB +6; Grap +8; Atk +9 
  melee (2d4+4, spiked chain), or +7 ranged (1d6+2, 
  sling); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, claws, albinism, cannibalism; AL 
  none; SV Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +2; AP 4; Rep +1; Str 
  15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Claws, Serrated Dental 
  Development, Albinism, Cannibalism.
  Skills:  Balance +5, Bluff +5, Climb +5, 
  Diplomacy +4, Disguise +1, Escape Artist +3, Gather 
  Information +1, Hide +12, Jump +4, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +3, Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Move 
  Silently +12, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +7, 
  Tumble +9.
  Feats:  Combat Expertise, Deceptive, Exotic 
  Weapon Proﬁciency (spiked chain), Lightning 
  Reﬂexes, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Trustworthy, Weapon Focus 
  (spiked chain).
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Opportunist.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Skulk):  Sweep, Sneak Attack +1d6.
  Possessions:  Spiked chain, sling, 2d6 sling stones.
  Ghoul Town’s population is largely transient, but the 
  clan that dwells here most regularly (Bonesplinter’s 
  band) consists of 26 Necropolis ghouls and 14 
  Necropolis ghoul veterans.  There are no super 
  ghouls among them.
  Bonesplinter:  HP 53.
  
  55
  Necropolis Ghouls (26):  HP 12.
  Necropolis Ghoul Veterans (14):  HP 28.
  Development:  If the PCs are camping by night 
  within the walls of Ghoul Town, there is a 10% 
  chance that they will be woken from their sleep by 
  strange music in the night.  Following the noise leads 
  them to the center of Ghoul Town, amidst a cluster 
  of ancient mausoleums.  If they are careful, they may 
  witness the gathering of several hundred ghouls, 
  drawn here by the beating of drums made from 
  human skin and the piping of bone ﬂutes formed 
  from the ﬂensed appendages of sentient creatures.  
  Here, by the light of the stars, members of the various 
  ghoul tribes (see Areas #078, #080, #082, and #084) 
  gather for ritual combat and to reinforce the bonds of 
  their race.  This is a dangerous time to be present, as 
  the ghouls enter a bizarre rage during the festivities; 
  should the PCs be discovered, the entire gathering 
  (numbering hundreds of ghouls) will rally to chase 
  them, capture them, and rip them limb from limb.
  041. ANCIENT BATTLEGROUND (EL 0)
  This area seems to have suffered greatly from 
  the epic ﬁghting that once took place here in the 
  Necropolis.  Nearby buildings are pierced with 
  hundreds of bullet holes, while a few crumbling 
  walls appear to have been battered down by 
  cannon blasts.  A burned-out tank rests nearby, 
  its turret blown off and the dented remnants of its 
  hull scorched black.  Sand-bagged positions still 
  lie where they were set up by ancient hands, and 
  brittle skeletons wearing the desiccated tatters of 
  uniforms lie scattered everywhere around them.
  This is the site of just one of many key battles fought 
  in the city of Los Angeles during the Fall, when the 
  invaders sought to sweep through the city and inland 
  to gain ground.  The defenders fought bitterly for 
  every square inch of territory, leaving many sites 
  such as this throughout the ruins.
  Treasure:  Though the scene is eerie, it is utterly 
  lifeless.  Ruin-pickers and scavs have gone over most 
  of the remains over the years (even the ruined tank’s 
  few undamaged parts were taken, leaving only a 
  hollow shell of armor), leaving nothing salvageable 
  out in the open.  If the PCs make a Search check 
  (DC 28), however, roll once on the following table 
  (regardless of how many characters made the check) 
  to see what the party ﬁnds:
  D10
  Find
  1-2
  1d2 rolls on Table 12: Armor
  3-8
  1d2 rolls on Table 14: Military Weapons
  9
  1 roll on Table 15: Rare Military Weapons
  10
  Roll twice
  042. INSTITUTE OF ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  STUDIES (EL 0)
  A walled facility looms ahead.
  The sprawling facility occupying most of this hex 
  was a scientiﬁc institute set up by the Los Angeles-
  based Zoogenic Corporation for research and study 
  in the ﬁeld of entomology.  From this impressive 
  research institute the Zoogenic Corporation made 
  numerous breakthroughs in the study of insects, 
  gaining new insights into insect behavior and 
  organization, and into the complex phenomenon of 
  the “hive mind” exhibited in insectoid species like 
  bees and ants.
  The institute was a large campus, incorporating 
  several high-security buildings.  These included 
  an administration/public relations center (where 
  a museum exhibit educated the public about 
  insects and their important role in nature), a main 
  laboratory complex (where the majority of research 
  was undertaken), a maintenance building, and a 
  separate parking garage. The main lab building 
  hosted experiments ostensibly exploring the possible 
  commercial applications of insects and insect bi-
  product, including an effort to isolate the most 
  resilient and survivable insect species and combine 
  them genetically not only with each other, but with 
  human DNA.
  The parking garage served a dual purpose; secret 
  elevators here took Corporation scientists to an 
  entirely separate lab block beneath the surface.  The 
  secret labs can only be located by a Search check 
  at DC 28.  The entrance is via a mundane elevator, 
  which seems to lead nowhere.  However, inserting 
  a stage IIC identity card into the elevator console 
  automatically lowers the elevator to the lab complex.
  The complex itself has long been abandoned, 
  but ample evidence of the research that went on 
  here remains, untouched since the Fall.  Bee hives, 
  insect aquariums, ant farms, night habitats with UV 
  lighting, and other such items are found throughout 
  the complex.  Genetic laboratories, where the actual 
  work of splicing DNA was accomplished, stand 
  empty and silent.
  There is evidence here that the test subjects (ants, 
  roaches, bees, etc.) were deliberately released 
  before the complex was abandoned.  A number of 
  mysterious chutes lead from the old labs into the 
  ﬂoor; the grates have been carefully removed, and 
  insect holding-tanks lie scattered about, their doors 
  and vents jammed open.
  GM’s Note:  It is not immediately clear where 
  exactly these chutes lead, but they are certain to end 
  up in the sewers.  However, it is possible to determine 
  precisely where they ultimately reach the surface.  
  If the PCs place a smoke marker (such as a smoke 
  grenade) in the chutes and wait outside to observe 
  
  56
  where the smoke emerges, after 2d4 hours the smoke 
  will have found its way underground, through the 
  sewers, and to the nearest surface exit.  The PCs can 
  observe thin columns of smoke rising in the distance, 
  roughly in the vicinity of Areas #025 and #027.
  Treasure:  A search of both the main lab building 
  and the secret lab complex will uncover scientiﬁc 
  apparatus and supplies.  The actual contents are left 
  for you to determine, but suggested ﬁnds include 
  PDAs (ﬁlled with scientiﬁc data that links Zoogenic 
  Corporation with a weird program to create a superior 
  breed of insect to “dominate where all others fail”), 
  chemical kits, ﬁrst aid kits, medical kits, pharmacist 
  kits, surgery kits, and ﬁre extinguishers.
  043. CRASHED CHOPPER (EL 0)
  A small aircraft of some sort sits here in the 
  middle of the street.  Its tail rotor is slightly 
  damaged, but it otherwise seems to be in good 
  condition.
  The helicopter sitting here in a city intersection is a 
  Bell Jet Ranger, formerly used by a local television 
  news station (KTLA CHANNEL 5 is brilliantly painted 
  on the side in large green letters).  The aircraft was 
  being used to report on the battles taking place on 
  the ground when it came under ﬁre from enemy 
  aircraft during the battle for Los Angeles.  The crew, 
  having showed enough bravery already by taking 
  breathtaking shots of the street-to-street ﬁghting, 
  decided it was time to quit.  As they turned back to 
  the KTLA tower downtown, they were nearly missed 
  by a ship-to-air missile ﬁred from out at sea.  With a 
  damaged rotor, the experienced pilot was barely able 
  to land the craft here, at which point the crew bailed 
  and vanished into the crowds of ﬂeeing civilians.
  Treasure:  The helicopter is in reasonably good 
  condition, though it has no fuel.  A Repair check is 
  needed to get it operational again (DC 25; no spare 
  parts need to be expended, however).  Inside the PCs 
  ﬁnd a pair of binoculars, a portable video camera 
  (with fragments of footage of the city ﬁghting, 
  narrated with a borderline-panicked commentary, still 
  on tape), and a ﬁrst aid kit.
  044. ENEMY DROIDS (EL 11)
  A large group of clunky combat androids were 
  waging battle here against the defenders of Los 
  Angeles when the nuclear explosions over the city 
  killed their opponents and damaged many of their 
  own forces with a sweeping ﬁreball.  The ensuing 
  EMP pulse caused the surviving androids to shut 
  down immediately, and the ‘droids have only come 
  back online in recent years.
  The androids in this hex are simple pre-Fall 
  models, manufactured on the primitive mass-
  assembly lines of the Great Enemy in third-world 
  nations across the globe.  Rugged but rudimentary 
  in design, these androids lack the free will and 
  intelligence of other androids (such as the Android 
  faction in the Necropolis), and have thus remained 
  here, defending the “frontline” until they can be 
  “relieved.”
  There are 21 RT-14 combat androids in this hex, 
  each armed with an LV-94 laser riﬂe.  The RT-14 
  and LV-94 are detailed on pages 74 and 66 of The 
  Foundationists (if you don’t have this book, simply 
  use the statistics for a security android and a normal 
  laser riﬂe).  Typical encounters are with 1d4+4 
  androids at a time, but the sound of combat brings 
  other androids from the surrounding ruins to the 
  scene of the ﬁghting after 2d6 rounds (at a rate of 1d2 
  per round until all have arrived).
  The androids’ tactics are simple: overwhelm their 
  enemies with massed ﬁrepower and numbers.  They 
  will continue to ﬁght until all of their number are 
  destroyed.  They will not leave this hex, however.
  RT-14 Combat Androids (21):  HP 48 (each is 
  missing 2d10 hit points).
  FLYING
  If the PCs manage to secure some form of aircraft (such as the chopper at Area #043), they have a useful 
  resource at their command: such a craft allows them to cross distances more swiftly and to ﬂy right over 
  many of the dangers of the city.
  Being able to ﬂy might seem beneﬁcial, but it could just as easily be more dangerous than traveling by 
  foot.  At least on the ground there is cover to be had and places to hide; in the air, the PCs can be easily 
  seen and heard.  Bug ﬂyers will certainly be attracted to ﬂying craft, as will hordes of varo bats.  The 
  warring factions of the city will probably follow the PCs on the ground, hoping to ambush them and take 
  their “marvelous machine” when they eventually land.  The Serpent Gods will certainly ﬁre on anyone 
  ﬂying into the Downtown area; other faction armies will likely take opportunistic shots at anything ﬂying 
  overhead as well.
  
  57
  045. MORE ENEMY DROIDS (EL 11)
  Like Area #044, this hex contains a number of 
  invading androids that were deactivated by an EMP 
  pulse over the city during the nuclear cataclysm.  
  These androids have recently begun to re-activate, 
  and without other orders from an authorized source, 
  continue to hold their positions roughly where the 
  “frontlines” were when the nuclear missiles went off 
  and crippled them.
  There are 23 RT-14 combat androids in this 
  hex, each armed with an LV-94 laser riﬂe.  1d2 of 
  these androids are also equipped with 1d2 nerve gas 
  grenades, which they won’t hesitate to use against 
  organic opponents.  The RT-14 and LV-94 are 
  detailed on pages 74 and 66 of The Foundationists (if 
  you don’t have this book, simply use the statistics for 
  a security android and a normal laser riﬂe).  Typical 
  encounters are with 1d4+4 androids at a time, but 
  the sound of combat brings other androids from the 
  surrounding ruins to the scene of the ﬁghting after 
  2d6 rounds (at a rate of 1d2 per round until all have 
  arrived).
  The androids’ tactics are simple: overwhelm their 
  enemies with massed ﬁrepower and numbers.  They 
  will continue to ﬁght until all of their number are 
  destroyed.  They will not leave this hex, however.
  RT-14 Combat Androids (23):  HP 48 (each is 
  missing 2d10 hit points).
  046. BATTLEFIELD (EL 0)
  The buildings here have been ravaged by 
  ancient warfare ― blown apart, riddled with 
  enormous holes, and blackened from ﬁres that 
  died out long ago.  Skeletons peek through 
  collapsed rubble, and old broken weapons can 
  be seen half-buried under tons of rock.
  A large eight-wheeled vehicle stands amid 
  the wreckage here, gathering rust.  It bears the 
  symbols of an ancient enemy.
  This area marks the scene of one of many frontline 
  battlegrounds during the ﬁghting for the city, before 
  the eruption of global nuclear war.  The fates of the 
  soldiers who fought here, on both sides, have long 
  been lost to time.
  The vehicle is a BRDM (treat this as an 
  armored truck) with a turreted TCA (this “particle 
  machinegun” is detailed on page 66 of The 
  Foundationists; if you don’t have this book, 
  substitute a standard minigun instead).  The vehicle 
  is empty and has no fuel, but it is otherwise in good 
  ﬁghting condition.
  If the PCs search the wreckage, roll 1d2 times 
  on each of the following tables: Armor, Military 
  Weapons, and Rare Military Weapons.  Discard any 
  rolls that do not seem appropriate to the situation.
  047. CULT HIDEOUT (EL 0)
  This run-down neighborhood is ﬁlled with 
  seedy old apartment complexes.  In a large 
  intersection up ahead you see numerous rusted 
  and burned-out police cars surrounding the 
  front of a building.  Other than trash and a few 
  portable police barriers, however, the place 
  seems deserted.
  This intersection was the scene of a heated ﬁreﬁght 
  between law enforcement ofﬁcers and members of 
  an insane doomsday cult during the ﬁnal days before 
  the Fall.  A brutal shootout occurred when cultists, 
  hiding out in the abandoned building, began shooting 
  at cars on the nearby highway with sniper riﬂes from 
  their sixth-ﬂoor corner apartment.  Though already 
  strapped for men due to rumors of impending war, the 
  L.A. police department responded in force, turning 
  the standoff into a savage ﬁreﬁght.  The ofﬁcers 
  eventually abandoned their posts (and even their 
  squad cars) when it became clear that the city was 
  going to be invaded.
  The building has likewise been ransacked.  If the 
  PCs climb up to the sixth ﬂoor, they ﬁnd a barricaded 
  apartment (the PCs will have to hack the door down 
  to enter it), inside of which are the skeletons of 
  seven men and two women.  Each is clad in bizarre 
  scarlet robes each bearing with a strange symbol (a 
  variation of the Seal of Solomon) on its sash.  All of 
  the skeletons are within arm’s reach of a veritable 
  arsenal of weapons ― as well as an impressive array 
  of drug paraphernalia ― that have collected dust in 
  the ensuing years.  A large faded poster on one wall 
  depicts a blown-up image of Charles Manson’s face, 
  though the infamous killer’s eyes have been cut from 
  the poster with scissors.  A single sliding door leading 
  to a small balcony still stands open.
  RT-14 ANDROIDS
  It is important to note that the RT-14 androids encountered at Areas #044 and #045 are in no way afﬁliated 
  with the Android faction of the Necropolis.  The RT-14s are creations of the Great Enemy, while the 
  Androids are reactivated domestic robots.  Indeed, if the two were to meet, a battle between the two would 
  certainly take place ― almost a recreation of the ﬁghting that took place in the city during the Final War!
  
  58
  Treasure:  There are four Ford Crown Victorias 
  on the street outside, only one of which is operable 
  (it is down to 12 hit points, and can only move at 
  Alley Speed).  Only one of these has anything of 
  interest inside (see the sidebar on page to determine 
  the contents of a police vehicle’s trunk); the others 
  were ransacked long ago.  This last vehicle remains 
  unlooted because the trunk is securely locked 
  (requiring a Disable Device check at DC 20; it 
  doesn’t pop open from inside).
  In the cultists’ hideout are four TEC-9s, a MAC 
  Ingram M10, a Skorpion, two sawed-off shotguns, 
  three M4 carbines, and an HK PSG-1 sniper riﬂe, 
  with eight boxes of ammunition for each individual 
  weapon!  In addition, there are numerous narcotic 
  substances (now useless), as well as the rather 
  elaborate pieces of specialty equipment needed to 
  manufacture them on a small scale.
  A Search check at DC 12 also uncovers a record 
  player in the same room as the dead cultists.  On the 
  turntable is a custom-pressed record with a simple 
  hand-written label that reads “Inspiration.”
  If a power pack is supplied and the record is 
  played, it proves to be a non-stop “death metal” 
  soundtrack with garbled chants speaking of racial 
  hatred, social turmoil, and random violence.  Though 
  offensive, it seems otherwise unremarkable.
  Development:  Should the characters somehow 
  think to play the record backwards, the death metal 
  tracks sound the same, though the words play 
  backwards.  This sounds like gibberish for the ﬁrst 
  ﬁfteen minutes of music, but at one point on the 
  sixth track the PCs can swear they hear the following 
  phrase: “High above the city of the angels, set among 
  the hills, thirteen make the suicide gate from which 
  true evil spills....”
  048. MISSION OF ST. MICHAEL THE 
  ARCHANGEL (EL 0)
  This area looks like it was once at the heart of 
  the city’s slums.  Although adult book shops and 
  the ruins of strip joints line the street just down 
  the way, up ahead can be seen what may have 
  once been a large homeless shelter.  A towering 
  neon cross stands tall over the place, though it 
  has long fallen into darkness.
  The entrance to this old shelter is littered with 
  hundreds of colorful pamphlets and ﬂyers, apparently 
  scattered about and trampled by panicking civilians 
  when the building was ransacked prior to the Fall.  
  Any character with the ability to read Ancient can 
  make out a few legible words on these slips of 
  decayed paper: “The End is Near,” “The Time is at 
  Hand,” “Christ is Watching ― Be Brave.”  None give 
  any real glimpse of the building’s last moments.
  The interior of the mission is dark and dank, 
  consisting of a block of small ofﬁces, a large 
  communal shelter area, an emergency clinic and 
  nursery, an extensive kitchen (with bulk pantries and 
  freezers), and a loading dock in the rear.  There is 
  also a small chapel on the second level, and a number 
  of more private rooms originally set aside for long-
  term tenants and live-in volunteers (including clergy).
  Most of these rooms are destroyed; a Search (DC 
  20) uncovers 1d4 rolls on the Junk and Dead Bodies 
  tables, but nothing else of interest.
  GM’s Note:  Unbeknownst to the PCs, the 
  old mission has a secret room which can only be 
  discovered with a Search check at DC 23.
  A maintenance door on the second ﬂoor leads to 
  a room ﬁlled with pipes behind the second-story 
  washroom.  The secret door here can only be opened 
  by depressing a hidden latch and putting pressure 
  on a seemingly-innocuous wooden partition.  The 
  secret door slides open to reveal a small room with 
  only a bare bulb hanging overhead.  A number of 
  cheap springbeds are set here near a small round 
  table, a small toilet, a tiny cooking area, and a sink.  
  Overlooking the room from one of the otherwise bare 
  walls is an iron cruciﬁx.
  This room was set up long ago by an underground 
  network of former Jesuit priests to help combat the 
  eerie rise of Satanism in the years just before the 
  Fall.  The mission and the secret room were used by 
  members of the association as a base of operations 
  in the city.  Since much of their work involved the 
  investigation of legitimate ﬁgures through illegitimate 
  methods (such as breaking and entering, burglary, 
  and outright theft), many of their agents were forced 
  underground to evade the law ― hence the need for 
  this safe house.
  Treasure:  A search of the room uncovers only a 
  few belongings stashed here by the long-vanished 
  members of the exiled Jesuit society.  These include 
  six rosaries, two small cruciﬁxes, two rotten (and 
  illegible) Bibles, and various changes of civilian 
  clothes (all cheap, blue-collar attire).  There is also 
  a 35mm camera with zoom lens, ten rolls of ﬁlm 
  (unused), a caller ID defeater, a cellular interceptor, 
  a lineman’s buttset, two pocket tape recorders, and 
  two pairs of night vision goggles!  No weapons are 
  evident, but a small locker in the room contains a 1-
  pound block of C4 wrapped in wax paper (this was 
  used in minute amounts for breaking into the homes 
  and high-rises of suspects under scrutiny by the 
  association)!
  In addition to these items, other materials here 
  present a bizarre and mind-boggling portrait of the 
  association that once used this secret room as a safe 
  house.  No identities are given, but PCs spending 20 
  
  59
  hours going through the various ﬁles and messages 
  kept here will come to realize that the men (of which 
  there were half a dozen based in Los Angeles) were 
  part of a much larger clandestine organization, one 
  whose leaders may not have even been based in 
  the United States.  Whoever they were, they were 
  obsessed with thwarting the return of something 
  called “the Beast,” and in particular, hunting down 
  and exposing members of an alleged cult group called 
  the “Blessed 13” that was dedicated to bringing about 
  the end of the world.
  Another 20 hours of study reveals even more 
  startling clues.  A number of these “agents” risked 
  their lives ﬁnding tantalizing (but ultimately 
  unproven) links between this alleged secret cult and 
  high-ranking executives of the Zoogenic Corporation 
  ― and even the United States military-industrial 
  complex.  A ﬁnal report suggests that at least one 
  of the agents living here in the safe house was also 
  masquerading as a homeless person in an attempt to 
  track down reports of an unusual alliance between 
  the seemingly straight-laced Zoogenic Corporation 
  and numerous street gangs of the Los Angeles area, 
  with the sole purpose of causing chaos by instigating 
  apparently senseless crime and violence all over 
  the city.  One of these reports is a memo apparently 
  stolen from the Bernard Megaplex (see Area #160), 
  which references ― with no speciﬁc information 
  ― enormous monetary transfers to a man named 
  Cyrus, with a hand-written notation in one corner of 
  the page that reads “Cyrus the Jackal, whose spawn 
  shall survive as Kings of the Wasteland.”
  049. HOMELESS CAMP (EL 7)
  This area is an old city park, ﬂanked on all 
  sides by dilapidated grey buildings.  The tattered 
  remnants of old tents and tiny shacks made from 
  corrugated iron sheeting still sit here and there, 
  though the campsite looks long abandoned.
  This was once a small city park, as well as one 
  of several homeless camps in the city where 
  concentrations of the urban poor came together for 
  mutual protection and warmth.  Periodically broken 
  up and dismantled by the authorities, these temporary 
  “tent towns” would simply spring up in another place 
  the next night, and were never permanently erased 
  from the urban landscape.
  The camp is currently home to a small pack of 
  toxic raccoons, who live in the old shacks unless out 
  foraging for food.  Wiry and lean, these are obviously 
  tough animals that will defend their territory against 
  intrusion.  If the PCs get too close (i.e. try to search), 
  the animals will move to attack, hoping to drive the 
  party off.  They only ﬂee if one of their number is 
  killed.
  Toxic Raccoons (7):  HP 8 (page 141, Terrors of 
  the Lost Paradise).
  Treasure:  Once the wild raccoons are driven off, 
  the PCs can search the old camp; evidence in the old 
  tents and shacks indicates that the inhabitants were 
  the pre-Fall poor.  Treasure found includes 1d2+1 
  Junk, 1d2 “Magic” Items, and 1d3+1 Consumables.
  In addition, old grafﬁti on the back side of one of 
  the shacks, where drug-addicted homeless apparently 
  gathered to shoot up out of sight of the others, gives 
  crude directions (in Ancient) to a “secret refuge” 
  underground; the directions indicate an alley manhole 
  a few blocks from this camp, through which one can 
  enter the subway tunnels under the city and travel 
  two or three miles to ﬁnd the refuge (this refuge is 
  detailed under Area #184).
  050. GUN EMPORIUM (EL 4)
  A huge building sits here along the side of the 
  street, its lower-story windows barred up and a 
  huge sign (in Ancient) overhead proclaiming it is 
  a “Gun Emporium.”  It looks heavily damaged.
  This enormous building was an amusing landmark 
  during the time of the Ancients, a self-proclaimed 
  “gun exhibition” that offered antique guns, surplus 
  weapons, and modern ﬁrearms to the buying public.  
  Self-proclaimed crusaders of the “right to bear 
  arms,” in reality the owners shamelessly catered to 
  both private citizens and the criminal element of Los 
  Angeles.
  The building was ransacked during the ﬁghting 
  for the city, as private citizens stormed the building 
  looking for weapons to loot.  Some intended to 
  defend their homes, others to march off and volunteer 
  as “irregulars,” and others merely to take what they 
  wanted from their fellow citizens in the chaos before 
  ﬂeeing the city.
  The PCs ﬁnd the emporium’s doors smashed open, 
  with broken glass everywhere.  The interior is dark, 
  like a warehouse, and in total disarray ― it is obvious 
  a panicked mob tore the place apart in the Fall.  
  However, numerous guns, ammunition, and other 
  supplies still remain on the shelves and in locked 
  cases (some must be smashed open, since there are 
  no keys to be found anywhere), testament to the huge 
  number of guns this place once housed.
  GM’s Note:  For every ten minutes spent in 
  this building there is a 10% chance that part of the 
  emporium roof collapses, injuring searchers still 
  inside.  If this happens, pick one PC at random; she 
  suffers 2d6 points of damage from a falling object 
  (Reﬂex save DC 15 for half).  If this happens three 
  
  60
  times while the PCs are here, the entire building 
  collapses, burying everyone and everything under 
  tons of crumbling concrete (damage 10d6, Reﬂex 
  DC 35 for half, Strength check DC 50 to avoid being 
  pinned).
  Treasure:  For every ten minutes spent searching 
  the emporium, roll on the following table to see what 
  the PCs ﬁnd.  Note that a given entry will never be 
  found more than once (if you roll the same result 
  again, simply move on to the next item on the list):
  2D6
  Find
  2
  1d2 SITES M9s
  3
  1d2 Ruger Service-Sixes
  4
  1d4 Pathﬁnders
  5
  1d100x3 rounds of 9mm ammunition
  6
  1d100 rounds of .22 ammunition
  7
  1d100x2 rounds of .38S ammunition
  8
  2d20 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition
  9
  1d2 Browning BPSs
  10
  1 Remington 700
  11
  1 TechSport R-13 [R&U]
  12
  Roll again twice
  051. THE GREAT CRATER (EL VARIES)
  The wreckage in this region is impressive; 
  entire cars lifted up and wrapped around nearby 
  telephone poles, buildings blown open or their 
  tops sheared off.  Everything is cold, black, 
  and ashen; a thick layer of caked ash covers 
  everything up to several inches, making it 
  difﬁcult to stiﬂe a hacking cough as you churn it 
  up with your footsteps.  There are no animals in 
  sight, but the air is far from silent; wind blown 
  through the destroyed structures nearby creates a 
  haunting moan that echoes down every street.
  Further ahead, the ruins abruptly end, giving 
  way to a broad open region more than a mile 
  across.  From where you stand you can see 
  why: a colossal crater pits the earth here, no 
  doubt where some tremendous weapon of mass 
  destruction struck the city centuries ago.  In fact, 
  this could well have been the weapon that killed 
  the millions who once called the city home.
  The power of this weapon carved out a deep, 
  bowl-like hole in the ground in which nothing 
  recognizable stands.  Around this crater, which 
  must be at least a half-mile wide, stands a region 
  of utter devastation in which every last building 
  and notable feature was blasted ﬂat, creating a 
  huge ash-gray “dead zone” in which nothing 
  moves.  Over it all, carried on the wind and 
  punctuated by motes of ash ﬂoating by, a spectral 
  moan seems to mourn for the countless lives lost 
  to this tremendous wound.
  
  61
  This hex marks just the center of what the inhabitants 
  of the Necropolis call the “Great Crater;” the rest of 
  this massive depression rings this hex and outwards 
  (see map).
  The Great Crater is the site of the single largest 
  groundburst detonation to strike the city during 
  the nuclear war.  This impact (and the ensuing 
  explosion) caused massive damage to the north part 
  of the city, not only devastating a wide area but also 
  starting catastrophic ﬁres that claimed much of the 
  surrounding cityscape.  Needless to say, the warhead 
  also brought poisonous radiation, which (together 
  with the airbursts over the port) killed most of the 
  inhabitants of the city during the Fall.  Here in the 
  crater the radiation is still extremely strong.
  GM’s Note:  Anyone entering 
  one of the three central hexes 
  of the Great Crater is subject to 
  Severe radiation; in any of the other 
  indicated hexes (see inset, shown in 
  violet) the radiation level is High.
  There is nothing of interest in 
  the Great Crater, as every last bit 
  of stone, metal, glass, and organic 
  matter was fused by the powerful 
  nuclear blast.  No creatures dwell in 
  the crater proper, though screamers 
  are frequently drawn to the fringes 
  of this area by the radiation, on 
  which they seem to thrive.  No 
  set encounters with these undead 
  are described here, but if the PCs 
  linger long near the crater (perhaps letting nightfall 
  catch them out in the open) they are more than likely 
  to encounter large groups of 1d6+14 screamers 
  shambling through the ruins ringing the enormous 
  depression, almost like worshippers arriving at the 
  doorstep of a grand temple.  To escape, the PCs will 
  have to ﬁnd a way through these masses of radiated 
  zombies without being overcome!
  Screamers (15-20): HP 26.
  
  62
  LOS ANGELES 
  HARBOR
  The ruins of Los Angeles harbor 
  comprise an entire quarter of the 
  legendary Necropolis, and though 
  the harbor itself is considerable in size, remarkably 
  few inhabitants of the city have ever visited it.  It 
  remains a ghostly, empty part of the Necropolis, a 
  rusted and ﬂooded reminder of the industrial might of 
  this once-great metropolis.
  The harbor itself has a colorful history, having 
  served as a major repair and resupply facility during 
  the Final War.  After Hawaii was overrun and San 
  Diego virtually crippled by the ﬁrst conventional 
  strikes, Los Angeles was made an auxiliary gathering 
  point for crippled Navy and Coast Guard vessels.  
  Sadly, it wasn’t to remain a refuge for long; when 
  the all-out war turned nuclear, the harbor was one 
  of the ﬁrst targets.  With a devastating combination 
  of shockwave and ﬁrestorm, high-yield airbursts 
  destroyed the port facilities and sank dozens of ships 
  waiting to be repaired.
  The harbor area has in recent years become the 
  primary stomping grounds of the Android faction, 
  which was revived by unwitting scouts of the ill-
  fated Cartel expedition in 2263 (see Area #059).  The 
  newly-awakened Androids struck out and swept the 
  Cartel colony from the map, then began spreading 
  towards Hive territory.  After securing the area 
  around the harbor, however, they turned their efforts 
  elsewhere (speciﬁcally to the south, towards the ruins 
  of Camp Pendleton, which aren’t detailed here).  
  Still, the Android presence here is considerable, and 
  parties adventuring along the old shoreline are likely 
  to stumble onto periodic patrols of these formidable 
  constructs.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  Encounters in the harbor area of the Necropolis 
  generally consist of android patrols from the Android 
  enclave, or small bands of ghouls and/or wild men 
  inﬁltrating the area from the Domain of the Flesh 
  Eaters.  Risking an encounter with the androids, these 
  latter creatures are likely to be desperate for a meal....
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a 
  random encounter.  In this part of the city the chance 
  is 1 in 8.  If the PCs are on land, use the table on the 
  left; if they happen to be traveling by boat around the 
  harbor (or anywhere along the southern coast of the 
  city), use the table on the right instead.
  Individual encounters are detailed in a separate 
  chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2-3
  Aurora Unusualis
  4-5
  Screamers
  6-7
  Industrial Robot
  8
  Corpses
  9-10
  Android Patrol
  11-12
  Random Noises (Surface)
  13-14
  Wild Men & Robot
  15-16
  Ghouls
  17-18
  Androids On The Move
  19
  Open Warfare
  20
  Weird Weather
  
  63
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1-2
  Boat Adrift
  3-4
  Android Cutter
  5-7
  Random Noises (Harbor)
  8-10
  Skaels
  11-13
  Skael Boarding Party
  14-16
  Dar Sharks
  17-18
  Mirror Ooze
  19-20
  Aurora Unusualis
  052. THE HARBOR (EL VARIES)
  Seen from afar, the harbor resembles a ghostly 
  “dead zone” of blasted wharf-side buildings and 
  warehouses.  The charred remains of towering ship-
  loading cranes and observation towers rise a hundred 
  or more feet into the sky like a forest of burned-out 
  metal scaffolds.  Through this maze of seared metal 
  a black waterway winds to and fro, still cluttered and 
  choked with the sunken and half-sunken remains of 
  dozens of ships.  This collection of ghost ships has 
  turned the harbor into a maze of rusted hulls and 
  disintegrating wrecks, many of which glow with 
  a spectral outline at night due to the radiation still 
  present in the surrounding waters.
  The harbor is a sprawling ruin both in the 
  water and on land, split in two by the blasted-ﬂat 
  remnants of Terminal Island.  The island was once 
  a major port facility, but the airbursts over the port 
  devastated much of it, leaving only the towering 
  masts of loading cranes.  Most other neighborhoods 
  surrounding the port fared the same.
  GM’s Note:  The harbor is far too large to detail 
  fully, and though there are many sunken ship hulls 
  still visible from land, most of these contain only 
  rusted and ruined cargo ― little, if anything, could be 
  salvaged by the adventurers.  Still, a brief overview 
  of the harbor’s more interesting wrecks are given 
  below; note that there are many more wrecks in 
  addition to these, so feel 
  free to add encounter areas 
  of your own to this list.
  If the PCs explore any 
  of these wrecks, you can 
  use the map of the Typical 
  Large Ship provided in this 
  book as a sample layout, or 
  devise a map of your own.
  1. TUG BOAT (EL 0)
  A large tugboat rests 
  just off shore here, stuck 
  where it collided against a 
  sunken wreck.  The tugboat 
  is completely covered 
  with rust, but its internal 
  workings are relatively 
  intact (though only a 
  character who knows about 
  boats, and tries to revive 
  the craft, will probably 
  realize this), with about 
  six hours of fuel left in its 
  internal tanks.  The tugboat 
  has a powerful engine, but it is lodged quite fully 
  into the underwater wreck; PCs wishing to free the 
  boat will ﬁrst have to demolish the underwater wreck 
  (requiring either demolition charges or underwater 
  welding tools).  There is little of value on the tug, 
  though the cabin does have an arms locker that might 
  contain a few civilian ﬁrearms.
  2. GARBAGE SCOW (EL 4)
  A broad-hulled garbage scow rests at this far end 
  of the channel, grounded on the shallows.  The old 
  wreck lies close enough to shore that a small but 
  exceptionally bold band of 8 wild men often comes 
  here to sift through the enormous piles of trash 
  onboard in search of rare trinkets and other shiny 
  baubles, which they use to entice mates elsewhere.  
  The heaps of garbage could contain hidden items of 
  value, at the GM’s discretion, but the PCs will have 
  to ﬁght off the wild men who consider the scow’s 
  wreckage part of their territory.
  Wild Men (8):  HP 18.
  3. FISHING TRAWLER (EL 0)
  The capsized wreck of a ﬁshing trawler juts from the 
  water here, tilted to one side and covered with a thick 
  layer of rust on every exposed part.  The shipwreck is 
  utterly empty.
  
  64
  4. DESTROYER (EL 0)
  The remains of a destroyer lie here, partially sunk 
  in the channel where it burned out of control.  One 
  of the ﬁrst ships to pull back from the ﬁghting in the 
  major sea battles taking place off the West coast, 
  the destroyer caught ﬁre while in port.  Though 
  ﬁreﬁghting boats were dispatched, the destroyer was 
  lost.  All that remains is a burned and rusted wreck, 
  though its gun turret still looks formidable from 
  shore.  The ship itself is a desolate ruin.
  5. FIREFIGHTING BOAT (EL 0)
  The orange rusted hull of a ﬁreﬁghting boat is 
  grounded at this spot, where it partially sank when 
  the ﬁrst detonations exploded over the port.  Without 
  power, the boat was unable to continue ﬁghting ﬁres 
  along the wharf and was abandoned by its crew.  It is 
  now empty.
  6. SUPERTANKER (EL 0)
  A large supertanker sits here, blocking the Terminal 
  Island channel.  Like many ships still in the harbor, 
  only the upper workings of the ship are visible above 
  the water; the bulk of the ship lies underwater.  This 
  enormous vessel was attempting to leave port in the 
  days preceding the Fall, when the military began 
  taking over the port facilities here to repair ships 
  returning from battles out to sea.  Unfortunately, 
  agents of the Blessed 13 deliberately sabotaged the 
  vessel, causing it to sink here, effectively sealing off 
  the channel to larger vessels.  If the PCs somehow 
  explore the wreckage, they ﬁnd several thousand 
  pieces of heavy machinery (industrial equipment), all 
  of which have crusted over, forming a localized coral 
  reef.
  7. SMALL TUG (EL 0)
  This marks the location of a small tugboat, still in its 
  moorings.  The boat is badly rusted but seaworthy.  
  With a successful Repair check (DC 20) and 120 cp 
  in spare parts, the PCs could get it up and running.  
  Unfortunately the boat has suffered permanent 
  damage over the years, and after 1d4 hours of 
  operation the engine compartment will catch ﬁre, 
  consuming the boat and sending it to the bottom in 
  1d3x10 minutes.
  8. SUNKEN CONTAINER SHIP (EL VARIES)
  Lying in this sheltered harbor are the remains of 
  over a dozen ships, all clustered around the sunken 
  remains of a container ship.  The container ship has 
  been continuously inhabited by the major portion of 
  the Skael population of the Necropolis (led by a cruel 
  chief named Slagurrl).  This community, located in 
  and around the ship’s titanic broken hull (at 55 ft), is 
  detailed as Area #054.
  9. IMPOUND HARBOR (EL 0)
  A foreign trawler was impounded here just prior 
  to the Fall; it hailed from one of the nations with 
  which the United States was having increasingly 
  sore relations.  Accused of being a “spy trawler,” 
  the boat and its crew were sequestered here until the 
  authorities could ﬁgure out what to do with them.  
  The occupants ― all innocent civilians ― were killed 
  when the port was blasted in the nuclear attack on 
  
  65
  the city.  The wreckage of the ship is scorched, and 
  now lies partially-buried in the silt and mud near the 
  docks; only the top level of the ship stands above the 
  water.
  10. SUNKEN SUBMARINE (EL 0)
  Sunken just beneath the waters of the harbor are the 
  splintered remains of the submarine USS Virginia 
  (SSN-774).  Badly damaged during the days-long 
  sea battles fought in the Paciﬁc against the enemy 
  invasion armada, the USS Virginia barely managed 
  to limp to Los Angeles before the airbursts struck the 
  port.  It was sunk in the devastation, and all hands 
  lost.  Radiation from the sub’s damaged reactor has 
  increasingly polluted the waterway for decades.
  11. FERRY (EL 0)
  The wreckage of a ferry lies here, close to where 
  it was docked when the bombs fell.  The ferry was 
  packed with refugees ﬂeeing the ﬁghting in the city 
  when it was sunk by the nuclear detonations.
  12. TOUR BOAT (EL 0)
  The wreckage of a badly-rusted boat stands aground 
  out to sea in this hex, though it is visible from shore.  
  This was one of many modest-sized tour boats that 
  gave paying tourists a spectacular circuit of the Los 
  Angeles waterfront, while offering luxury dining and 
  accommodations.  The boat was leaving the harbor 
  under orders from the city’s military authority (to 
  clear the harbor for military trafﬁc) when the bombs 
  hit.  The crew abandoned ship when the vessel caught 
  ﬁre, leaving it to run aground.  It still remains in 
  place, its bow rising slightly from the water where it 
  hit an underwater embankment.
  13. SUPERTANKER (EL 0)
  A huge supertanker rises above the water here, in 
  the same place where it ran aground centuries ago as 
  it maneuvered away from the burning dock district 
  of the city.  The resulting damage to the crippled 
  tanker caused an oil spill that spread for miles, 
  eventually catching ﬁre and causing a huge explosion 
  onboard.  Whatever remains of the tanker that 
  aren’t rusted completely over are instead black and 
  charred.  A large ﬂock of seagulls makes the towering 
  superstructure their home, as the ship’s isolation 
  makes it a relatively secure place to nest.
  14. RADIOACTIVE SCOW (EL 0)
  The wreck of a large garbage scow sits here, 
  foundering in shallow waters just offshore of 
  Terminal Island.  The scow (which was carrying 
  a large load of industrial radioactive waste) was 
  moved from the inner harbor to make room for larger 
  military ships when it nearly capsized, spilling much 
  of its deadly cargo into the harbor’s waters.  The 
  radiation levels in the water around the scow are 
  markedly more intense than elsewhere in the harbor 
  area as a result.
  15. FIREFIGHTING CUTTER (EL 0)
  A small ﬁreﬁghting cutter lies washed ashore here.  
  Its crew was killed when the bombs detonated over 
  the port, and the vessel badly damaged.  It is now 
  a rusting wreck, turned on its side on the rocky, 
  polluted beach.  A few brave gulls stop here to rest 
  when winds die down, but otherwise the wreckage is 
  lifeless.
  16. FRIGATE (EL VARIES)
  An old frigate (USS Crommelin) rests here in a 
  makeshift berth, sunken so that only its superstructure 
  stands above the surface of the water (the deck 
  is submerged only a few feet under the surface, 
  however).  The rest of its battle-damaged hull is 
  quickly disintegrating as time goes by.  A gaping 
  hole in the side of the vessel marks the spot where 
  a tribe of exiled Skaels enter and exit the bowels 
  of the sunken craft, which they use as their base of 
  operations.  This tribe, led by a Skael named Blugorl, 
  is further detailed under Area #053.
  17. SHIP TENDER (EL 6)
  An old surface tender lies here partially sunken with 
  its stern rising slightly above the water.  This vessel 
  was refueling the frigate (#16 above) when it sank.  
  The ship’s fuel reserves have leaked somewhat over 
  the years, but there is still enough fuel on board to 
  fully fuel a large container ship (such as the one at 
  Area #052 [29]); if the PCs want to transfer the fuel 
  to another vessel, they simply need to ﬁgure out how 
  to do it (Knowledge [Technology] check at DC 25).  
  However, the fuel doesn’t come without a price; 9 
  Skaels from Area #053 are regularly positioned here 
  as lookouts for their community.  These creatures 
  remain hidden on the old ship should they spot the 
  PCs, sending one or two of their number to alert the 
  main group at Area #053.  They have no need for 
  the fuel, but they aren’t about to let intruders take it 
  either!
  Skaels (9):  HP 9.
  18. SUNKEN PASSENGER LINER (EL 14)
  A large cruise ship lies underwater at this location.  
  The largest single colony of dar sharks (see New 
  Creatures) inhabits the old wreck, emerging only to 
  hunt among the waves.
  Dar Sharks (23):  HP 16.
  
  66
  19. SUNKEN AIRCRAFT CARRIER (EL 7)
  This marks the spot where the USS Nimitz (CVN-
  68) sank.  This historic supercarrier was severely 
  damaged in the heroic ﬁghting off the western 
  seaboard during the climactic battles of the Fall.  
  Crippled by AS-6 Kingﬁsh missiles, the enormous 
  carrier was towed within a few miles of Long Beach 
  before ﬁres on board ﬁnally gutted it, sending it to the 
  bottom.  It is now 500 ft down, but a zug-wa, having 
  wandered from northern Paciﬁc waters, dwells within 
  the wreckage.  A solitary beast, it has come to prey on 
  the dar sharks of the harbor, but will certainly attack 
  any PCs it detects either underwater or on the surface 
  in the vicinity of the shipwreck.
  Zug-Wa (1):  HP 60 (page 149, The Lost 
  Paradise).
  20. LOST CONTAINER SHIP (EL 0)
  Deep beneath the waters (405 ft) lies the sunken 
  wreckage of a container ship out of Honolulu, 
  commandeered by the government during the Final 
  War when Hawaii was ﬁrst attacked.  Loaded on 
  board was over twenty tons of gold, stolen away from 
  the islands when it became clear the defenders there 
  would fall.  The slow-moving ship sank with the ﬁrst 
  airbursts over the port, taking its precious cargo to 
  the bottom.  The Skaels at Area #054 have explored 
  the wreckage and taken some of the gold to their 
  stronghold, but their share amounts to only about 
  20% of the total still to be found entombed in the 
  sunken wreck.
  21. WARSHIP REPAIR DOCK (EL 0)
  Three warships were once tethered here, though all 
  have sunk to a depth that leaves only their badly-
  burned superstructures above the waterline.  These 
  ships include FFG-60 Rodney M. Davis, FFG-51 
  Gary, and DDG-54 Curtis Wilbur, all of which were 
  badly damaged during the Final War and towed 
  here for repair.  These three ships were the closest 
  vessels to the airburst over the port; they were almost 
  completely destroyed by the blast, their hulls sunk 
  deep into the harbor’s muddy bed.
  22. TANKER (EL 0)
  An old oil tanker sits in a berth at this location, 
  ﬂooded and resting on the harbor bottom.  Still, 
  its enormous size means that much of the ship still 
  stands above the waterline.  Its contents leaked out 
  long ago, however, leaving only an empty wreck.
  23. QUEEN MARY (EL 0)
  This hex contains the partly-submerged remains of 
  the Queen Mary, which during the Fall was converted 
  to a “ﬂoating hospital.”  The nuclear detonations over 
  the port killed the military and civilian personnel 
  working here, along with the 1,000+ patients 
  onboard.  Fires claimed whatever stockpiles of 
  medicine were left on board.  Now all that remains 
  are the charred remains of a colossal passenger liner, 
  submerged up to the deck and burned right down to 
  the waterline.
  24. SUNKEN RESEARCH SHIP (EL 0)
  This marks the location of the undersea wreckage of a 
  large research ship owned and operated by Zoogenic 
  Corporation (the corporate symbol is still evident 
  on the disintegrating hull), now resting at a depth 
  of 210 ft.  An underwater exploration of the wreck 
  will reveal that it was in fact one gigantic ﬂoating 
  laboratory, most likely used to conduct (illegal) 
  experiments out to sea.  Evidence from the ﬂooded 
  genetic labs and large aquatic tanks suggests that 
  the corporation was developing man-sized marine 
  creatures (or perhaps crossbreeds?); when the vessel 
  sank, the creatures escaped through a large hole in 
  the bottom of the ship (an investigation reveals it was 
  deliberately blown to allow them to escape)....
  25.  CONTAINER SHIP (EL 0)
  This ship, requisitioned by the military during the 
  Fall, was carrying a cargo of advanced materials 
  intended for the android factory at Area #059, a vital 
  part of Operation Talos (see that location for more 
  details on this Ancient-era operation).  The ship 
  foundered, and was in the process of being towed 
  into a berth when the factory was abandoned and the 
  operation moved to the Rocky Mountains.  The ship 
  was abandoned when the city came under attack, and 
  later sank.  Its cargo was ruined as a result.
  26. TUG AND TANKER (EL 0)
  Close to shore lie the remains of a tug boat and the 
  supertanker it was guiding towards the harbor wharfs 
  shortly after the nuclear strikes hit the main port.  
  When the tanker ran aground unexpectedly, the tug 
  boat was used to ferry the crew to shore before both 
  vessels were abandoned in the face of rising radiation 
  levels.  The two vessels are largely intact, though 
  the supertanker has completely settled on the harbor 
  ﬂoor, leaving its superstructure and cranes exposed 
  above the water.  Though over the years much of 
  the oil has leaked out, the vessel’s tanks still contain 
  roughly 25,000 gallons of crude.  This diminishing 
  oil is leaking out into the nearby waterway at a rate of 
  roughly 1,000 gallons each year.  If the PCs want to 
  transfer the fuel to another vessel, they simply need 
  to ﬁgure out how to do it (Knowledge [Technology] 
  check at DC 25).
  27. MEDICAL FREIGHTER (EL 0)
  An old freighter still lies here, close to where it was 
  docked when the Los Angeles port was hit by nukes.  
  This freighter was a civilian vessel commandeered by 
  
  67
  the military and re-routed to Los Angeles because of 
  its valuable cargo: medical supplies.  Roughly one-
  third of the ship’s contents were unloaded during the 
  ﬁghting over the city; the rest were destroyed when 
  the ship was sunk.  Most of the ship still stands above 
  the waterline, but the cargo hold is ﬂooded and its 
  contents ruined.  A search by patient PCs may (at the 
  GM’s discretion) ﬁnd some old (and well-packaged) 
  medical supplies that somehow avoided being ruined.
  28. CRUISE SHIP (EL 0)
  A large rusting cruise ship rests on the seabed here, 
  though most of the enormous vessel still stands above 
  the water.  The cruise ship was being reﬁtted for 
  emergency wartime duty when the city fell, forcing 
  the dock personnel to abandon her.  The gigantic 
  ship’s three main decks have since become home to a 
  small population of seals, though these creatures are 
  becoming fewer in number each year due to being 
  hunted by the Skaels at Area #054.  The PCs could 
  conceivably board this “ﬂoating city” and transform 
  it into their own personal fortress; it is a virtual maze 
  inside, is actually quite defendable, and is reasonably 
  isolated (since it’s stranded a few hundred meters 
  offshore).
  29. CONTAINER SHIP (EL 0)
  An old container ship drifts here, still visible from 
  shore (but foundering).  Partly ﬂooded, the ship has 
  been adrift for years.  If the PCs manage to reach 
  the vessel, they ﬁnd it abandoned but in relatively 
  good condition ― in fact, with only a few days of 
  Repair (DC 20 and 1,200 cp in raw materials), the 
  party could get the ship back underway.  There is no 
  food or medicine on board, but the ship’s fresh water 
  tank is still reasonably full.  This vessel’s presence 
  offers the PCs a means of not only getting around 
  the harbor, but also a way to travel to distant shores 
  (or even another continent) ― if that’s the direction 
  you want to take your campaign!  However, the ship 
  currently lacks more than about a day’s worth of fuel, 
  so a fresh supply must be located if the PCs are to 
  cross the Paciﬁc Ocean.  If the PCs decide to take the 
  ship or use it as their base of operations, use the map 
  of the Typical Large Ship provided in this book.
  053. HIDDEN SKAEL ENCLAVE (EL 
  VARIES)
  Living in the ruins of a half-submerged warship in 
  this hex is a small tribe of Skaels, exiled or escaped 
  from the larger community at Area #054.  The rusted, 
  decaying remains of this guided missile frigate 
  lie close to shore, but more than half of it remains 
  hidden beneath the waves of the radiated harbor.
  The Skaels here are all former members of the 
  community at Area #054; they ﬂed when Slagurrl 
  came to power.  Their leader was Slagurrl’s only 
  rival, another treacherous Skael who sought to 
  become the totalitarian leader of their race.  Named 
  Blugorl, this leader has been plotting his revenge 
  ever since, hoping to gather enough exiles to mount 
  a campaign to attack Slagurrl’s community, usurp his 
  power, and take control by force.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Blugorl is a powerful warrior, but 
  not too bright ― nor is he charismatic.  He has cowed 
  most of the other exiles into accepting his leadership 
  through threats and physical force, or by reminding 
  them that they will certainly die if they move onto 
  land.  Blugorl will do whatever it takes to keep his 
  few followers at his side, and has even gone so far 
  as to send his men into Slagurrl’s domain to kidnap 
  other Skaels and bring them here.  These captives are 
  given a choice: either join Blugorl’s growing “army” 
  and work towards their eventual conquest, or become 
  food (the Skaels here are extremely strapped for 
  supplies, after all).
  Blugorl isn’t merely content with building an 
  army, however.  If he were to ﬁnd out that the PCs 
  were in the area (perhaps boating along in the narrow 
  channels between wrecked ships near his realm), 
  he may try to attack them to acquire the powerful 
  weapons they are sure to possess.  Since the members 
  of his race are primitives at best, this would likely be 
  a costly or even suicidal mistake on his part... but he 
  is desperate enough to try.
  Blugorl (Skael Strong Hero 6):  CR 7; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 2d8+2 plus 6d8+6 plus 3; HP 38; 
  Mas 12; Init +5; Spd 20 ft, swim 40 ft; Defense 18, 
  touch 14, ﬂatfooted 17 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +3 class, +4 
  natural); BAB +7; Grap +8; Atk +9 melee (1d4+4, 
  claw), or +7 ranged (by weapon); Full Atk +9 melee 
  (1d4+4, 2 claws), +7 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 
  5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ aquatic reliance, low-light vision, 
  cold resistance 10, immunities; AL Skaels; SV Fort 
  HARBOR RADIATION
  The harbor of Los Angeles was struck by numerous airburst nuclear weapons during the Fall ― an attempt 
  to neutralize the vital port and its auxiliary naval repair facilities.  As a result the entire area is radiated, as 
  shown on the Los Angeles Harbor map.
  Hexes highlighted in violet denote areas of Moderate radiation, while hexes highlighted in red denote 
  areas of High radiation.  This radiation persists throughout the hex, both on the surface and underwater.
  
  68
  +7, Ref +2, Will +4; AP 4; Rep +1; Str 12, Dex 12, 
  Con 12, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Climb +3, Hide +3, Intimidate +1, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +1, Listen +3, Move Silently 
  +3, Spot +6, Survival +2, Swim +7.
  Feats:  Cleave, Improved Initiative, Intimidating 
  Strength*, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Power 
  Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Focus (claw).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash, Advanced Melee Smash.
  Possessions:  None.
  Blugorl’s community consists of 57 Skaels, including 
  6 Skael Elites, 40 males, and 11 females.  There 
  are no elderly or children in their midst, and all are 
  combatants.  They have no treasure to speak of.
  Blugorl:  HP 38.
  Skaels (57):  HP 9.
  Skael Elites (6):  HP 34.
  054. WATCHERS FROM THE DEEP (EL 
  VARIES)
  This hex marks the location of a large colony 
  of Skaels, creatures who (like the Broken Ones, 
  Serpent Gods, and Hive) are descended from the 
  bioengineering experiments of Zoogenic Corporation.  
  The Skaels have lived off the coast of Los Angeles 
  since the Fall, afraid to leave the familiar shoreline of 
  the Necropolis for the deeper waters of the Paciﬁc.
  The Skael colony is in itself a small “city” hidden 
  beneath the eerily radiant waters along the Necropolis 
  coastline.  The Skaels make their home among 
  dozens of rusted and corroded ship hulks, which sank 
  when nuclear detonations blasted the port during the 
  Fall.  Most of these ships sank straight to the bottom; 
  others remain partly exposed, their radar and sensor 
  masts and some of their disintegrating superstructures 
  still standing above the waterline.
  Because there are so many shipwrecks in the port 
  the Skaels don’t inhabit them all, but rather live in a 
  close-knit cluster relatively near to shore.  There are 
  roughly 600 Skaels in the underwater community, 
  divided into no less than ten separate “tribes,” all 
  uniﬁed by their chief, a singularly powerful member 
  of their race.  Currently these silvery-skinned 
  monsters are governed by a fearful, xenophobic, 
  and downright paranoid regime which advocates 
  remaining unseen and undiscovered offshore while 
  the other factions battle it out for supremacy of the 
  land.
  As a result the Skaels rarely venture onto land, 
  as to do so would risk attracting the attention of the 
  other groups in the ruins.  The Skaels are aware that 
  the city is hotly contested; they know of the Broken 
  Ones from the reports of their aquatic scouts sent 
  up along the west coast of the city, as well as the 
  existence of a Purist enclave and, of course, the 
  androids along the south part of the ruins.  Having 
  spied on these enemies from the sea, they believe it 
  best to remain neutral and unknown.
  It is unlikely that the PCs will ever discover that 
  this community even exists, as it lies beneath the 
  radiated waters of the Necropolis harbor.  If the PCs 
  manage to acquire a boat and explore the shipwrecks 
  visible from shore (see Area #052), the Skaels will 
  certainly be aware of their intrusion, and will likely 
  dispatch two or three skilled scouts to follow them 
  underwater.  However, since the Skaels are frightened 
  of all land-based creatures, they will probably restrict 
  their activities to shadowing, spying, and watching 
  what the PCs do and where they go.
  If for some reasons the PCs let their guard down 
  near shore (for example, if they camp without leaving 
  a guard, or if they leave their boat tied up while they 
  go aboard a shipwreck to explore), there is a good 
  chance that 1-2 of these scouts will emerge when the 
  PCs aren’t looking, rummage through their supplies, 
  and steal a few shiny items.  If the scouts come to 
  think the PCs are weak and under-prepared, they 
  may even rise by the light of the moon to attack the 
  characters when their guard is down.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The Skaels are led by a 
  singularly large and lanky member of their race, a 
  treacherous creature who has used guile, trickery, and 
  brute force to attain and keep his position.  Luckily, 
  the paranoia of the Skaels (and their fear of being 
  discovered and enslaved) makes them appreciative 
  of a powerful leader, even one who has proven to be 
  a debased thug and tyrant.  Slagurrl, as he is known, 
  prefers to command his people from deep beneath 
  the waves, sending out others from the security 
  of his underwater stronghold (in the bowels of a 
  sunken container ship) to do the dangerous scouting, 
  scrounging, hunting, and prowling for supplies.  To 
  appease his people, Slagurrl executes any who risk 
  exposing their community to “dry-landers.”  A few 
  members of the tribe have learned to stay on his good 
  side to avoid being assigned these hazardous tasks, 
  and these comprise a small but dedicated inner circle 
  of deceitful plotters who have their chief’s ear at all 
  times.
  Slagurrl (Skael Strong Hero 3/Fast Hero 3/Skulk 
  2):  CR 9; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+2 plus 
  3d8+3 plus 3d8+3 plus 2d8+2; HP 55; Mas 13; Init 
  +5; Spd 20 ft, swim 40 ft; Defense 23, touch 19, 
  ﬂatfooted 22 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +8 class, +4 natural); 
  BAB +7; Grap +8; Atk +8 melee (1d4+3, claw), or 
  +7 ranged (1d8+1, spear); Full Atk +8 melee (1d4+3, 
  2 claws), +7 ranged (1d8+1, spear); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ aquatic reliance, low-light vision, cold 
  resistance 10, immunities; AL Skaels; SV Fort +6, 
  Ref +6, Will +4; AP 5; Rep +1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 
  
  69
  13, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 7.
  Skills:  Hide +9, Knowledge (Current Events) +1, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +1, Listen +3, Move Silently 
  +9, Sleight of Hand +7, Spot +4, Survival +2, Swim 
  +3.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Dodge, 
  Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Slippery Foe [B&L], Stealthy.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Opportunist.
  Talents (Skulk):  Sweep, Sneak Attack +1d6.
  Possessions:  Spear.
  Slagurrl leads some 600 Skaels, including 22 Skael 
  Elites and 12 Skael Scouts.  300 more are males and 
  another 175 are females (for both of these, use the 
  base statistics for a Skael; see New Creatures); the 
  rest are children and elderly (non-combatants).
  Slagurrl:  HP 55.
  Skaels (600):  HP 9.
  Skael Elites (22):  HP 34.
  Skael Scouts (12):  HP 22.
  Treasure:  Though one wouldn’t expect it, the 
  Skaels have amassed a considerable collection of 
  treasures in their underwater domain, including 
  items taken during rare forays inland as well as 
  valuables and strange artifacts taken from shipwrecks 
  both here in the harbor and a little further out to 
  sea.  The usefulness of most of these objects is lost 
  on the simple-minded Skaels, who gathered them 
  only because they were pretty, shiny, or impressive 
  looking.  As a result, a polished glass ashtray that 
  sparkles in the undersea light has the same appeal to 
  them as a laser pistol.
  The treasures of the Skaels are scattered throughout 
  their underwater community, though a larger 
  concentration of ﬁnds is kept in Slagurrl’s stronghold.  
  These treasures include thousands of pennies, nickels, 
  and quarters; a tuba (stolen from somewhere inland); 
  a collection of hand mirrors and car mirrors; a 
  waterproof battery-ﬂood ﬂashlight (with half-charged 
  power cell); a cache of ﬁfty gold bars in rotting crates 
  (salvaged from the wreck at Area #052 [20]); plus 
  1d4+3 Junk, 1d4 Useful Stuff, 1d3+1 “Magic” Items, 
  and 1d2+1 Rare Military Weapons.
  055. HARBOR SEWER (EL 5)
  The polluted waters of the harbor lap against 
  the shore here, where an enormous sewer grate 
  stands collecting rust.
  This site marks the location of an entrance to the old 
  Los Angeles sewer system (this leads to Area #201 
  on the Sewer map).  Sewage from the city washes 
  out here into the harbor, but it appears the old grate is 
  ﬁrmly rusted in place.
  A closer look, however, reveals that the sewer grate 
  is in fact slightly ajar ― as if someone or something 
  forced it open and deliberately replaced it to look 
  undisturbed.  The PCs can (if they’re so inclined) 
  move the grate and slip into the sewers here with 
  little effort.
  GM’s Note:  A mirror ooze, previously living 
  in the polluted waters of the harbor, has recently 
  slithered here and makes the area its home.  When 
  the PCs arrive to investigate the sewer entrance (or 
  emerge from within), it rises from underwater to 
  attack.
  Mirror Ooze:  HP 60.
  Treasure:  While living in the harbor, the mirror 
  ooze unwittingly absorbed some ﬂoating junk into its 
  body mass.  This consists of a single tennis shoe, an 
  old life preserver, and 1d2 rolls on the Junk table.
  056. CONFINEMENT CENTER (EL 12)
  Through the ruins you see a large compound 
  up ahead, surrounded by a chain-link fence.  
  Through the fence you see a small group of 
  malnourished and nearly skeletal people ― 
  prisoners of some sort.  A group of metal ﬁgures 
  stands atop the compound’s central building, 
  apparently watching over their captives.  A few 
  other androids march around the perimeter on 
  guard duty.
  The Androids have constructed a “conﬁnement 
  center” in this hex, in which they are temporarily 
  SKAELS
  Like the Broken Ones and the Serpent Gods, the Skaels descend from bizarre experiments of the Zoogenic 
  Corporation, based in pre-Fall Los Angeles.  To those who don’t know the true aims of that long-dead 
  corporation, these aquatic beings seem to have been engineered to serve as underwater labor, helping to 
  construct vast underwater agro-colonies that once lay all over the Eastern Paciﬁc ocean as part of a long-
  term effort to multiply America’s capability to feed its ever-increasing population.
  The details of the Skaels’ origin remain unclear, but like the Broken Ones and Serpent Gods, it appears 
  they broke free of the laboratories where they were spawned and managed to evolve and develop in 
  freakish ways....
  
  70
  conﬁning “suspected looters” taken prisoner during 
  their attempt to pacify the city.  This location’s 
  existence is completely unknown to the other 
  inhabitants of the city (they believe the androids are 
  killing off everyone and everything they ﬁnd).
  The conﬁnement center was built around an old 
  highway motel, but encircled with barbed wire fences 
  and overseen by android guards night and day.  Since 
  most of the androids’ foes have fought to the death, 
  there are only a handful of captives here, mostly 
  former Cartel colonists taken by the androids early in 
  their emergence onto the face of the city.  A few other 
  personalities have been conﬁned here as well; see 
  below for details.
  The conﬁnement center is guarded at all times by 3 
  sniper androids on the roof of the central building, 
  who have orders to shoot anyone approaching the 
  compound and any prisoners who manage to make 
  it to the top of (or over) the fences.  In addition, 
  patrols of androids regularly make circuits around the 
  perimeter; at any given time there is a 50% chance 
  that a patrol of 3 security androids is in the area 
  when the PCs approach (roll for appropriate Spot and 
  Listen checks).
  Currently there are several dozen former Cartel 
  colonists, wild men, and ghouls imprisoned here, 
  though at any given time there are only 12-14 
  penned up in the outer yard, living in constant fear 
  of what is going to happen to them.  A number of the 
  prisoners are rounded up each day and marched off 
  to work on the Androids’ various building projects 
  (see Areas #061 and #062).  Many never return.  In 
  truth, the androids have begun to use these captives 
  as disposable labor, put to work building a “power 
  pipeline” to their new base at Camp Pendleton, 
  south of the city.  In addition, in the years since their 
  capture, a dozen of the colonists have died from poor 
  treatment; the rest subsist on rats and insects they 
  manage to catch, since the androids don’t feed them.
  The colonists will be overjoyed if they are freed, 
  though they have little information, most of it 
  pertaining just to the androids and what they’ve 
  seen.  If freed, they can brieﬂy relate the story of the 
  colony’s destruction at the hands of the androids, and 
  mention a rumored “android factory” in the vicinity 
  (though they don’t know its exact location).  They 
  can also point out the Power Pipeline construction 
  site at Area #061 and the Recycled Organics Plant at 
  Area #062.  If the PCs defeat the androids here and 
  let the prisoners go, the colonists will beg the party to 
  free their other comrades at these sites, before ﬂeeing 
  the city.
  GM’s Note:  The androids keep more dangerous 
  prisoners conﬁned inside the main building.  These 
  currently include a crazy former raider (strong hero 
  3/raider 2) from Kruel the Conqueror’s lost empire, 
  a scout (fast hero 3) sent into the ruins by the people 
  of Sanctuary to report on the Androids’ movements, 
  and a particularly fat ghoul (strong hero 2/tough 
  hero 2) that was recently captured with two others 
  of its kind and conﬁned to the same cell.  Only one 
  ghoul remains, having eaten the other two to stave off 
  starvation.
  All of these prisoners will beg to be released if the 
  party overcomes the android garrison.  The raider 
  is insane and runs off laughing, probably ending up 
  joining a group of Ghost Raiders out there in the 
  ruins (if he doesn’t get killed ﬁrst).  The scout thanks 
  the PCs and offers to take them back to Sanctuary 
  (Area #011), where he insists he must go to give 
  an accurate report of what he’s seen.  He insists on 
  taking the other Cartel captives with him.  The ghoul, 
  if allowed free, offers to join the party, but will only 
  stay for 1d6 days before running off to join others of 
  his kind elsewhere ― taking whatever he can while 
  the PCs sleep.
  Security Androids (20):  HP 24.
  Sniper Androids (3):  HP 44.
  Development:  Any attack on the conﬁnement 
  center raises the alarm.  Within 1d4+1 rounds, 
  reinforcements (in the form of 1d3+1 security 
  androids per round) begin emerging from the main 
  building to reinforce the defenders outside, and to 
  uphold the integrity of the prison.  There are a total 
  of 20 security androids on the site (not including the 
  perimeter patrol).
  057. SCRAPYARD (EL 13)
  This area appears to be a sprawling junkyard.  
  Old metal cars and trucks lie stacked here and 
  there, collecting rust.  A sea of metal bits covers 
  the entire area, along with shards of broken glass 
  and snaking rivers of wiring and metal tubing.
  This area was an auto scrapyard during the time of 
  the Ancients.  The Androids recently discovered the 
  scrapyard and immediately recognized its value as a 
  source of scrap metal for their production efforts.  A 
  number of industrial robots were dispatched here to 
  begin scavenging for parts and scrap, ferrying their 
  ﬁnds back to the factory night and day in an unending 
  stream of activity.
  Considering its strategic importance to their 
  operations, the androids have garrisoned the yard 
  with a small force of security androids to protect 
  the scrapyard against enemy attack.  As a result, in 
  addition to the 4d4 industrial robots found here at 
  any given time there are also 12 security androids, 
  2 low-level command androids, and 1 high-level 
  command android overseer.  These are stationed 
  around the perimeter of the old yard; eight of the 
  security androids and the two low-level command 
  models are on roving patrol (four androids and one 
  
  71
  command model per patrol), while the remaining 
  androids (including the high-level command model) 
  are inside the compound, ready to react to reports of 
  contact with intruders.
  Industrial Robots (4-16):  HP 51 (page 59, Metal 
  Gods).
  Security Androids (12):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Androids (2):  HP 51.
  High-Level Command Android (1):  HP 73.
  Treasure:  The androids have found a few useful 
  items among the old car wrecks and set them aside in 
  a small shack.  These items include 1d2 multipurpose 
  tools, a basic mechanical toolkit, and an electronic 
  skeleton key.  The last item is damaged and must be 
  repaired (requiring a Repair check at DC 15, plus 55 
  cp in raw materials).
  058. GAS STATION (EL 0)
  A crumbling ARCO station sits here, its pumps 
  rusted over, the overhead wind canopy sagging 
  from age.  Wind blowing through the city streets 
  brings with it a bundle of tumbleweed that drifts 
  past the station.
  The ruins of a gas station sit near the Android Base 
  Complex (Area #059).  Though the shell of the 
  building is empty, it might make an ideal hiding 
  place for someone trying to evade an android patrol 
  from the base.  Alternatively, someone concealed 
  on the roof could use binoculars or a spyglass to 
  watch the complex night and day without being 
  detected (allowing the party to observe the clockwork 
  movements and routines of the perimeter patrol, as 
  well as observe new androids emerging from the 
  factory).
  059. ANDROID BASE COMPLEX (EL 
  VARIES)
  Up ahead is a strange and eerie sight: a fence 
  of rusted iron, topped by razor wire, surrounds 
  what appears to be a gigantic complex of some 
  kind.  A large expanse of ﬂat concrete sits beyond 
  the tall and foreboding gate, where a number of 
  massive bunker-like structures with enormous 
  garage-type doors stand under the gloomy and 
  dim starlight of the oncoming nightfall.
  Instead of a desolate ruin, however, the entire 
  compound is lit up like a Christmas tree ― the 
  fences hum with some strange power of their 
  own, while great 
  spotlights shine out 
  from atop the same 
  fences to watch the 
  approaches and roads 
  leading to the base.  
  Beyond, the tarmac is 
  brilliantly illuminated 
  by more lights.  The 
  gigantic buildings 
  roar, echo, and vibrate 
  with some strange 
  machinery within.
  Located in this hex 
  is the heart of the 
  Android faction in the 
  Necropolis, an ancient 
  and mysterious site that 
  was lost and forgotten 
  for many generations.  
  Tucked away in an 
  obscure southern part of 
  the city, this ugly gray 
  industrial district was pressed into service during the 
  twilight stages of the Fall for something known as 
  “Operation Talos,” an eleventh-hour drive to produce 
  cheap armies of androids to help turn the tide of the 
  Final War.
  Area #059 marks the location of the actual 
  android factory at the heart of Operation Talos; 
  it’s a monstrous hangar-like building complex that 
  once covered more than ten city blocks.  Together 
  this complex’s buildings comprised a completely 
  automated and self-powered facility that was to 
  produce companies of androids (and support robots) 
  that would be quickly shipped directly to the 
  frontlines.
  
  72
  When the Invaders struck the shores of Los 
  Angeles, the operation here was deemed too close to 
  enemy lines and was promptly shut down.  Though 
  parts and materials had already been shipped by 
  train into the city and to the factory, the quickly-
  disintegrating war effort on the West Coast forced 
  the military to abandon the facility as the lines were 
  rolled back to the Rocky Mountains.
  It’s not clear what happened after the nuclear war 
  erupted, but apparently Operation Talos and the 
  factory were forgotten, all knowledge of their very 
  existence buried in the soot and ash that claimed not 
  only millions of lives, but all of human civilization.
  GM’s Note:  The android complex here lay 
  forgotten until the ill-fated Cartel expedition came 
  to the Necropolis in 2263.  Scouts of that merchant 
  group, seeking to explore the city from their base 
  to the east, stumbled on the old factory late one 
  night.  Thinking it to be a storehouse of potentially-
  beneﬁcial technology, they entered the compound 
  under the cover of darkness and inﬁltrated one of 
  the control buildings.  It’s not entirely clear what 
  happened after that, but apparently one of their 
  number mistakenly reactivated the computerized 
  production lines, as well as the automated security 
  systems.
  A few days later word ﬁltered back to the Cartel 
  settlers that “metal men” had been spotted to the 
  southwest.  One by one fragile Cartel outposts 
  began to fall, until it became all too clear that their 
  missing scouts had stirred up something far beyond 
  the Cartel’s ability to ﬁght.  The Cartel colonists 
  defended their settlements and homesteads bravely, 
  but eventually all of these holdouts were overrun, 
  their inhabitants never to be heard from again.
  The colony’s leaders decided to abandon the 
  Necropolis, a fateful act that ended the Cartel’s 
  bid to settle the ruins of Los Angeles and bring 
  “civilization” to the scattered factions within.  
  Packing up whatever they could, the merchant-
  colonists ﬂed and never looked back.
  Though the Cartel is gone, the androids remain.
  A. PERIMETER FENCES (EL 7)
  By clearing the scrub brush and leveling the 
  nearby buildings surrounding the old complex, 
  the androids have created a killing zone around 
  the entire perimeter more than 100 yards wide.  In 
  addition, the aging chain-link fences encircling the 
  complex perimeter have been powered up again and 
  electriﬁed.
  In addition to these defenses, android patrols 
  THE ANDROID SITUATION NOW
  The Cartel colonists awoke a sleeping giant with their meddling at the old android factory.  What they 
  roused was not just a small force of sleeping androids, but a factory capable of generating war robots and 
  soldier ‘droids that, if left unchecked, may be the doom of the whole city.
  The androids, when they ﬁrst awoke, were bridled with their last existing orders: to head for the front 
  lines and ﬁght the Great Enemy.  On the way, if they encountered civilians, they were to enforce martial 
  law to ensure the unimpeded movement of troops, and to prevent chaos from overwhelming the population.
  The application of these orders was to spell disaster for the Cartel.  Thinking the Cartel to be “civilians,” 
  the androids moved to impose martial law as instructed.  The Cartel soldiers naturally defended themselves 
  (having no idea what orders the androids were barking at them), causing the androids in turn to ﬁre back.  
  The Cartel scouts were overwhelmed and the androids moved out to “pacify” what they came to believe 
  was a general civilian uprising.
  This “paciﬁcation” effort ultimately ended when the androids wiped out the entire Cartel colony; those 
  colonists who didn’t ﬂee the city melted into the ruins, hiding out in isolated pockets far from the android 
  presence (see Area #011 for the primary sanctuary of these former colonists).
  Now that the Cartel is gone, the androids have had time to build up their numbers, open old vaults 
  beneath the factory, and bring to life even more powerful war machines, such as combat walkers.  Creating 
  a sort of “bridgehead” in the city with the factory as their base, the androids have since spread out, 
  “securing” neighborhood after neighborhood, driving out all humanoid life in their effort to “keep the 
  peace.”
  In recent months, however, the androids have come into conﬂict with the insectoid creatures of the Hive.  
  The ﬁrst encounters left the androids battered and burned; they simply didn’t know what to make of the 
  Hive threat.  However, the android mission has slowly begun to adapt, thanks to the war droid coordinator 
  behind their mobilization.  Coming to view the Hive as an “infestation” and a “health menace,” they have 
  adopted a program to wipe the Hive completely from the city (for the “good of the civilian population”).
  The androids have just recently begun to turn their attention north, towards the Hive.  However, the 
  Androids’ slow build-up, confusion at the current state of the city, and difﬁculty in adapting to the new 
  environment in which they ﬁnd themselves gives the Hive a number of weaknesses to exploit....
  
  73
  regularly walk the perimeter on both sides of the 
  fences.  At any given time there is a 50% chance 
  an android patrol will be within sight of PCs who 
  arrive outside the perimeter.  A typical patrol consists 
  of 3 security androids and 1 low-level command 
  android.
  Security Androids (3):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Android (1:  HP 51.
  Electric Fences:  Anyone coming in contact 
  with an electric fence takes 2d6 points of electricity 
  damage and is stunned for 1 round (Reﬂex save, DC 
  20, negates the stunning and reduces the damage by 
  half).
  Development:  If a patrol spots the PCs, it 
  immediately moves to attack.  Once a patrol attacks 
  (or comes under ﬁre), the sound of combat will alert 
  other patrols, and of course the rest of the compound.  
  If this should occur, 1d3 additional patrols will arrive 
  on the scene within 1d3+1 rounds.  Other forces 
  (from locations E, G, etc.) react appropriately.
  It is likely that any approach on the android base 
  will raise the general alarm, quickly turning any 
  inﬁltration attempt into a pitched battle.
  B. FRONT GATE (EL 5)
  An old gatehouse guards the sole entrance to the 
  compound.  This gatehouse consists of a guard booth 
  and a keycard-activated robotic gate that opens 
  only to a stage IVM identity card.  The androids 
  have deactivated the keycard lock, however, and 
  the gatehouse is guarded at all times by 2 security 
  androids.  These androids have orders to open the 
  gates to authorized patrols and incoming/outgoing 
  formations of troops, as well as to keep the gatehouse 
  secure if the compound comes under attack.
  Even if the patrols at the perimeter raise the alarm, 
  the two androids here will remain at their station, 
  though they will take cover.
  Security Androids (2):  HP 24; one of the androids 
  is also equipped with an energy grenade.
  C. WATCHTOWERS (EL 3)
  The androids have erected guard towers at each 
  of these locations, which help reinforce the fences 
  surrounding the compound.  Each guard tower is 
  little more than a metal scaffold atop which sits a 
  covered watch platform.  The platform is sheathed in 
  metal plating, giving the occupant (a single security 
  android) nine-tenths cover (+10 cover bonus to 
  Defense, +4 cover bonus to Reﬂex saves).  Each 
  platform is also equipped with a spotlight, as well as 
  an M2HB machinegun and 500 rounds of .50 caliber 
  ammunition.
  The android in each watchtower has orders to open 
  ﬁre on any trespasser not identiﬁed as an authorized 
  android or robot.
  Security Androids (1 per tower):  HP 24.
  D. SENTRY TURRETS (EL 3)
  Rusted but heavily armored turrets stand at each 
  of these locations, where they were erected during 
  the time of the Ancients to provide security for the 
  facility.  These turrets are still in operation.
  GM’s Note:  Treat each sentry turret as a weapon 
  animatron equipped with a laser minigun [F/MG] 
  (and because they are connected to the complex 
  generator, an unlimited power source).  Sentry turrets 
  have automatic IFF systems that are triggered by 
  sensors planted in each individual android or robot 
  originating at the facility; other creatures do not 
  trigger this IFF signal and thus will be ﬁred on the 
  moment they come in range.
  Weapon Animatrons:  HP 40.
  E. GENERATOR BUILDING (EL 11)
  This large building hums with power at all hours.  
  The building itself only covers the upper workings of 
  an enormous, self-contained power plant that meets 
  the android factory’s tremendous power needs.  At 
  the heart of the generator is a small ﬁssion reactor, 
  which at present has enough uranium fuel rods to last 
  it for ﬁve more years.
  The generator building is self-automated, and 
  as such the androids do little more than protect it 
  from harm.  A single urban paciﬁcation robot (its 
  rocket launcher is loaded with M261 rounds) stands 
  outside of the building at all times, accompanied by 2 
  security androids.
  Urban Paciﬁcation Robot (1):  HP 75.
  Security Androids (2):  HP 24.
  Development:  If the perimeter patrols come 
  under ﬁre, the two androids here leave to support the 
  perimeter guards.  The security robot will remain.
  F. CONTROL BUILDING (EL 5)
  Computers and machinery in this auxiliary control 
  building control the support robots on the surface of 
  the factory complex, including robotic loaders, lifters, 
  etc.  These robots ― the industrial robots mentioned 
  at Areas H and I ― are generally simple constructs, 
  moving and weaving about the old factory carrying 
  supplies and materials and making minor repairs.
  The computers here are currently under the remote 
  control of the coordinator droid at Area G.  The 
  building itself is largely empty, though 2 security 
  androids patrol the corridors regularly.
  Security Androids (2):  HP 24.
  Treasure:  The war droid at Area G is using one 
  room of this building to securely store identity cards 
  taken by the androids during their search of the 
  ruins, to keep them out of the hands of “looters.”  
  The door to this room is locked (treat as a strong 
  
  74
  wooden door), but inside the PCs will ﬁnd 2d6 stage 
  IC identity cards, 2d4 stage IIC identity cards, 1d3 
  stage IIIC identity cards, 1d6 stage IM identity cards, 
  1d3 stage IIM identity cards, and a single stage IVM 
  identity card.
  G. CONTROL BUILDING (EL VARIES)
  The primary control building is a lofty ediﬁce 
  ﬁlled with computer stations and machinery.  The 
  computers here automate the factory, keeping 
  everything running smoothly.
  This control complex is currently maintained by 
  a coordinator droid, located at the center of the 
  building in a large computer center.  This coordinator 
  droid operates the machines and monitors the 
  computers, making sure that the android factory 
  continues to produce war materiel for the Android 
  faction.  The coordinator is served by 6 labor 
  androids, and is accompanied in this important 
  building by a war droid ― the brains behind the 
  entire Android faction.
  The building itself is protected by two teams of 3 
  security androids apiece, which patrol the outside in 
  a rigid circuit.  They have orders to ﬁre on anyone or 
  anything unauthorized that comes within 50 feet of 
  the building.
  Coordinator Droid (1):  HP 64 (page 52, Metal 
  Gods).
  Labor Androids (12):  HP 34.
  War Droid (1):  HP 123.
  Security Androids (6:  HP 24.
  Development:  If the perimeter patrols come under 
  ﬁre, half of the androids here leave to support the 
  defense of the perimeter.  The rest will remain, but on 
  alert.
  H. FACTORY A (EL VARIES)
  This massive, rusted structure stands high over the 
  surrounding compound, and throbs with power 
  and activity at all hours of the day.  2d4 security 
  androids patrol the exterior, wary of intruders.
  The heart of the factory, this building produces 
  androids at a rate of roughly one per week.  Ancient 
  conveyor belts carry titanium parts and other 
  advanced electronics from the storage facility at Area 
  J, which are then assembled by robotic arms (and 3d6 
  industrial robots) located throughout the factory 
  building.  The process of android fabrication is a 
  complex and time-consuming one, of course, but the 
  factory is a relatively efﬁcient facility.
  At any given time the assembly lines on the 
  factory ﬂoor have 1d10+10 android bodies under 
  construction (either security androids, low-level 
  command androids, or high-level command androids, 
  or any combination thereof).  Each of these is 20-
  90% complete, but is deactivated and immobile when 
  the PCs enter the building.
  GM’s Note:  If the robots detect the PCs, they raise 
  the alarm.  Each robot has only a 1 in 6 chance of 
  attacking; otherwise they merely retreat, waiting for 
  androids to arrive to deal with the party.
  The androids outside will be drawn away from the 
  factory if the alarm is raised.
  Industrial Robots (3-18):  HP 51 (page 59, Metal 
  Gods).
  Security Androids (2-8):  HP 24.
  I. FACTORY B (EL VARIES)
  This huge building resembles Factory A, and in 
  fact both are connected by numerous causeways 
  and covered passages at various elevations.  Two 
  enormous rusted doors separate the interior of this 
  structure from the outside.  2d4 security androids 
  patrol the building’s exterior.
  This building is more like a hangar than the latter 
  factory, and it is here that the largest war robots are 
  assembled by teams of pre-programmed machines 
  and industrial robots.  Currently two combat walkers 
  are under construction in the enormous assembly 
  building; the ﬁrst is 50-80% complete, while the latter 
  is only 20-50% complete.  Both are incapable of 
  action as they are not fully programmed or activated.
  This structure also serves as the Androids’ primary 
  repair facility in the Necropolis.  Damaged and 
  destroyed ‘bots are brought back here from the 
  frontlines to be renovated and put back into action.
  GMs Note:  The interior of this facility is home to 
  5d6 industrial robots, which are busy building and 
  moving around parts and supplies.  If they detect the 
  PCs, the robots raise the alarm.  Each robot has only 
  a 1 in 6 chance of attacking; otherwise they merely 
  retreat, waiting for androids to arrive to deal with the 
  party.
  THE WAR DROID
  The leader of the Android faction is a single ancient war droid, though this mighty war machine remains 
  at the Android Base Complex (Area #059) at all times, directing Android operations from the safety of 
  the complex’s fortiﬁed control buildings.  This war droid is the overall coordinator and commander of the 
  Androids, and if the PCs somehow manage to destroy it they will certainly deal a crippling blow to the 
  Androids faction ― perhaps even convincing the remaining androids to abandon the Necropolis altogether 
  and retreat to their new base at Camp Pendleton.
  
  75
  The androids outside will be drawn away from the 
  factory if the alarm is raised.
  Industrial Robots (5-30):  HP 51 (page 59, Metal 
  Gods).
  Security Androids (2-8):  HP 24.
  J. RAMP TO SUBTERRANEAN VAULTS (EL 14)
  A concrete tunnel leads underground from the 
  surface.  This tunnel entrance is guarded by an urban 
  paciﬁcation robot (this model uses M255 rounds 
  in its rocket launcher) and no less than 4 security 
  androids and a low-level command android at all 
  times.  They have orders to open ﬁre on anyone or 
  anything coming near the tunnel entrance.  If the base 
  is attacked, the command android and two security 
  androids leave to bolster the forces at the perimeter; 
  the others remain.
  The concrete tunnel ― large enough to 
  accommodate a truck ― gradually descends 50 ft 
  underground, at which point it branches off into a 
  series of enormous subterranean vaults constructed 
  during the Fall.  These vaults contain supplies, repair 
  parts, scrap, and general materials intended for the 
  production of androids and robots for Operation 
  Talos.  The Androids, recently re-awakened by the 
  meddling of the Cartel colonists, have re-opened 
  these vaults and begun the mass manufacture of a 
  new army.
  GM’s Note:  The vaults beneath the android base 
  contain a variety of important tools for the production 
  of androids, as well as other miscellaneous supplies: 
  building supplies, metal parts, vast spools of titanium 
  sheeting (pressed using hydraulic-powered molds 
  into the shape of android body parts), advanced 
  electronic parts (including the components needed to 
  assemble android brains), numerous toxic chemicals 
  (for weather-treating metal parts, cleaning factory 
  machines, etc.), hand tools, powered tools, and 
  various robotic machine implements and replacement 
  pieces.  There are even three full-sized military 
  transport trucks parked in one of the vaults, and a 
  collection of no less than 200 android “skeletons” 
  (basic assemblies) awaiting transport to the surface 
  for ﬁnal completion.
  Urban Paciﬁcation Robot (1):  HP 75.
  Security Androids (4):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Android (1):  HP 51.
  K. COMBAT WALKER PLATFORM (EL 0 OR 9)
  There is a 1 in 4 chance that a single combat walker 
  stands at this point when the PCs arrive.  These 
  massive machines return regularly for service and 
  repair at this facility.  If this is the case, the towering 
  robot will provide additional support should the base 
  come under attack.
  Combat Walker (0-1):  HP 106 (page 57, Metal 
  Gods).
  060. SEWER ENTRANCE (EL 12)
  The sound of a jackhammer breaking through 
  concrete can be heard echoing through the 
  streets here.
  At this location the Androids have discovered an 
  entrance to the old sewers, partially sealed by fallen 
  rubble from a collapsed building (this connects 
  to Area #200).  They are currently attempting to 
  break into the old tunnels with a team of robots in 
  hopes of hunting down the ghouls they have spotted 
  “endangering other civilians” in their suspected 
  underground hideouts.
  The team on-site consists of 2 industrial robots, 
  each equipped with a cement-splitting powered 
  jackhammer.  These are mere laborers, however, 
  being used to clear the obstructions to the old tunnel 
  system.  The real android force assembled for the task 
  of “ghoul-hunting” consists of 12 security androids 
  and 1 low-level command android.
  GM’s Note:  Since they are on the lookout for 
  ghouls, the androids and robots may not even notice 
  PCs if they sneak by.
  Industrial Robots (2):  HP 51 (page 59, Metal 
  Gods).
  Security Androids (12):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Android (1):  HP 51.
  Treasure:  In addition to its normal equipment, the 
  low-level command android is armed with a motion 
  detector (and power beltpack) and a single satchel 
  charge C ― to be used to collapse the tunnels if the 
  android force somehow becomes overwhelmed by 
  ghouls underground.
  061. POWER PIPELINE (EL 10)
  You hear the sounds of construction here in the 
  ruins.  Up ahead, a collection of raggedy men 
  and women slave under the burning sun to build 
  towers of metal scaffolding.  Teams of metallic 
  men oversee the construction, armed with riﬂes.  
  These strange ﬁgures scan the ruins all around, 
  as if expecting an attack at any time.
  The Androids have begun the construction of a 
  “power pipeline,” which will transmit power from 
  the Recycled-Organics Plant at Area #062 to their 
  mysterious project at Camp Pendleton.  Though the 
  plant has yet to become operational, the Androids are 
  wasting no time in setting up a relay line that will 
  physically transport the electrical power out of the 
  city.
  Currently the Androids are using slave labor 
  ― captives drawn from the prisoners currently being 
  held at the Conﬁnement Center (see Area #056) ― to 
  
  76
  construct the lofty towers that will carry the power 
  lines.  On any given day there are 12-14 slaves 
  here, overseen by 6 security androids and 2 low-
  level command androids.  All of the slaves wear 
  obedience collars (note that each low-level command 
  android has a control rod to permit the detonation of 
  obedience collars).
  There are also 1-2 heavy movers here (these 
  vehicles are detailed in The Foundationists; if you 
  don’t have this book, use moving trucks instead).
  GM’s Note:  Each low-level command android is 
  equipped with a radio communicator that they will 
  use to report any suspicious sightings or attacks, and 
  to call reinforcements from the Android Waystation at 
  Area #065.  Reinforcements will arrive 3 hours after 
  being requested.
  Slaves (12-14):  HP 10, each wears an obedience 
  collar.
  Security Androids (6):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Androids (2):  HP 51.
  Treasure:  One of the low-level command 
  androids possesses a language translator with full 
  power cell, which it uses to translate its orders to the 
  human slaves.
  Development:  If the PCs manage to overcome 
  the androids here they will have freed the slaves, 
  who prove to be former Cartel colonists who were 
  captured during the fall of the Cartel Outpost (see 
  Area #001).  (There is a 10% chance that one of the 
  slaves is also a wild man or ghoul, who ﬂees as soon 
  as ﬁghting erupts.)  The slaves can tell the PCs a little 
  about the Androids, as well as about the presence 
  of an “android factory” (they don’t know exactly 
  where), and the fact that they are building a power 
  plant for some unknown reason.  They will try to get 
  the PCs to return to the Conﬁnement Center to free 
  their fellow captives; if the PCs refuse, the slaves 
  ― unable to pull of a jailbreak on their own ― will 
  dejectedly leave the city, mourning the fates of their 
  lost comrades.
  062. RECYCLED-ORGANICS PLANT (EL 
  18)
  What appears to be an old power station sits 
  here amid the rubble of other buildings that have 
  not weathered the years quite so formidably.  
  The sound of construction ― drills, welders, 
  and methodic hammering ― echoes through the 
  ruins.
  This site marks the location of a small, privately-
  owned pre-Fall power plant run solely off of recycled 
  organic waste products.  In connection with one 
  of the city’s major garbage and waste disposal 
  companies, the owners of this plant were pioneers 
  in putting organic waste to use generating power for 
  ecologically-minded customers.
  The plant was badly damaged during the Final 
  War, and was even hit by a surgical cruise missile 
  strike early in the battle for the city.  However, in 
  recent weeks the Androids have re-discovered the old 
  plant and are attempting to repair it and bring it back 
  online.  Ultimately their goal is to create not only a 
  backup power source for the Android Base Complex 
  at Area #059, but also to provide power to their 
  growing presence at Camp Pendleton, south of the 
  city (not detailed in this sourcebook).
  GM’s Note:  Currently there are 15 labor 
  androids and 25 industrial robots at this site 
  attempting to sort out the rubble, stockpile necessary 
  repair parts, and begin rebuilding the plant’s 
  machinery from the ground up.  The important 
  efforts of these workers are overseen by a sizeable 
  contingent from the Android faction, including 20 
  security androids, 3 low-level command androids, 
  1 high-level command android, and an urban 
  paciﬁcation robot.
  As with most android outposts in the ruins, the 
  garrison is divided into patrols of ten soldiers (each 
  squad led by a low-level command android).  At 
  least 10 soldiers are on site at all times, along with 
  the high-level command android and the urban 
  paciﬁcation robot.  Due to the critical nature of their 
  work here, the androids are on watch for potential 
  saboteurs and have orders to attack any unauthorized 
  personnel sighted in this or the immediately 
  bordering hexes.
  Labor Androids (15):  HP 34.
  Industrial Robots (25):  HP 51 (page 59, Metal 
  Gods).
  Security Androids (20):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Androids (3):  HP 51.
  High-Level Command Android (1):  HP 73.
  Urban Paciﬁcation Robot (1):  HP 75.
  Development:  PCs observing this place should 
  learn that the Androids are attempting to reactivate 
  the old power station; this and the “power pipeline” 
  leading out of the city amount to clear evidence that 
  something BIG is going on south of the Necropolis in 
  the vicinity of Camp Pendleton....
  063. IMPOUND YARD (EL 18)
  The wind sweeps through the streets here, 
  carrying old garbage with it.  Up ahead is a 
  built-up compound of some sort, including a 
  large vehicle yard surrounded by a chain-link 
  fence capped by coils of menacing razor wire.
  Finding and securing the remains of an old police 
  station in this hex, the Androids have created their 
  own impound yard, which they use to stockpile 
  “dangerous and illegal” vehicles, weapons, and 
  
  77
  devices “conﬁscated” from the population of the city 
  in the course of their gradual expansion.  Keeping 
  such weapons out of the hands of the “civilian 
  public” is of paramount importance to the Androids 
  and their mission of enforcing martial law city-wide.
  The impound yard contains items conﬁscated from 
  defeated enemies (such as the Cartel) and chance 
  encounters in the ruins, as well as vehicles and heavy 
  weapons found abandoned throughout the city.  The 
  Androids have brought all of this materiel here for 
  convenience, keeping it in one place so it can be 
  heavily guarded at all times.
  GM’s Note:  Use the map of the Typical Police 
  Station for this location, but keep in mind that 
  the main building is surrounded by a fenced-in 
  lot that is far larger than the building itself.  The 
  impound yard is guarded by 23 security androids, 
  2 low-level command androids, 1 high-level 
  command android, 2 sniper androids, and 1 
  urban paciﬁcation robot.  The urban paciﬁcation 
  robot patrols the perimeter at all hours, personally 
  accompanied by a team of three security androids.  
  Ten other security androids are split up into ﬁve-man 
  patrols (each led by a low-level command android), 
  which scout the ruins in this hex and neighboring 
  hexes for signs of potential threats to the compound.  
  The other ten soldiers and the high-level command 
  android (which possesses a stage IIIC identity card) 
  remain on site (scattered throughout the areas marked 
  Processing and Captain), ready to defend the yard 
  and call back any patrols should it fall under attack.  
  The two sniper androids are stationed on top of the 
  police station (using the Roof Access door to get 
  there) at all hours, and have orders to shoot anyone 
  not identiﬁed as an android.
  Security Androids (23):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Androids (2):  HP 51.
  High-Level Command Android (1):  HP 73.
  Sniper Androids (2):  HP 44.
  Urban Paciﬁcation Robot (1):  HP 75.
  Treasure:  More remarkable vehicles kept here 
  include the equivalent of an armored truck that was 
  formerly used by the Cartel merchants (it was taken 
  after the caravan ambush at Area #002), a BMP-2 
  (with no treads), an M-2 Jackson hover tank [LP], 
  though this latter vehicle has no turret, and even a 
  Fairline Targa 30 (a small yacht) on a wheeled truck 
  trailer!  There is also an M113A1 Gavin which the 
  androids keep in working condition (this is a recovery 
  vehicle variant; it features no armament but does have 
  a powerful crane and winch apparatus that allows it to 
  tow much heavier vehicles, like the M1A2 also found 
  here in the yard).  Lastly, there is the equivalent of 
  three heavy movers (detailed in The Foundationists; 
  if you don’t have this book, using moving trucks 
  instead) ― these vehicles are used to transport 
  prisoners to work sites around the Androids’ part of 
  the city.  None of these vehicles has any ammunition 
  for its weapons.
  The bunker-like central building is used as a 
  secure place to stockpile weapons and ammunition 
  conﬁscated by the Androids.  A stage IIIC identity 
  card is required to enter the windowless structure; 
  inside the androids have stockpiled 5 Uzis, 18 MAC-
  10 Ingrams, 10 TEC-9s, 2 DMP-500s [R&U], 2 
  police-issue M4 Carbines, 3 Mossberg shotguns, two 
  M2HBs, a Freedom-56 [R&U], an RPG-16, 10 anti-
  tank grenades (for the RPG), crates of assorted hand 
  grenades (18 fragmentation grenades, 8 concussion 
  grenades, 1 glitter grenade, 2 energy grenades, 4 
  nerve gas grenades, 3 plasma grenades, 1d3 of each 
  type of satchel charge, and 2d6 negation grenades 
  ― a particular threat to androids!), 1d2 maser pistols, 
  1d6 laser riﬂes, 1 pulse laser riﬂe, 2d3 stun batons, 
  and a pair of TOW II missile launchers.  Ammunition 
  here consists of 2d6 power clips, 1d2 power 
  beltpacks, 1 power backpack, 6,512 rounds of 9mm 
  ammunition, 600 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition, 
  5,400 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition, and a single 
  round for the M-2’s missing gauss cannon.
  Finally, a cache of vehicle fuel is also stored here 
  in a separate building (this also requires an identity 
  card to enter).
  064. JETTY (EL 10)
  The sound of the ocean waves lapping against 
  the shore can be heard nearby.  Peeking through 
  the shoreside rubble, you see a small jetty 
  predating the Fall, tethered to which is a small 
  rusted boat.  A number of robotic metal-skinned 
  creatures are apparently preparing the boat to 
  cast off.
  The Androids have managed to secure an old jetty 
  in this hex, close to the harbor but far enough not 
  have been badly damaged by the blasts over the port 
  facility.  Securing two small cutters (like more than 
  motorized patrol craft), the Androids have begun 
  patrolling the harbor area in search of “unauthorized 
  personnel” (i.e. Skaels).  Since to the androids this 
  remains a sensitive military staging point, they have 
  orders to shoot these “personnel” on site.
  The Androids, being immune to radiation, can 
  freely wander through the maze of ships and 
  channels, but so far their focus has largely been on 
  tracking down the rare Skael sighting.  The Androids 
  are intent on ﬁnding the Skaels and driving them off; 
  however, being rather two-dimensionally minded, the 
  androids haven’t considered the fact that the Skaels 
  dwell underwater and thus will be impossible to 
  defeat decisively unless the androids come up with 
  some means of locating their underwater lair and 
  diving after them!
  
  78
  GM’s Note:  The jetty is ﬁtted with aging but 
  operable mechanical lifting equipment that would 
  allow boats (such as the cutters mentioned above, 
  or any small yacht) to be lowered into the water, or 
  lifted out of the water for dry-dock repairs.
  The Androids guard the jetty as an important 
  resource, since the boats here are some of the only 
  operable craft still left in the city.  Treat the two 
  cutters as Bayliner 1802 Capris; note that these boats 
  are stripped down to the bare essentials, though each 
  also has a spotlight attached to the top of the cabin, 
  useful in searching the harbor at night.
  At any given time one of the cutters is out on 
  patrol, leaving the other here.  Rotating resources in 
  this fashion may not be as effective in their drive to 
  secure to the harbor, but it does prolong the life of 
  each aging boat.
  Three security androids make up the crew of each 
  boat, while another 2 security androids and a single 
  low-level command android guard the jetty from 
  attack.
  Security Androids (3 on cutter):  HP 24.
  Security Androids (5):  HP 24.
  Low-Level Command Androids (1):  HP 51.
  065. ANDROID WAYSTATION (EL 16)
  The ruins in this neighborhood tremble with 
  the sound of many metal feet marching in perfect 
  unison.
  Located in this hex is a small compound currently 
  occupied by the Android faction of the Necropolis.  
  The compound consists of a highway weigh station 
  winding through the ruins, not far from the coast.  
  It is immediately obvious to any observer that this 
  aging, rusted ruin is more than it seems; it appears to 
  have been converted into a sort of waystation for the 
  metal armies of the Androids.
  The Androids are currently using this location as a 
  temporary outpost on their gradual expansion south 
  towards Camp Pendleton, a major Marine base on 
  the West Coast of California (not detailed in this 
  adventure).  It is not clear to outsiders what exactly 
  the Androids are doing there, but a large number 
  of androids being produced at the Android Base 
  Complex (Area #059) are being marched off to this 
  distant location for some deﬁnite purpose.
  This outpost serves as a waystation for formations 
  marching south along the coast towards the ruins of 
  Camp Pendleton.  Combat walkers require regular 
  servicing, and androids damaged from encounters 
  with mutant monsters along the way must often 
  be repaired before continuing the long journey to 
  their ultimate destination.  The waystation serves 
  as a repair depot, and also as a vital link in the 
  Android faction’s precariously extended supply line 
  connecting their primary stronghold here to distant 
  Camp Pendleton.
  GM’s Note:  The waystation consists of a 
  small concrete building and a nearby parking lot 
  the Androids have converted into a ﬁeld repair 
  depot.  1d4 heavy movers and 2d3 moving trucks 
  “requisitioned” off the streets of the Necropolis 
  contain numerous repair parts, scrap metal sheets, 
  and a portable diesel generator.  Another heavy mover 
  with an attached tanker trailer holds fuel for this 
  generator, which provides power for the electric tools 
  needed to service the robots in the ﬁeld.  A team of 3 
  labor androids and 2 industrial robots, all on-site, 
  are tasked with making repairs when needed.
  The waystation is commanded by a high-level 
  command android, who is assisted by 2 low-
  level command androids; its command staff also 
  includes 3 security androids who remain in the 
  communications center at all times (with radio 
  equipment keeping the waystation in contact with the 
  Android Base Complex at all hours, allowing them 
  to call for reinforcements or to report suspicious 
  activity).  Apart from these troops, the station itself 
  has only a small garrison of 6 security androids.
  While the garrison here may be small, android 
  formations regularly pass this point, so any time the 
  PCs visit there is a good chance (2 in 6) that a large 
  formation is in the area.  Such a formation consists 
  of the same numbers indicated in the Androids on the 
  Move random encounter (see Random Encounters).
  High-Level Command Android (1):  HP 73.
  Low-Level Command Androids (2):  HP 51.
  Security Androids (9):  HP 24.
  Development:  If the PCs attack this site and 
  manage to wrest control of the station, they may be 
  able to access the computers here to learn a little 
  more about what the Androids are up to.  A successful 
  Computer Use check at DC 33 reveals their current 
  operations, including the continued manufacture of 
  security androids and combat walkers at the Android 
  Base Complex (at Area #059; if the PCs haven’t 
  already been there, the computers here pinpoint its 
  location), and what the Androids refer to as the “re-
  taking” of Camp Pendleton and the re-establishment 
  of Android control over the old base.  The details 
  are sketchy, but once they’ve created a large enough 
  army, the Androids apparently plan to use Camp 
  Pendleton as a springboard for taking over the entire 
  West Coast of the United States, re-establishing 
  “government control” (though of course since the 
  government is no longer around, one can only 
  speculate at what the Androids will do once they’ve 
  taken over)!
  
  79
  066. ISOLATED CRATER (EL 0)
  The ruins here seem eerily silent, except for 
  the groan of the wind winding through the bony 
  rubble of old buildings.  In the intersection 
  up ahead can be seen an old bomb crater, 
  fragmenting through the asphalt into the earth, 
  creating a natural watering hole.  The water 
  ripples only slightly with the passage of the wind.
  Though the PCs may be wary because no animals are 
  present, this crater’s waters are not poisonous.  Due 
  to its isolation by the rugged ruins surrounding the 
  area, few animals (other than birds) manage to come 
  here to drink, leaving the watering hole relatively 
  uncontaminated.
  There is a virtually unlimited amount of water 
  here, so the PCs can restock their water supply before 
  moving on.
  Development:  A search of the nearby ruins 
  (Search check DC 30) will uncover a suspiciously 
  broken concrete slab on the ground ﬂoor of one of 
  the buildings.  If this slab is moved aside a deep, dark 
  tunnel is revealed.  If the PCs descend into this tunnel 
  they will end up in one of the tunnels leading to Area 
  #092.
  067. MARINE INSTITUTE (EL 8)
  Wind-swept cliffs face the broad black waters 
  of the ocean.  The sound of the surf is clearly 
  audible, and seabirds ﬂoat on the wind overhead.  
  A rusted chain-link fence marks the boundary to 
  a complex as yet unseen, perhaps over the next 
  rise and closer to the shore.  Metal signs dangle 
  from the fence, and are barely legible.
  Located near the tip of Point Fermin, facing the 
  wind-swept cliffs of the Paciﬁc Ocean, is what 
  appears to be a scientiﬁc facility.  The signs on the 
  old fence read “Bernard Institute of Marine Studies 
  and Bioengineering Applications” in Ancient.  Once 
  electriﬁed, the fence is no longer a danger, and the 
  PCs could easily cut through or climb over it.
  The main “facility,” just out of sight of the fence, 
  proves to be smaller than perhaps anticipated.  A 
  large concrete building and several smaller support 
  buildings sit on the shore, with an artiﬁcial dock 
  stretching out into the water of a small harbor.  The 
  harbor appears large enough to hold a sizeable vessel, 
  but there is currently no vessel docked here.  The 
  smell of rotting seaweed is strong.
  Observing the ruins, the PCs ﬁnd what appears 
  to be a small marine research facility, with indoors 
  ﬁsh tanks, algae growth ponds, spawning pools, 
  laboratory, dissection lab, etc.  Because much of 
  the facility is largely open to the elements, over the 
  years seabirds have taken over much of the interior, 
  turning it into a ruin (and leaving their droppings 
  everywhere).
  GM’s Note:  The “institute” was just one of 
  several research facilities funded by Zoogenic 
  Corporation in their drive to create strains of quasi-
  animal life that combined the DNA of animals and 
  humans into one species.  The marine institute 
  focused on aquatic creations, ostensibly (at least as 
  was announced to the public) to produce durable and 
  ﬂexible surrogates that could be used in underwater 
  construction projects.  Zoogenic Corporation was a 
  leader in the undersea farming industry at the time, 
  and their public efforts were met with excitement.
  In reality, however, Zoogenic Corporation used 
  their research vessel, the Leviathan, as a ﬂoating 
  laboratory, conducting all manner of illegal gene 
  splicing and research in international waters.  Coming 
  here only to pick up animal and human specimens 
  under a strict and secretive schedule, it largely 
  operated out to sea where scrutiny by the authorities 
  was negligible.  The research vessel is no longer 
  docked here; it was deliberately scuttled off the coast 
  of the harbor, allowing its hybrid experiments to 
  escape into the ocean (see Area #052 [24]).
  The ruins of the institute are not entirely empty, 
  however.  A small group of 6 night terrors moved 
  into the building just a few nights ago, and continue 
  to live in one of the old labs.  These creatures will 
  stalk through the institute if and when they hear the 
  PCs approach, hoping to catch individual PCs by 
  surprise as they search the building.
  Night Terrors (6):  HP 21.
  Treasure:  While night terrors do not collect 
  treasure, the lab they’ve claimed as their “lair” 
  contains some items never looted from the building.  
  These include 1d6 complete sets of scuba gear 
  (including an advanced breathing apparatus for 
  each), a blue-light laser riﬂe (as a standard laser 
  riﬂe, but this variant can be ﬁred underwater without 
  penalty), a special power backpack usable underwater 
  to depths of 250 feet (full charge), and 1 roll on Table 
  5: Lost Knowledge.
  
  80
  PASADENA
  At the foot of the San Gabriel 
  Mountains, the small city of 
  Pasadena is the ﬁrst sight for 
  anyone entering the Necropolis 
  basin from the north.  Like the rest 
  of the great Necropolis, it is little more than a burned-
  out ruin.  Though situated far from the heart of old 
  Los Angeles, the nuclear detonation that created the 
  Great Crater (Area #051) generated a vast ﬁrestorm 
  that swept across most of Pasadena, leaving only a 
  few isolated pockets free from ﬁre damage.
  In 2263, the isolated ruins of Pasadena were visited 
  by the Foundationists, a major militaristic faction of 
  mostly pureblooded humans.  Dedicated to gathering 
  technology in the hopes of rebuilding America as it 
  once was, the “warrior-monks” of the Foundation 
  came to the Necropolis to uncover the “lost jewels” 
  of the city ― its Ancient-era technology.  Rightfully 
  believing that a city as large as Los Angeles would 
  still have some lost tech hidden among its thousands 
  of streets, they came here with a large contingent of 
  soldiers and expert “scribes” (specialists who they 
  hoped would be able to locate lost troves from the old 
  maps they brought with them), and even a small body 
  of colonists to build an outpost from which continued 
  exploration of the ruins could take place.
  The Foundation drive was motivated not just for 
  the noble aims of preservation and resurrection, 
  but also in response to reports that the Cartel (a 
  merchant house known for its mercenary attitudes) 
  was launching an expedition of its own.  Afraid that 
  the Cartel might easily snatch the artifacts that their 
  own people had spent their lives searching for, the 
  Foundation came to make sure the Cartel didn’t take 
  them all!
  The Foundationists found Pasadena an ideal place 
  to begin “mining for technology;” it was empty, far 
  from the activity of the other groups vying for control 
  of the city (namely the Broken Ones and the Hive).  
  But hampered by their own deep-seated fear of 
  mutants, they spread very slowly.  Anchored by their 
  formidable fortress at the heart of the city (built using 
  the ruins of the old Pasadena city hall), they settled 
  the territory with agonizingly cautious progress, 
  searching virtually every building they came upon for 
  lost artifacts.
  But what they found was disappointing.  Though 
  they managed to rediscover the lost ruins of 
  CalTech, very little remained there.  They secured 
  other sources of usable technology such as an old 
  computer factory, but the gains were relatively minor.  
  Eventually their gradual expansion intruded upon 
  new ground taken by the overly-active Hive, and a 
  battle of man vs. bug inevitably erupted.
  At ﬁrst the Foundationists were merely wary of 
  the sightings of the insects on the frontier, but soon 
  came to realize how great a threat the Hive truly 
  posed.  They dispatched small scout craft to survey 
  the full scope of the Hive’s expansion across the 
  eastern part of the city.  Knowing they couldn’t let so 
  much territory (and its contents) fall into the hands of 
  mindless bugs, the Foundationists decided to act to 
  contain and destroy the “infestation.”
  Hoping to buy the cooperation of the great Raider 
  gang in old Anaheim, the Foundationists sent a 
  diplomatic mission through the Hive’s territory to 
  deliver an offer of alliance to the Raiders.  But a 
  team of bugs foraging in the area was drawn to the 
  sound of the vehicle and prevented it from getting 
  through.  And though the Foundationists had taken 
  great pains to encode their message, the ‘bugs proved 
  far more intelligent than anticipated, even capable 
  of understanding human words… and strategies.  
  Suddenly alerted to the Foundation’s aims, the 
  Hive launched an all-out offensive against the 
  technologists, a surprise attack that seemed to come 
  from nowhere.
  The Foundation colonists fought hard to defend 
  what they had built, but the Hive was relentless.  And 
  while the Foundationists used their military tactics 
  to expertly ﬁght for every inch of land, once the 
  Raiders fell. the Hive was able to swing much of its 
  
  81
  might north and concentrate their efforts in Pasadena.  
  The Foundationists were forced to fall back to their 
  main fortress, but eventually the Hive leveled even 
  that stronghold with plasma-spewing ﬁrebugs, then 
  burrowed underground to assault the tunnels where 
  the last defenders hid.
  Pasadena is now quiet once again.  The few 
  surviving Foundationists ﬂed; the others either died 
  underneath the fortress in a last-ditch defense, or 
  were carried off to become hosts for Hive larvae.  
  The Hive itself destroyed the last vestiges of the 
  Foundation colony before moving on, setting up 
  another of their gigantic bughills to cement their 
  control over the area.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  As the PCs comb through the ruins of Pasadena, they 
  ﬁnd an old ruined cityscape that hasn’t felt the hand 
  of man since the Foundation’s colonization efforts 
  were crushed in the Necropolis campaign.  With 
  only empty streets, broken buildings, and stretches 
  of barren land where the scrub brush of the San 
  Gabriels has encroached on the city, Pasadena is 
  a desolate and isolated place.  While the Hive has 
  effectively “paciﬁed” the city, their presence here 
  is tenuous at best.  Patrols are infrequent, and their 
  ﬂyers only rarely buzz overhead, preoccupied with 
  the construction of their new hive to the west (Area 
  #034).  The city of Pasadena is still dangerous, but 
  not nearly as bad as the ruins just a few miles to the 
  south.
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 
  12.  Roll on the table below to determine the nature 
  of a random encounter.  Individual encounters are 
  detailed in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2
  Unusual Wildlife
  3-4
  Bugs on the Move
  5-6
  Scavenging Bugs
  7-8
  Flying Bugs Attack!
  9-10
  Random Noises (Surface)
  11-12
  Strange Spoor (Surface)
  13-14
  Lone Mutt
  15-16
  Corpses
  17
  Mineﬁeld
  18
  Wild Men
  19
  Rope Worm
  20
  Weird Weather
  068. FOUNDATION OUTPOST (EL 2)
  Ahead, the thick ruins give way to a man-made 
  clearing.  Stone and metal have been cleared 
  out by unknown hands, leaving ﬁelds of churned 
  earth in a broad ring.  At the center of this ring, 
  behind rows of rusted razor wire and dilapidated 
  fences, is a small fortiﬁed colony ― a cluster 
  of interconnected adobe domes and covered 
  tunnels, still white under the sun.  As the wind 
  blows through the clearing, bits of metal clang 
  against one another, creating an eerily lifeless 
  drone...
  Seen from a distance, the ruins of this outpost are 
  not entirely foreboding; only when the party gets 
  close can they appreciate the unusual construction 
  of the place.  Constructed entirely of pre-fabricated 
  parts, the outpost looks like a fortiﬁed cluster of 
  interconnected domes (if they’ve seen the Lost 
  Foundation Fortress already, the outpost looks like 
  a much smaller version of that ruin).  The outpost is 
  surrounded by 100 yards of cleared rubble ― laid 
  ﬂat to provide a clear ﬁeld of ﬁre, and to serve as 
  farmland for civilian laborers to work in support 
  of the colony ― and appears to have been heavily 
  damaged in some past conﬂict.
  There were once several of these small outposts 
  scattered throughout what was once Foundation-
  controlled territory, but only one remains even 
  remotely intact.  Constructed as a means to project 
  their control over large areas of the city, each was 
  designed to be a self-sufﬁcient bunker, as well as 
  a staging point for scouting forays.  They were 
  also used as waystations at which colonists and 
  Foundation messengers could ﬁnd shelter and 
  security in case the region came under attack, or in 
  the event of a sandstorm.
  Most of these outposts were destroyed when 
  the Hive spread into Pasadena.  Some stubbornly 
  held out and were overcome; others, faced with 
  overwhelming odds, were merely abandoned in favor 
  of a more effective defense at the Lost Foundation 
  Fortress (see Area #069).  Most are in terrible 
  condition, either reduced to rubble or badly burned, 
  but they might serve as handy shelters against 
  sandstorms (or pursuit) if the PCs notice them.  Only 
  one such outpost is detailed here (and indicated on 
  the main city map); you could conceivably add others 
  as encounters if you choose.
  GM’s Note:  The Foundationists thoroughly 
  seeded the outpost with traps when they realized that 
  defeat was inevitable.  A number of Hive bugs were 
  killed by these traps when the site was overrun, but 
  some traps are still in place, untriggered.
  If the PCs investigate the outpost or make it their 
  base camp, there is a chance that they stumble 
  onto one of these traps.  The traps still in place are 
  indicated below:
  • 
  Explosive charge inside kitchen drawer (a 
  grenade placed inside a drawer so as to detonate 
  when the drawer is opened);
  
  82
  • 
  Booby-trapped ammo box (looks like a normal, 
  unopened box of .50 caliber rounds, but in fact 
  contains a small charge that will blow up when 
  the box is opened);
  • 
  Trapped toilet (located in the barrack lavatories; 
  when weight is put on the seat, it detonates 
  plastic explosives set on the underside of the 
  toilet seat);
  • 
  Trapped foodstuffs (cabinet full of unlabeled tin 
  cans, one of which, at the top, contains a grenade 
  with pin removed; when the cans are disturbed 
  the trapped can tips over and the grenade rolls 
  out).
  A typical trap should do no more damage than a 
  single fragmentation grenade.  Keep in mind that 
  the PCs shouldn’t be ignorant to the risks.  Damage 
  throughout the structure suggests small explosions, 
  and an Investigate check at DC 12 indicates traps 
  were at work.
  Development:  Though the outpost might pose a 
  danger to the PCs, they could also use it as a shelter, 
  especially if being pursued by enemies.  Luring them 
  here, the PCs might be able to hide in the ruined 
  building, letting their pursuers stumble upon the old 
  traps!
  Treasure:  Though the Hive took most everything 
  of value when they swept the Foundationists from 
  the city, a Search check at DC 30 may uncover 1d2 
  Useful Stuff in each outpost, as well as a 5% chance 
  of 1 Lost Knowledge and 1 Rare Military Weapon 
  (rolled individually).
  069. LOST FOUNDATION FORTRESS (EL 
  11)
  This part of the city is congested with 
  collapsed buildings; sifting piles of debris clutter 
  streets and clog roads.  The old buildings at 
  the heart of this section of the city seem to have 
  fared terribly during the Fall and the centuries 
  since, and each street you look down conjures 
  images of a city sundered by war.
  Ahead of you, a monumental building larger 
  than most others in the area stands above the 
  decrepit ruins.  This large white building, with 
  cracked arches and chipped stone, is covered in 
  places with sickly vegetation.  It is riddled with 
  holes, and sections of its once-majestic face have 
  collapsed, leaving moss-draped openings that 
  lead into sinister darkness.
  All about is the wreckage of military vehicles: 
  Hummers badly smashed, burned-out, and even 
  ﬂipped over and crushed.  Layers of concertina 
  wire linger at the edges of your vision as if 
  some great force had swept through here and 
  brushed the defenses aside.  Though the sight is 
  forbidding, nothing seems to live here anymore.
  When the Foundation came to Pasadena they made 
  the abandoned city hall building their main fortress.  
  Occupying the building and the old fallout shelters 
  beneath, the Foundationists were able to create a 
  sprawling fortiﬁed complex both above and below 
  ground.  Additional buildings in the civic complex 
  surrounding city hall were put to use as barracks, 
  workshops, and quarters for the civilian colonists 
  brought with the Foundation expedition.
  The fortress, formidable as it may have been, was 
  utterly destroyed when the Hive turned its attention 
  to the Foundationists.  Though the warrior-monks 
  
  83
  retreated here to put up a valiant defense, they were 
  eventually forced to abandon the surface fort and pull 
  back underground.  Many mutant bugs of the Hive 
  were killed by the automated defenses left on the 
  surface, but eventually their numbers and monstrous 
  tenacity was too much for the Foundationists.  Giant 
  ﬁrebugs burned holes through the ground and 
  masses of bugs skittered down the holes into the 
  tunnels below.  After hours of bitter ﬁghting, the last 
  Foundationists were exterminated and the fortress 
  taken.
  Though the Hive was victorious, it was content to 
  take the dead and their equipment.  The bugs looted 
  the underground labs, but had no desire to occupy 
  the fortress.  After scouring the place out for every 
  last article brought by the Foundationists, the Hive 
  withdrew, leaving the ruins empty in their wake.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Unbeknownst to anyone, 
  the ruins of the old Foundation fort are currently 
  occupied by a small group of desperate holdouts.  
  There are four of them, living each day in the shadow 
  of the broken fort’s walls, eking out a pathetic 
  existence scavenging and foraging in the nearby 
  ruins.  These men manage to survive in the city 
  by remaining unseen, hiding from the infrequent 
  Hive patrols that still rove through the wreckage of 
  Pasadena looking for resources to salvage from the 
  rubble.
  Leading this motley band of men is Sir Argon, 
  a former Foundationist knight who came to the 
  Necropolis with the original Foundation colony in 
  2263.  Argon participated in the early expansion 
  of the colony, the battle at the Arboretum, and 
  eventually joined the forces ﬁghting the Hive along 
  the southern front.  When the lines were overrun, 
  Argon and his men were cut off and forgotten as the 
  rest of the Foundationists ﬂed to the protection of the 
  fortress.
  Argon’s command was destroyed, but he survived.  
  Recovering from terrible wounds, he made the long, 
  lonely trek back to the fort on foot, hoping to rejoin 
  the main force there.  He arrived too late, however, 
  and came across a scene of utter carnage at the gates 
  of the cracked and demolished Foundation fortress.
  Though the rest of the Foundation colony was 
  exterminated by the ruthless armies of the Hive, 
  Argon chose to remain in the Necropolis nonetheless.  
  Despite the circumstances, he continues to adamantly 
  follow the last order he was given by his Foundation 
  commanders: stay and protect the colony.  Though 
  this might seem a noble fulﬁllment of his duty, the 
  reality is Argon is just too unsure to attempt the 
  journey over the San Gabriels back to Foundation 
  lands without the proper supplies and men.  In 
  truth, his long-term plan is to acquire the food and 
  water necessary for the trip (or even a radio, to try 
  and contact a Foundationist fort outside of L.A.), 
  and perhaps even “recruit” men to join him in his 
  journey... the colony be damned.
  Argon does not face the dangers of the city alone.  
  He found one other soul among the ruins when he 
  returned to the fort, a young brother named Merit.  
  Another Foundationist, Merit was badly injured in 
  the ﬁghting and can no longer speak, having suffered 
  a mutant bug’s sword-slash across the better part 
  of his throat.  Badly scarred both physically and 
  psychologically from the war, Merit has been poor 
  company for his commander.
  Argon and Merit are alone in the ruins except 
  for the presence of two other “associates,” Friday 
  and Goodman.  Both Friday and Goodman are wild 
  men who wandered near Argon and Merit’s camp 
  several years ago.  Though Argon and Merit tried 
  to scare them off, neither Friday nor Goodman 
  was intimidated by the lone Foundationists, and 
  so remained.  Soon they became a regular sight 
  around the men’s camp, lurking nearby and watching 
  them, and in time the Foundationists and wild 
  men developed a strange sort of reliance on each 
  other.  The wild men continue to ﬁnd strange (and 
  occasionally useful) items in the ruins, which they 
  share with Argon and Merit in exchange for scraps 
  of food.  Argon has also come to trust the wild men’s 
  unusual sixth sense; when Friday and Goodman get 
  skittish, Argon and Merit know danger is nearby and 
  run with the wild men for cover.
  Argon and Merit have become so attached to 
  Friday and Goodman that they plan to take the two 
  with them when (and if) they eventually return to 
  Foundationist lands beyond the city.
  Sir Argon (Dedicated Hero 4/Foundation 
  Guardian 6 [F/MG]):  CR 10; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 4d6 plus 6d10; HP 47; Mas 10; Init 
  +1; Spd 20 ft; Defense 26, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 25 (+0 
  size, +1 Dex, +6 class, +9 equipment); BAB +9; Grap 
  +10; Atk +10 melee (1d8+1, spear), or +10 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL 
  Foundationists; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8; AP 5; 
  Rep +4; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 
  15.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Guardian (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Climb +4, Computer Use +3, Demolitions 
  +3, Drive +4, Hide +4, Knowledge (Tactics) +4, 
  Knowledge (Technology) +4, Listen +8, Spot +8, 
  Survival +8, Treat Injury +4.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Alertness, Archaic 
  Weapon Proﬁciency, Armor Proﬁciency (heavy), 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency 
  (medium), Futuristic Firearms Proﬁciency, Iron Will, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  
  84
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Urban Warfare [F/MG].
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Empathy, Intuition.
  Talents (Foundation Guardian [F/MG]):  
  Defender +2, Weapon Focus (pulse laser riﬂe), 
  Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization (pulse laser 
  riﬂe).
  Possessions:  Spear, advanced metal armor, pulse 
  laser riﬂe (w/recognition safety [F/MG]), combat 
  knife, one dose of stimshot A, one dose of antitox.
  Brother Merit (Tough Hero 3/Post-Apocalyptic 
  Hero 3/Foundation Guardian 1 [F/MG]):  CR 7; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d10+6 plus 3d8+6 plus 
  1d10+2 plus 3; HP 54; Mas 14; Init +4; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 25, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 24 (+0 size, +1 Dex, 
  +5 class, +9 equipment); BAB +5; Grap +7; Atk +7 
  melee (1d6+2, cleaver), or +7 ranged (by weapon); 
  FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ cannot speak; AL Sir 
  Argon; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +1; AP 3; Rep +1; 
  Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 7.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Guardian (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Climb +4, Craft (structural) +1, Drive +4, 
  Intimidate +0, Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Knowledge 
  (Technology) +1, Listen +3, Repair +1, Search +1, 
  Spot +3, Survival +5.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Alertness, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (heavy), Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor 
  Proﬁciency (medium), Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Remain Conscious, 
  Robust.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore, Survival Sense.
  Talents (Foundation Guardian [F/MG]):  
  Defender +2.
  Possessions:  Cleaver, advanced metal armor.
  Friday and Goodman (Wild Men Post-Apocalyptic 
  Heroes 2):  CR 2; Small Humanoid; HD 2d8+2; HP 
  11; Mas 13; Init +5; Spd 30 ft, climb 20 ft.; Defense 
  18, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 13 (+1 size, +5 Dex, +2 
  class); BAB +1; Grap -1; Atk +4 melee (1d6+2, 
  club), or +7 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ duck, spider climb; AL Sir Argon; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +11, Will +3; AP 1; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 
  20, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 4.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Hide +7, Jump +5, Listen +5, 
  Move Silently +7, Search +6, Spot +5, Survival +5.
  Feats:  Alertness, Duck, Vulture.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore.
  Possessions:  Club.
  Sir Argon might see in the PCs a welcome change 
  from Merit and the two wild men.  Having lived here 
  for so many years, he longs for intelligent people to 
  converse with.  He is hungry for news of the outside 
  world, as well as for reports of Hive movements and 
  the activities of other communities to combat the 
  bugs; he may offer the PCs food, water, shelter, or 
  other supplies if they provide useful information.
  Since Argon has been here for over twelve years, 
  he has adapted both physically and mentally to 
  survive in the Necropolis.  Though he still talks 
  and acts like a digniﬁed military ofﬁcer, his armor 
  is ﬁlthy, he’s grown a full-length beard, his hair 
  is ﬂecked with dirt, and he looks perpetually 
  malnourished.  Since he also has no ammunition for 
  ARGON’S RUMORS
  Assuming the PCs make an alliance (even if only a temporary one) with Argon, the crusty old 
  Foundationist may pass on some rumors of his own ― that is, of course, if the PCs agree to share any 
  future information about the city with him as well.  Here are the things Argon knows (or believes) about the 
  city:
  • 
  There is a mad hermit living somewhere far to the south, probably along the coast.  The original 
  Foundation colony used to pick up bizarre radio transmissions from the hermit, and it was believed 
  he occupied an intact radio broadcast station somewhere in the ruins.  Though Argon no longer has a 
  radio, he remembers the frequency; PCs could conceivably tune in and hear for themselves (see Radio 
  Messages for details on the Hermit’s broadcasts).
  • 
  The Arboretum is to the east.  The Foundation took it from a tribe of savage plant-men, and used the 
  lush fruits found there as food for the colony.  Argon can only assume it was taken over by the Hive 
  when the colony fell, and warns the PCs not to go there for fear of alerting the Hive to the presence of 
  other creatures in Pasadena.
  • 
  The western part of the city is home to the empire of the "Broken Ones," a nation of bestial mutants 
  who claim to be descended from animals that once lived in the Necropolis before the Fall.  Argon 
  describes these creatures as terrible savages who delight in bloodsports and gladiatorial combat, and 
  whose leader styles himself after a cruel Roman Caesar of the ancient past.
  
  85
  the pulse laser that was standard issue for Foundation 
  knights, he has resorted to using a spear, and unless 
  the PCs give him a chance to speak and explain his 
  situation, they may just assume he and his “unit” are 
  nothing more than savages who looted a bunch of 
  dead Foundationists!
  Sir Argon:  HP 47.
  Brother Merit:  HP 54.
  Friday:  HP 11.
  Goodman:  HP 11.
  Development:  As an alternative to the attitudes 
  described above, Argon might see in the PCs his 
  chance at escaping the Necropolis once and for all.  
  Watching them from hiding as they intrude on “his” 
  territory (which he still pretends to guard for the good 
  of the Foundation), he may instead devise a plan 
  to ambush and kill the PCs to take their arms and, 
  more importantly, food and water, so that he and his 
  men can make the journey over the mountains and to 
  freedom.  If this is the case he will act ruthlessly to 
  take the PCs out, knowing that everything he takes 
  from their cold dead hands may mean the difference 
  between life and death on the dangerous journey 
  north.
  070. GREAT PARK (EL 0)
  This part of the city is dominated by a 
  sprawling park, a veritable forest in the middle 
  of the urban ruins.  The old trees are now dead, 
  but thick and prickly underbrush still conceals 
  the heart of the park from the streets bordering it 
  on all sides.
  This was just one of several city parks in the greater 
  Los Angeles area.  If the PCs explore the park, they 
  ﬁnd it abandoned, but signs seem to indicate that a 
  great “party” or “gathering” was held here just days 
  before the Fall.  Garbage cans stand here and there 
  where the partygoers used them for warmth, and 
  there are piles of blackened cinders where bonﬁres 
  may have once raged under the night sky.  Broken 
  glass from countless beer bottles and crushed drug 
  paraphernalia litters the dry grass everywhere, and 
  faded grafﬁti covers a concrete skateboard ramp and 
  a number of nearby basketball courts.
  It is unclear what exactly happened here, but 
  apparently a massed gathering of 1,000+ individuals 
  took place here at some point just before the Fall.  An 
  impromptu stage seems to have been set up facing the 
  old basketball courts, where some important street 
  ﬁgure must have addressed the rowdy crowds for an 
  unknown purpose.  The grafﬁti found everywhere is 
  in a graff-art variant of Ancient, and anyone able to 
  read this long-lost language can make out phrases 
  like “Cyrus Rules,” “Where You Lead We Follow,” 
  “Tomorrow Is Promised Us,” “The End Is Coming,” 
  and, rather enigmatically, “The 13.”
  Treasure:  A thorough search (requiring at least 
  three hours) will uncover 1d20 loose rounds each 
  of .22 caliber, .38S, and 9mm ammunition scattered 
  throughout the site of the mysterious gathering.  All 
  of these rounds are in bad condition, and will fail to 
  ﬁre 50% of the time.
  071. ALTADENA POLICE STATION (EL 
  O)
  A ruined building dominates this 
  neighborhood, which seems to have been heavily 
  damaged in the Fall by bombing and street-to-
  street combat.  The building itself is riddled with 
  holes.
  During the time of the Ancients, this building was a 
  police station in one of the tougher neighborhoods of 
  the city.  When the Great Enemy invaded, many of 
  the police personnel stayed to assist army forces in 
  the defense of the city, using the police station as a 
  convenient strongpoint.  The station eventually fell, 
  and the fates of its brave defenders were lost in the 
  mists of time.
  The layout of this police station follows the 
  typical plan (use the Typical Police Station map).  
  The building features only two entrances: a public 
  entrance in front (Main Entry) and a Jail Entry in 
  the rear.  The former is unlocked (though it can be 
  secured from inside), and the latter requires a stage 
  IIIC identity card to open; if the correct card isn’t 
  used, a loud alarm sounds inside the building, but no 
  other defenses are triggered.
  GM’s Note:  This station is abandoned and badly 
  damaged.  The most interesting features of the ruins 
  are indicated below:
  Armory: The police station has an armory on the 
  ﬁrst ﬂoor.  The door here is unlocked and open (but 
  can be closed and locked, requiring two separate 
  stage IIIC identity cards to open it again).  The 
  contents of the armory were largely emptied to equip 
  the station’s defenders, but police and army forces 
  continued to use the armory to store munitions during 
  the ﬁghting.  Many of these munitions remain in the 
  form of 3d6 boxes of 9mm ammo (for the standard 
  Beretta 92F pistol), 2d4 power clips, 1d6 power 
  beltpacks, and two crates, the ﬁrst ﬁlled with 3d6 
  fragmentation grenades and the second with 1d4+1 
  plasma grenades.  There is also a 20% chance of 
  ﬁnding 1d2 rolls on the Armor table.
  Processing: The main processing center of the 
  station was converted by the defenders into a 
  makeshift ﬁeld hospital to treat soldiers and police 
  ofﬁcers injured in battle.  The ﬁeld hospital is still 
  littered with a number of stretchers, and a small cache 
  of medical supplies was also abandoned here.  These 
  
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  supplies consist of 1d4+2 doses of stimshot A, 1 dose 
  of stimshot B, 1 dose of sustainer shot, and 1d2 doses 
  of rad-purge shot (all doses are in individual ready 
  syringes, still sealed in their original packaging).
  Police Robots: Police stations before the Fall were 
  assigned a force of police robots to complement their 
  human counterparts.  Kept in small bays where they 
  could be repaired, re-armed, and maintained, the 
  robots assigned to this station were destroyed in the 
  ﬁghting for the city.
  Generator: The police station has its own generator 
  in the basement, though this requires diesel fuel to 
  run.  Currently there are about three hours’ worth of 
  diesel among the several dozen drums strewn about 
  the basement.
  072. CAVE OF ETERNAL LIFE (EL 3)
  There is an abandoned campsite here.  Nearby 
  is a dark “cave” formed from a hole in the side 
  of a building.
  After the fall of the Foundationists, another 
  faction from beyond the city known as the 
  “Brethren” sought to follow in their footsteps 
  and ﬁnd out what exactly destroyed the colony.  
  The Brethren are a major group of the Twisted 
  Earth, originating among the ruins of San 
  Francisco (over the mountains to the north) 
  ― a harsh and passionate society of mutants 
  who have given up on technology and even go 
  so far as to attempt to destroy it wherever they 
  ﬁnd it.  Enemies of the Foundationists, they 
  have clashed openly with the Foundationists 
  in the past, though at present their conﬂict is 
  considerably low-key.
  Several weeks ago a small expedition from 
  the Brethren was sent to the Necropolis in 
  hopes of ﬁnding out what exactly drove the 
  Foundationists out.  The Brethren leaders hoped 
  their scouts would locate the group responsible 
  and somehow secure an alliance (or at the very 
  least ﬁnd out what weapons and strategies 
  proved successful against the warrior-monks 
  where their own have not).
  GM’s Note:  The Brethren expedition, like 
  the Foundationist foray, was doomed.  After 
  making the treacherous journey over the San 
  Gabriel mountains, the Brethren became lost in the 
  sprawling ruins.  In their wanderings they found 
  a few interesting items that their leader deemed 
  important enough to carry, including an attaché case 
  that appeared to have been discarded during the Fall.  
  Fascinated at the thought of what might be within 
  the case, their leader eventually lead them here.  He 
  hoped to use the cave as a base until they regained 
  their bearings and while he took the time to open 
  the locked case.  However, Brethren exploring the 
  cave came across a deep pool with slightly luminous 
  waters, which they mistakenly believed possessed 
  beneﬁcial properties.  Unknown to them, the water 
  was tainted with a curious form of algae which 
  poisoned those who drank and eventually turned 
  them into a strange form of shambling zombie.  There 
  are now a total of 5 Brethren zombies in the cave.
  Brethren Zombies, Tough Hero 1:  CR 1/2; 
  Medium-size undead; HD 1d12 plus 3; HP 9; Mas -; 
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 
  15 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +1 class, +2 natural, +2 
  equipment); BAB +0; Grap +2; Atk +3 melee (1d6+4, 
  slam); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ albinism, move 
  or attack action only, undead; AL none; SV Fort -, 
  Ref +1, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 17, Dex 12, Con -, 
  Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 0.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance, 
  Albinism.
  Skills:  None.
  Feats:  Toughness.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Remain Conscious.
  Possessions:  Filthy leather armor, ﬁlthy robes.
  The pool is contaminated and glows with a strange 
  cobalt light.  Anyone drinking water from the pool 
  inside the building must make a Fortitude save at DC 
  14 or be afﬂicted.  A character who is afﬂicted loses 
  
  87
  2d6 Charisma per day.  When she reaches 0 Charisma 
  she becomes zombie-like, effectively acquiring the 
  Zombie template (see d20 Modern).
  So long as an afﬂicted PC still has some Charisma 
  left, the sickness can be cured with the application of 
  a spore-neutralize medi-spray, anti-tox, ﬁlter dose, or 
  garo potion [B&L], but once a character is reduced to 
  0 Charisma the effect is irreversible.
  Brethren Zombies (5):  HP 9.
  Development:  When the PCs arrive they ﬁnd 
  an empty campsite.  The remaining Brethren have 
  retreated into the shadows of the cave, from which 
  they watch the party.  The Brethren will remain 
  hidden in the cave until either the party leaves, sets 
  camp, or decides to explore the cave.  In the latter 
  case the Brethren will follow them at a distance, 
  possibly for several days, before ﬁnally attacking ― 
  preferably in the middle of the night as the PCs sleep, 
  or else after they have been wounded in a particularly 
  brutal battle.  In the ﬁrst case, the Brethren  wait until 
  the PCs are asleep before sneaking out of the cave to 
  murder them while they camp.  In the latter scenario 
  they wait in the cave, taking cover behind fallen 
  concrete slabs and rubble (assume they all have one-
  half cover), until the party nears the pool (see map).  
  Once the PCs investigate the pool the Brethren move 
  in behind them, trapping them against the pool and 
  preventing them from escaping.
  The Brethren agents all look quite ill, their faces 
  greenish and ﬂaking and their eyes fogged over and 
  lifeless.  Sickly patches of wispy mold appear like 
  blooming grey ﬂowers on every exposed bit of ﬂesh 
  (including their faces, which are about all that’s 
  visible).  Each man’s tongue has turned black, and 
  when they shamble forward they move slowly like 
  zombies, moaning in a dry, rasping whisper.  Since 
  they are effectively “dead” already, the Brethren 
  do not respond to any attempt to use diplomacy or 
  surrender ― they merely attack.
  Treasure:  Though the camp looks thoroughly 
  ransacked, PCs searching the site will ﬁnd what 
  remains of the expedition’s supplies.  These include 
  six waterskins (ﬁlled with water drawn from the 
  pool), two days of trail rations, a dead mule (the tack 
  and harness are intact; the corpse is still relatively 
  fresh, and could be used for food in a pinch), two 50 
  ft. coils of rope, two grappling hooks, six javelins, 
  a hand mirror (smashed for some reason), a jug 
  containing three doses of safar oil [B&L], 1d3 rolls 
  on Table 8: Trade Goods, and an old medical attaché 
  case, broken open.  An impression in the foam 
  molding inside suggests that the case was used to 
  transport a single syringe, though the syringe itself is 
  strangely missing....
  073. PORN SET (EL 0)
  Overgrown rubble up ahead marks a 
  deteriorating wall surrounding what must have 
  once been a lavish mansion property.  The view 
  of the surrounding city is impressive.
  Financed by millionaire real estate investors living far 
  away on the East Coast, this impressive mansion was 
  constructed during a brief period when a particular 
  form of experimental architecture was at the forefront 
  of L.A.’s real estate “chic.”  However, the fad 
  quickly faded just two months after the mansion was 
  completed; its owners, already hurting from the over-
  budget construction costs, cut their losses when it 
  became clear the property wouldn’t sell.
  The real estate agent brokering the property 
  recognized it was a lemon and decided to make some 
  money off of the estate, legitimately or not.  Having 
  friends “in the business,” he agreed to provide local 
  Los Angeles porn studios with a lavish mansion 
  setting for use in a string of adult movie productions 
  ﬁlmed right up until the Fall.
  The mansion is still in good condition, in no small 
  part due to the fact that it was rarely used.  It is also 
  quite isolated (part of the main allure for movie 
  producers running the risk of breaking indecency 
  laws), located at the end of a long winding drive and 
  through a tinder-dry forest.  The entire property is 
  surrounded by a wall, with an automatic gate and 
  considerable security system (though this system has 
  long burned out).
  If the PCs manage to stumble upon this property, 
  they could well make it their “base” in the city.  Its 
  isolation, walls, and large interior make it ideal in this 
  respect, and its stunning view provides a reasonable 
  means of monitoring the city from a distance.  The 
  backyard tennis court, helicopter pad (no helicopter), 
  and enormous kidney-shaped pool (now dried up but 
  once fed by an artiﬁcial waterfall) are probably of no 
  use to the PCs, but the underground wine cellars and 
  numerous bedrooms might be used to stash surplus 
  treasures in between forays into the city.
  GM’s Note:  The master bedroom of the house 
  shows signs of some activity before the Fall.  
  Here the PCs ﬁnd 1d2 portable video cameras, an 
  8mm movie camera, a boom microphone, and the 
  equivalent of a basic electrical toolkit.  The adjoining 
  bathroom (enormous) was used as an ad hoc dressing 
  room, and still contains a wardrobe of exotic and 
  unusual clothing (from leather dominatrix outﬁts to 
  more romantic lingerie).  There is also a professional 
  makeup setup here (treat as a disguise kit), 3d12 
  condoms, 1d4 hits of heroine, 1 dose of antitox, 1d2 
  ready syringes (empty), and 2d10 hits of powdered 
  cocaine, set up in convenient lines on a desktop 
  mirror.
  
  88
  074. ARBORETUM (EL VARIES)
  Ahead is a sight that takes your breath away.  
  The old city, broken and blasted, seems to have 
  been reclaimed by the hand of nature.  Vegetation 
  grows thick here, from bushes and ferns to a 
  jungle of truly colossal trees that towers far 
  above the nearby buildings.  Unnatural in both 
  height and girth, these massive trunks ― many 
  of which must be more than 200 feet tall ― cast 
  deep shadows between them, where ropy vines 
  and strangely fragrant ﬂower blossoms bloom.  
  The foliage is so thick that the outer edge of this 
  bizarre forest resembles a foreboding wall.
  It is not clear how this site came to be, but it is 
  certainly one of the most bizarre in all of the 
  Necropolis.  Known as the “Arboretum” (after a 
  botanical park which existed on this site long before 
  the Fall), it has long been known as a place that is 
  either blessed... or cursed.
  Huge jungle trees (of a kind that never existed 
  before the Fall) tower more than a hundred feet over 
  the nearby buildings, and are visible for more than a 
  mile away.  Their broad canopies are enormous (some 
  covering more than a city block), from which hang 
  vines several stories long.  Birds and other avians 
  ﬂock to the trees, and by night varo bats hunt for fruit 
  among the treetops.
  But most inhabitants who know of the Arboretum 
  stay away.  Few have ever been here, despite the 
  stories of scavs who claim to have seen it.  Most 
  believe that a forest cannot exist within the poisoned 
  streets of the Necropolis naturally, and so some 
  mutagen ― some magic ― must be at work here.  
  Stories still speak of the strange race of “plant 
  creatures” that once made the Arboretum their shaded 
  sanctuary, though it is unclear if these creatures still 
  hold it as their own.
  GM’s Note:  The Arboretum was once a botanical 
  garden that was home to more than 10,000 different 
  species of plants from all across the world.  The 
  marvelous collection was almost destroyed during the 
  Fall and the resultant nuclear winter.  But mutagens 
  in the environment, spawned by the various weapons 
  used in the Fall, allowed some of these plants to 
  adapt and thrive, taking on new and weird properties.  
  Trees grew to enormous heights, ﬂowers grew petals 
  broad enough for a party of men to rest on, and some 
  plants began to take on a semblance of sentience....
  When the Foundationists came to Pasadena they 
  were attracted to the sight of the Arboretum, a green 
  “smudge” on what was otherwise a gray and chalky 
  landscape.  They sent an expedition to explore the 
  Arboretum in hopes of securing a food source for 
  their growing colony.  They also hoped to unlock the 
  secret to growing similar mutated plants elsewhere 
  on the Twisted Earth for the beneﬁt of their people.  
  What they found was a deep and treacherous jungle 
  ﬁlled with hazardous fronds and carnivorous plants, 
  and populated by a tribe of primitive plantmen.  
  These latter attacked the Foundation expedition for its 
  transgression into their “secret paradise,” forcing the 
  Foundation to retaliate.  Though the Foundationists 
  were forced to hack their way through the overgrown 
  jungle in pursuit of these stealthy tribesmen, they 
  were eventually able to exterminate them all.
  Once the Arboretum was secured the 
  Foundationists immediately began harvesting fruit 
  and vegetables for consumption.  They even sent 
  scientists to begin researching the strange new plant 
  life found there, hoping to learn from the Arboretum’s 
  bounty of xenobotanical wonders.
  Unfortunately, the Foundation eventually fell (in 
  their case, to the Hive).  After an attack by a small 
  troop of mutant bugs, the scientiﬁc team at the 
  Arboretum ﬂed, unable to hold out without help.  
  They abandoned the park to the Hive, whose mutant 
  bugs have continued to visit the jungle-garden in 
  much the same manner as the Foundationists, using it 
  as a steady source of food to this day.
  A. GARDEN PATH (EL 0)
  A series of paths wind their way through the 
  heavy undergrowth of the Arboretum’s jungle 
  foliage.  Some of these were created long ago by 
  the Foundationists, while others were more recently 
  ROVING HIVE PATROLS
  Because the Hive actively “mines” the Arboretum for food, chances are high that any party exploring the 
  forest will cross paths with a Hive patrol.  Though there is no set rule for such an encounter, you can use 
  the possibility of the PCs stumbling onto a patrol as a means of elevating the tension as the PCs explore 
  the Arboretum.  The PCs might hear a patrol marching nearby, or see the movement of these insectoid 
  creatures heading the opposite way as they arrive at an intersection.
  If the PCs are looking for a ﬁght, or if you simply want to make their incursion into the Arboretum a bit 
  more dangerous, consider a typical Hive patrol to be composed of 1d3+2 mutant bug guardians and 1d2 
  thunder locusts.  A patrol will always attack if it spots intruders, and any PCs taken prisoner by a patrol 
  are taken to the nearest Hive bughill to meet the fate shared by all captives of the Hive.  In addition, any 
  combat may (at your discretion) draw the attention of other Hive bugs in the area.
  
  89
  blazed by the mutant bugs of the Hive 
  (who currently harvest the fruits of the 
  Arboretum to complement the food 
  produced by their food bugs).
  Paths through the Arboretum are 
  considered Soft ground for the purposes 
  of using the Track feat.
  B. GUARDIANS (EL 9)
  At each of these locations is found a 
  single pod guardian, a bizarre plant 
  creature actually created long ago by the 
  now-extinct plantmen of the Arboretum.  
  These tall jug-like plants were spawned 
  to be the protectors of the plantman 
  tribe’s domain (the forests of the 
  Arboretum), and as a result most were 
  destroyed by the Foundation expedition 
  that swept through here years ago.  A 
  few still remain, however, typically in 
  areas the Foundationists never fully 
  explored.  They will attack any creature 
  that passes nearby.
  Pod Guardian:  HP 85 (page 19, The 
  Broken and the Lost: New Terrors).
  C. ABANDONED VEHICLE (EL 0)
  Lying off of the current path (and only 
  visible with a Spot check at DC 23) 
  is the rusted and empty wreckage of a 
  battle hummer [F/MG], overgrown with 
  vegetation.  It was abandoned by the Foundationists 
  when it became mired in the muck; they took almost 
  everything from the vehicle before they ﬂed.
  Treasure:  A search of the wreckage reveals 
  nothing of value in the vehicle, but a Search check 
  of the immediate area (DC 28) uncovers a jerry can 
  ﬁlled with ﬁve gallons of fuel, apparently left behind 
  when the vehicle crew ran off.  Though the battle 
  hummer is no longer operational (it is too badly 
  rusted and overgrown), the fuel could still be used to 
  make molotov cocktails or fuel an existing vehicle.
  D. MONSTROUS STALKER (EL 7)
  A single monstrous ﬂytrap lives here, almost 
  invisible among the other trees, plants, and 
  underbrush that grow all around.  The 
  ﬂytrap is a patient hunter, waiting 
  for prey to come within reach before 
  striking.  However, if the PCs do not 
  come within its reach and instead pass 
  it by, it will uproot itself and stealthily 
  follow them, hoping to catch up with 
  them and attack from surprise.
  Monstrous Flytrap (1):  HP 104 
  (see d20 Modern).
  Treasure:  The ﬂytrap has been 
  particularly successful lately with 
  its ambushes, and carries the half-
  digested corpse of a mutant bug within 
  it.  If the PCs cut it open they will ﬁnd 
  the corpse, still clutching the power 
  clip (full charge) of some long-lost 
  weapon.
  E. BATS (EL 4)
  The canopy foliage is especially thick 
  here, with huge overlapping leaves and 
  strange, pineapple-sized pinecones, 
  creating an area of deep shadows.  
  This environment is quite pleasing 
  to the current inhabitants, a ﬂock of 
  17 varo bats that spend most of the 
  daylight hours here dangling restfully 
  from branches high overhead.
  When the PCs enter the clearing 
  they will notice the bats, as well as the 
  large pinecones dangling overhead.  If the PCs make 
  any loud noises or otherwise disturb the varo bats, 
  the creatures will panic and take to ﬂight.  As they 
  do this, their ﬂight disturbs the enormous pinecones, 
  which then snap free and fall ― possibly onto the 
  heads of the PCs!
  As soon as the bats are disturbed, roll 1d3 for 
  
  90
  each PC at this location.  The number indicates how 
  many of the heavy pinecones fall on that individual 
  character.  Treat these as falling objects; each cone 
  inﬂicts 1d6 points of bludgeon damage (Reﬂex save 
  DC 15 for half) when it strikes the character below it.
  In addition, if any cone rolls a 6 for damage, it 
  splits open as it strikes that PC.  When the cone 
  cracks open it emits a puff of fungal spores, affecting 
  the square centered on the PC who was struck, as 
  well as each adjacent square.  These spores affect 
  living creatures like chloroform; all creatures within 
  the affected area must make a Fortitude save at DC 
  17 or fall unconscious for 1d3 hours.
  Varo Bats (17):  HP 1.
  Development:  When the bats take to the air, 
  the entire forest echoes with their shrill cries.  Any 
  mutant bugs not yet killed (and possibly even the 
  monstrous ﬂytrap at Area D, if it somehow lost the 
  PCs’ trail), will certainly come to investigate.
  Treasure:  There is no treasure here per se, but the 
  PCs could conceivably harvest the pinecones to use 
  as “grenades.”  There are a total of 3d12 harvestable 
  pinecones in the clearing (minus any that fell and 
  split open as described above).
  F. UNDERSEA GROTTO (EL 13)
  The tall trees and heavy underbrush here slowly give 
  way to an alien forestscape that resembles the bottom 
  of the ocean.  Huge plants resembling 15 ft. tall 
  anemones rise above the moss- and lichen-carpeted 
  forest ﬂoor, with spidery tendrils that coil and unfurl 
  as if moved by an unseen ocean current.  Light 
  ﬁnding its way through the treetops far overhead 
  plays over the ground as if ﬁltered through the green 
  waters of a tropical sea.
  Though its beauty is hypnotic, this grove is far 
  from peaceful.  Ringing it are three advanced desert 
  anemones, which wait patiently for birds to ﬂutter in 
  through the canopy... or for unwitting party members 
  to wander too near their towering trunks.
  Advanced Desert Anemone:  CR 10; Huge Plant; 
  HD 12d8+60; HP 114; Mas -; Init +4; Spd immobile; 
  Defense 7, touch 7, ﬂatfooted 7 (-2 size, -1 Dex); 
  BAB +9; Grap +26; Atk +16 melee (2d4+13, tongue 
  lash); Full Atk +16 melee (2d4+13, tongue lash); FS 
  15 ft. by 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; SQ blindsight, improved 
  grab, stun, swallow whole, plant; AL none; SV Fort 
  +13, Ref +3, Will +5; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 28, Dex 8, 
  Con 20, Int -, Wis 13, Cha 9.
  Skills:  None.
  Feats:  Improved Initiative.
  Advanced Desert Anemone (4):  HP 114.
  Treasure:  A human skeleton lies here in the 
  clearing, half-obscured by grass and weeds growing 
  through gaps in its bones.  The skeleton wears 
  technician’s overalls, with Foundation identity tags 
  around its neck.  A technical scanner [F/MG] lies 
  nearby, but is so well hidden by the undergrowth 
  that a Search check (DC 33) is needed to ﬁnd it.  Its 
  power cell is drained.
  G. SHADOWS OVERHEAD (EL 12)
  As the PCs pass through here, the weak sunlight 
  shining through the jungle canopy is disturbed by 
  shadows.  A small group of large avian creatures has 
  buzzed past; a Listen check at DC 12 allows the PCs 
  to hear a tell-tale buzzing noise.
  The “avians” are in fact a large ﬂight of 8 bug 
  ﬂyers from Hive B (see Area #027), here to forage 
  for food.  The creatures are headed towards Area H, 
  and thus are ﬂying over the treetops.  Check their 
  Spot checks against the party’s Hide checks (the 
  PCs get a +8 circumstance bonus).  If the PCs are 
  detected, four of the ﬂyers break off from the main 
  group and descend to attack.
  Bug Flyers (4):  HP 18.
  Development:  The bug ﬂyers will ﬁght until two 
  of their number are killed, at which point they ﬂy 
  back up into the jungle canopy and out of sight.  As 
  is usual with the Hive, if the PCs are overcome the 
  ‘ﬂyers will carry their incapacitated bodies back to 
  Area #027 to be impregnated with Hive larvae.
  H. GARDEN OF PLENTY (EL 13)
  Sunlight ﬁlters in through a hole in the canopy 
  here, revealing a wonderful glade ﬁlled with clover, 
  ﬂowers in every color of the rainbow, and gnarled 
  tree branches laden with huge and plump fruit 
  ― some of which are as large as cars!  Droplets of 
  water, caught on the underside of huge leaves, trickle 
  down from above like a pleasant spring rain.
  When the PCs enter this place they spot a large 
  number of mutant bugs present in the clearing.  
  Entering via the hole in the canopy, 6 bug ﬂyers 
  hover over the clearing, using their mandibles to cut 
  the large fruit free from the branches high overhead.  
  Plummeting to the soft, clover-covered ground below, 
  these enormous fruits are then collected by a group of 
  7 mutant bugs waiting on the ground.  Once secured, 
  the fruit is then marched off down the pathway 
  leading out of the clearing.
  Bug Flyers (6):  HP 18.
  Mutant Bugs (7):  HP 17.
  Development:  The ‘bugs continue with their work 
  unless the party is detected.  If they spot the PCs, 
  half of the bug ﬂyers take to the sky, and four of the 
  mutant bugs chase after the party on foot.  The ﬂyers 
  remain aloft, spotting for the bugs on the ground, 
  making evasion (or hiding) almost impossible.  If 
  they have to, the bug ﬂyers may descend to harass the 
  PCs, buying the mutant bugs time to catch up to the 
  party.
  
  91
  I. BURDENED BUGS (EL 3)
  Standing on the path through the garden are three 
  mutant bugs, struggling to ﬁgure out how to carry a 
  gargantuan peach back to the Hive at Area #027.  The 
  freakishly-enormous peach is the size of a small car, 
  and the three mutant bugs simply aren’t enough to 
  carry it.
  If the PCs are spotted (or are heard approaching), 
  two of the mutant bugs move to attack, while the 
  third hurries off to Area H for help.
  Mutant Bugs (3):  HP 17.
  J. FRAGRANT GLADE (EL 3)
  The sun pours in through a gaping hole in the jungle 
  canopy here, illuminating a beautiful meadow 
  overgrown with thick grass.  Enormous ﬂowers grow 
  here, with stalks as thick as tree trunks and blossoms 
  as large as full-sized beds.  The ﬂowers range from 
  lily-white to peach to pink, and emit a soothing 
  fragrance that reaches as far away as the pathways 
  leading into the glade.
  GM’s Note:  As soon as the PCs enter this glade, 
  begin keeping track of how many rounds they spend 
  here.  The fragrance emitted by the huge ﬂowers is 
  actually powerfully mind-affecting; eventually, when 
  the PCs try to leave, each character must make a Will 
  save.  The DC is 15, plus one for every round spent 
  in the glade.  If a given PC fails the save, he or she 
  refuses to leave, instead ﬁnding a strange desire to 
  climb one of the ﬂower stalks and curl up inside its 
  blossom and sleep ― forever, if possible!  Those who 
  make the save are unaffected and do not need to roll 
  again even if they linger before leaving.
  Snapping a character out of the trance is 
  impossible, though an affected PC may be convinced 
  to leave the glade “momentarily” with a Diplomacy 
  check (DC 30).  Of course the PCs can also 
  physically incapacitate an entranced party member 
  and carry her out if they have to!  Once an affected 
  PC leaves the glade, the fragrance’s strange mind-
  affecting properties wear off.
  Development:  Note that mutant bugs are immune 
  to this fragrance.
  K. SHADETRAPS (EL 8)
  Rainwater ― rare and infrequent ― collects on 
  the underside of many leaves and ﬂower petals 
  throughout the Arboretum, especially under the 
  enormous (eight feet wide) petals at this location.  
  The water dripping off of these ﬂowers has created a 
  small murky pond under the shadow of the canopy, 
  almost unseen beneath of the heavy foliage.
  Though the towering ﬂower stands are remarkably 
  beautiful, their shadows hide a sinister danger.  A 
  colony of 9 shadetraps live here, partly concealed 
  among the other enormous plants, as well as by the 
  shadows created by the huge umbrella-like ﬂower 
  blossoms.  The shadetraps are situated all around the 
  clearing, so if and when the PCs enter they are certain 
  to be within at least one of the creature’s reach.
  Shadetraps (9):  HP 23 (page 139, The Lost 
  Paradise).
  Treasure:  Lying at the bottom of the murky pond 
  (and not visible from the surface) are the remains 
  of a Foundation paladin, one of only a handful lost 
  during the expedition into the Arboretum.  When he 
  removed his respirator due to the high heat under the 
  canopy, he was vulnerable to the sleep gas thrown by 
  the plantmen.  The paladin’s body is a mere skeleton 
  now, but it is still clad in a suit of advanced metal 
  armor, with a magnetic shield A around its waist (no 
  power source).  A small ﬁeld pack (also underwater) 
  lies near the submerged corpse and contains a single 
  wound-healing medi-spray canister.
  L. COMMOTION (EL 8)
  As the PCs approach this area, allow them to make a 
  Listen check at DC 15.  If successful they hear noise 
  up ahead.
  A group of 4 mutant bugs has begun hacking a 
  new path here, and in doing so have uncovered a 
  strange metal contraption, apparently abandoned long 
  ago and concealed by vines.  A mutant bug thinker 
  has been dispatched here to ﬁgure out how to turn the 
  contraption back on and study what it does.
  When the PCs arrive, the ‘bugs have just turned 
  “it” (a task animatron from before the Fall) back on.  
  To their surprise the animatron is still quite mobile, 
  and as the PCs arrive the unintelligent robot rises on 
  rusted legs and walks off down the path.  The mutant 
  bugs are excited, and the mutant bug thinker orders 
  them to follow it.
  Mutant Bugs (4):  HP 17.
  Mutant Bug Thinker (1):  HP 42.
  Development:  Unless the PCs intrude, the 
  ‘bugs, driven by child-like curiosity, will follow the 
  animatron as it moves through the Arboretum on its 
  duties.  These duties once included tending to the 
  various plants of the Arboretum, and the animatron 
  will faithfully continue to do so ― or at least try.  
  The animatron (and bugs) will move from area to 
  area in this order: H, J, and ﬁnally to F, where the 
  animatron will eventually be destroyed when one of 
  the advanced desert anemones there snatches it up 
  and tries to eat it.  At this point the mutant bugs will 
  attack the anemone, trying to free what’s left of the 
  contraption from its gullet!
  M. RESEARCH CAMP (EL 11)
  Four old domed tents made of a stained white fabric 
  sit about this overgrown clearing, partly shrouded in 
  vines.  A number of old folding tables, now rusted, 
  rest nearby, with ropy tendrils of ivy climbing 
  
  92
  halfway up their legs and crisscrossing their surfaces 
  like spiderwebs.  Old dusty and cracked beakers 
  sit on these tables, along with other dirt-caked 
  implements.
  This site was the location of the main Foundation 
  research lab, where “scribes” of that order conducted 
  experiments on various plant specimens collected 
  here at the Arboretum.  Using advanced chemicals 
  and equipment the colonists brought with them over 
  the mountains, the scribes hoped to discover why 
  such large fruits (and trees, for that matter) could 
  grow here in the Arboretum.  The Foundationists 
  hoped that by learning this, they would also discover 
  a new means by which to grow food on a massive 
  scale ― a very important step to rebuilding the world 
  of the past.
  The Foundationists were ultimately unsuccessful, 
  and this camp stands as testament to the eradication 
  of their presence in the city.  Leaving in a hurry, the 
  scribes were forced to abandon virtually all of their 
  equipment here, but not before setting a trap for 
  would-be looters.
  GM’s Note:  The vines of “ivy” wrapped around 
  the tents, tables, and laboratory implements are in 
  reality no less than 20 whippets, mutated plants 
  put here deliberately by the Foundationist scribes.  
  Casting whippet seeds all about the camp before they 
  ﬂed, the scribes ensured that no one would scavenge 
  the abandoned sight without a ﬁght.  Over time the 
  whippets have grown to full size, and lie dormant 
  waiting for their next prey.
  The whippets will attack once the PCs are inside 
  the research camp, at which point they will be 
  effectively surrounded by the creatures, without easy 
  escape.  Note that when the PCs enter the clearing, 
  they may make a Spot check at DC 14 to notice that 
  there is something just “not right” with the vines.
  Whippets (20):  HP 23 (page 142, The Lost 
  Paradise).
  Treasure:  The Foundationists left some useful 
  equipment here in the form of a laptop computer, a 
  technical scanner [F/MG], a PDA, a deluxe chemical 
  toolkit, two canisters of spore-neutralizing medi-
  spray, a UV sterilizer, and two beakers ﬁlled with 
  Mild acid.  All of the electronic equipment needs to 
  be repaired, however, requiring a Repair check and 
  spare parts as appropriate.
  075. CALTECH (EL VARIES)
  A desolate wind picks up, channeled by the 
  complex of buildings dominating this area.  Huge 
  stone structures stand all around, their bricks 
  worn down by sand carried on the raging wind.  
  Windows that once gleamed brilliantly in the 
  light are now smashed and gone, leaving eerie 
  gaping holes that lead inwards into darkened 
  interiors.  You could be being observed from any 
  of these, and not even know it....
  The ruins of the California Institute of Technology, 
  one of the leading scientiﬁc universities in the nation 
  (if not the world), stand in this hex.  Though once a 
  proud institution that pioneered many technological 
  breakthroughs and super-advanced developments in 
  science, the university hardly looks the part now, over 
  two hundred years after the Fall.  The encroachment 
  of Nature has claimed much of the ancient campus; 
  wild and wiry vegetation covers many buildings 
  from ground to roof, and insidious ivy has gotten 
  into the brickwork and cracked the noble facades of 
  old halls ― even causing some to collapse.  Rusted 
  automobiles sit here and there in the old parking lots, 
  home to a few crows that take to the air at the ﬁrst 
  sign of the party’s approach.
  The ruins of CalTech are just that ― ruins.  The 
  site was one of the ﬁrst ransacked by the Foundation 
  colonists when they came to the city, expecting to 
  ﬁnd priceless artifacts, texts, and diagrams in the old 
  laboratories and university facilities.  Their hopes 
  weren’t unfounded; before the Fall CalTech operated 
  the legendary Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which 
  the Foundationists hoped would yield designs for 
  workable spacecraft.  It was also home to the Spitzer 
  Science Center, a support center for a pre-Fall space 
  telescope program.  But despite their efforts, the 
  Foundationists found the place to have been looted 
  long ago, leaving very little to take.  Bitter at this 
  loss ― it was a site whose very presence had been 
  a major reason for the expedition in the ﬁrst place 
  ― the Foundationists demanded something for their 
  efforts, and literally picked over the ruins for every 
  last book, bit of lab equipment, and electronic device 
  still sitting in storage rooms throughout the complex.
  After the Foundationist colony fell to the Hive, 
  the bugs came here in their drive north and west but 
  found little of value here.  What the Foundationists 
  left behind was hardly worth the Hive’s time, though 
  the Hive insects maintained a presence here for 
  days trying to ﬁgure out old keycard locks, security 
  systems, and other “curious” devices, in an effort to 
  learn how they worked for future reference.  Once 
  their curiosity was satisﬁed, they too moved on.
  GM’s Note:  Though scavengers ― from local 
  looters to the Foundation to the Hive ― have picked 
  over the ruins of CalTech on numerous occasions, the 
  campus is not entirely without value.  Unbeknownst 
  to these trespassers, a small community of pureblood 
  descendants still lives on campus, out of sight.  They 
  live underground, in the old steam tunnels and 
  passages beneath the institute.
  The members of the “tribe” living here are all 
  purebloods whose ancestors numbered a small group 
  of students and faculty who refused to ﬂee the city 
  
  93
  during the Fall.  Instead they ﬂed underground when 
  word of the impending nuclear exchange leaked 
  to the public.  Dedicated to their studies and to the 
  research projects undertaken here, the students and 
  faculty thought they might be able to help rebuild in 
  the immediate aftermath of the nuclear war.  With 
  a vast supply of advanced equipment (including 
  atmospheric spectrometers, weather prediction 
  equipment, and other proven and experimental 
  devices that were the envy of the world), the hold-
  outs hoped to survive the initial attacks and, once 
  it was over, turn CalTech into a refuge for other 
  survivors.
  Instead, the holdouts found that no one came.  The 
  destruction of the city had been almost complete; 
  the nuclear blasts, the radiation, and the ﬁrestorms 
  that ensued claimed millions of lives in short order.  
  Diseases unleashed by insidious bioweapons killed 
  many more.  When a few pitiful animals (straying 
  from the inner city in an attempt to escape the ﬁres) 
  were allowed into the complex by the holdouts, the 
  engineered diseases they carried killed several of 
  the well-meaning students before the threat could be 
  recognized and dealt with.  With their deaths ended 
  the community’s last hope that survivors would ﬁnd 
  their way to them, and instead they sat back and 
  began to monitor their sophisticated devices and 
  communications equipment, waiting either for a sign 
  of outside relief, or that the radiation had died down 
  and they could escape.
  It never came.  A generation was born 
  underground, and when their parents died young 
  (from contaminants and an inability to adjust to their 
  new diet of hydroponic foods), the new generation 
  had little desire to return to the surface.  So they have 
  remained, living under the old campus, degenerating 
  into a tribe with little recollection of the past.
  The pureblood tribals of CalTech live solely 
  underground, though they sometimes emerge onto 
  the surface to check for signs of life ― not to make 
  contact, but to better prepare themselves in the event 
  they are ever discovered.  The tribals maintain a few 
  ancient weapons, many of them experimental even 
  during the time of the Ancients, but mostly they stick 
  to spears and silent hunting weapons.  They feed 
  primarily off of rats these days, though they have 
  never fully forgotten how to operate the hydroponic 
  fungus farms in the university’s underground lab 
  complex (thanks to their leader; see below).
  The tribals are relatively content.  They don’t want 
  contact with outsiders, and they certainly don’t look 
  for it.  Should the PCs somehow discover them (for 
  instance, if they spot a surface scout before he can 
  ﬂee back underground), the tribals will attack them to 
  drive them off.  They don’t want to be “rescued,” or 
  even “assisted” ― they just want to be left alone.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The leader of the CalTech 
  “tribe” is Archimedes-7, an instructor droid that has 
  been with the community since before the Fall.  (In 
  fact, Archimedes-7 was an instructor assigned to 
  the institute as both a professor and a researcher.)  
  Archimedes has led the community since the ﬁrst 
  generation of human faculty and students died out, 
  when the young ― frightened and unsure what to 
  do ― turned to him for his wisdom and experience.  
  Archimedes rose to the task, and instructed the 
  holdouts to remain strong, vigilant, and patient.
  Archimedes resembles a ﬂat, circular metal 
  contraption, with a crystal “face” made up of 
  soft lights that glow when he talks (in a soft, 
  compassionate voice), teaches, and hums to the tune 
  of Ride of the Valkyries ― a curious affectation he 
  has had for years.  Archimedes is carried around by 
  a man named Dewey, the eldest member of the tribe.  
  Though he once had a brilliant mind, Dewey has 
  become a bit senile in his old age, though this doesn’t 
  detract from Archimedes’ friendship with him.  
  Archimedes still remembers when Dewey was as 
  sharp as a knife, and the two had many conversations 
  together on topics ranging from whether alien life 
  exists on other planets to the theories of Albert 
  Einstein.  Though Dewey has obviously lost much of 
  his intelligence due to advancing age (he’s 73 years 
  old), Archimedes still treats him as the great mind he 
  once was.
  Archimedes-7 (Instructor Droid Charismatic Hero 
  3):  CR 3; Tiny Droid Construct; HD 3d10; HP 16; 
  Mas -; Init -; Spd 0 ft; Defense 7, touch 7, ﬂat-footed 
  7; BAB -; FS 2 1/2 ft by 2 1/2 ft; Reach 0 ft; SQ 
  robotic construct, command level (IIC), bio sensor, 
  motion sensor, immobile; AL CalTech; SV Fort -, Ref 
  -, Will +7; AP 2; Rep +0; Str -, Dex -, Con -, Int 18, 
  Wis 16, Cha 16.
  Skills:  Bluff +9, Craft (writing) +12, Diplomacy 
  +11, Decipher Script +12, Gather Information 
  +11, Knowledge (Ancient Lore) +12, Knowledge 
  (Civics) +12, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +12, 
  Knowledge (Technology) +12, Listen +11, Perform 
  (oratory) +11, Research +12, Spot +11.
  Feats:  Alertness, Advanced Technology, Creative, 
  Educated x2, Iron Will, Studious, Trustworthy.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Charm, Favor.
  Dewey (Smart Hero 3/Scholar 1):  CR 4; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 3d6-3 plus 1d6-1; HP 11; Mas 9; 
  Init +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 12 
  (+0 size, +0 Dex, +2 class); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk 
  +3 melee (1d6+2, pistol butt), or +1 ranged (1d6 plus 
  paralysis, stun pistol); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  none; AL CalTech; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +7; AP 
  2; Rep +2; Str 14, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 
  13.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Knowledge 
  
  94
  [Physical Sciences], Knowledge [Technology]).
  Background:  Guardian (Repair).
  Skills:  Computer Use +5, Craft (chemical) +1, 
  Craft (electronic) +6, Craft (mechanical) +1, Craft 
  (structural) +1, Diplomacy +3, Disable Device 
  +1, Gather Information +3, Knowledge (Ancient 
  Lore) +4, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) 
  +3, Knowledge (History) +1, Knowledge (Physical 
  Sciences) +7, Knowledge (Technology) +7, Listen 
  +3, Repair +7, Research +5, Search +1.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Futuristic Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Iron Will, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Trustworthy.
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Repair), Savant 
  (Craft [electronic]).
  Talents (Scholar):  Ancient Knowledge 
  (Knowledge [Ancient Lore]).
  Possessions:  Stun pistol, power clip, glitter 
  grenade, stage IIC identity card.
  In addition to Archimedes-7 and Dewey, the 
  community at CalTech consists of 34 Caltech 
  holdouts, most of them relatively young, but armed 
  with “relics” of the past (i.e. laser pistols).
  Archimedes-7:  HP 16.
  Dewey:  HP 11.
  CalTech Holdouts (34):  HP 11.
  Treasure:  The personnel who ﬂed beneath 
  CalTech long ago brought with them many advanced 
  pieces of equipment, which still remain in relatively 
  good condition.  These could include desktop 
  computers, PDAs (potentially ﬁlled with all sorts of 
  experimental designs), digital audio recorders, an 
  induction transformer, basic walkie-talkies, motion 
  detectors, night vision goggles, portable detection 
  radar, X-ray goggles, task animatrons, chemical 
  kits, deluxe electrical toolkits, ﬁrst aid kits, deluxe 
  mechanical toolkits, multipurpose tools, technical 
  scanners [F/MG], advanced breathing apparatus, 
  chemical sensors, Geiger counters, rad tabs, light 
  rods, and ﬁre extinguishers.  This list is by no means 
  comprehensive, and you can add other items as you 
  see ﬁt.
  Development:  Archimedes’ attitude towards 
  outsiders is quite different than that of his 
  people.  Though the “youngsters” are content with 
  their condition and want to remain undetected 
  underground, Archimedes believes it’s in their best 
  interest to someday leave the city.  Should the PCs 
  somehow make contact (despite being attacked by 
  the tribal youths) and prove that they have benevolent 
  aims, Archimedes may come to trust them, and 
  order the community to abandon their underground 
  tunnels for the unsure (but exciting) prospect of 
  an exodus to wasteland.  This is especially likely if 
  the party presents evidence of the Hive’s expansion 
  dangerously near the old university, and underscores 
  the possibility that the bugs might one day burrow 
  accidentally into the old tunnels and catch the tribe 
  by surprise.
  076. CRASH SITE (EL 5)
  The ruins here appear to have been blasted ﬂat 
  by something striking the earth at high velocity.  
  Resting amid the rubble of a collapsed building 
  is the wreckage of a large ﬂying vehicle of a kind 
  you’ve never seen before.  Badly damaged, it 
  looks like it will never take to the air again.
  Squatting on six arachnoid legs just a few 
  meters outside the vehicle is a metallic “spider,” 
  its surface covered in armor plate and bristling 
  with weapons.
  This hex marks the location of a lost Foundation 
  ﬂying vehicle (a “Wraith;” see The Foundationists for 
  more on this futuristic craft) that went down carrying 
  a load of elite paladins and their support robot during 
  a midnight against the Hive.  This vehicle crashed 
  due to mechanical difﬁculties, slamming into a 
  nearby building as it came down.  The paladins on 
  board were killed in the crash, but the robot ― a 
  Hunter infantry support robot ― managed to extract 
  itself from the wreckage.  The Hunter continues with 
  its last directive: to guard the crash site until a rescue 
  mission arrives.  Unfortunately the Foundationists 
  assumed the craft (and the occupants) were lost, and 
  thus the robot will maintain its vigil indeﬁnitely.
  If the PCs show themselves, the Hunter will spend 
  one round trying to identify them with visual sensors, 
  giving them a chance to identify themselves with the 
  proper numeric code (which of course the PCs won’t 
  have).  Once this round is over, the Hunter assumes 
  the PCs are enemies and attacks to drive them away 
  from the crash site.
  Hunter Infantry Support Robot (1):  HP 48 
  (page 74, The Foundationists).
  Treasure:  If the PCs manage to neutralize the 
  Hunter, they can search the interior of the wrecked 
  Wraith.  Inside they ﬁnd eight dead bodies, three 
  of which are wearing advanced metal armor, while 
  another two wear Mk I Hermes scout armor (the latter 
  suits have only a 1 in 10 chance of being repairable; 
  otherwise they can only be salvaged for spare parts).  
  The other three are unarmored, as these comprised 
  the ﬂight crew.  The dead Foundationists are armed 
  with two laser riﬂes, three Jackhammer Mk3A1 
  shotguns, and three laser pistols, along with three 
  power clips, two power beltpacks, and 90 rounds of 
  12-gauge ammunition.  A ﬁrst aid kid can be found in 
  the passenger compartment, with an additional supply 
  of 2d4 doses of stimshot A.
  
  95
  DOMAIN OF THE 
  FLESH EATERS
  Some of the most decrepit slums 
  of old Los Angeles make up 
  what is now known as the “Domain 
  of the Flesh Eaters” ― a congested and dirty part 
  of the Necropolis whose maze of streets, alleys, and 
  sprawling tenement blocks make the ideal refuge for 
  ghouls.
  The cities of Compton and Carson became the 
  haven of ghouls years ago as the rise of the Serpent 
  Gods pushed them out of the more desirable 
  downtown areas.  The ghouls came here licking their 
  wounds, but soon found the decrepit slums much to 
  their liking.  Over the years the tribes of wild and 
  savage ghouls made many homes and dens among 
  the crumbling blocks, making use of the network of 
  sewers that run throughout the neighborhood as a 
  refuge in case of attack.
  Conﬁdent in their security, the ghouls came to 
  dominate this part of the city, striking out at other 
  communities that came into contact with them.  
  When the Raiders of Kruel the Conqueror probed 
  their eastern frontier, the ghouls found them to be 
  easy prey, and fattened up on the foolhardy groups of 
  bandits that often came too near their domain.  And 
  though when the Purist enclave reached the surface 
  they immediately erected barriers to keep the ghouls 
  out, the ghouls proved too clever; they managed to 
  ﬁnd secret paths through the trapped and treacherous 
  “No-Man’s Land” to prey on livestock and the odd 
  Purist patrol.
  In time the ghouls expanded their hunting 
  elsewhere.  Using the old sewers, and burrowing 
  through the earth with tools fashioned from the bones 
  of murdered prey, the ghouls created an impressive 
  network of underground passages connecting their 
  domain in old Compton to other sites across the 
  city.  Using these tunnels, the ghouls were able to 
  move large packs of hunters unseen to strike at other 
  city factions with impunity, often inside their own 
  fortiﬁcations!
  
  96
  But the days of the ghouls’ golden era of terror 
  were numbered.  When the Raider empire fell before 
  the might of the Hive, the insectoids continued 
  to sweep westward, unimpressed by the rag-tag 
  armies the ghouls mustered to “frighten” them off.  
  Over-conﬁdent and ﬁlled with disdain for the other 
  inhabitants they had so long preyed upon, the ghoul 
  armies sent to ﬁght these relentless attackers were 
  crushed soundly, one after the other.
  Eventually the leader of the ghoul enclave, a 
  powerful ghoul known as the “Putrid Leader,” led his 
  largest (and last) army into battle, hoping to cause 
  such injury as to dissuade the Hive from further 
  aggression.  What might have turned the tide of the 
  war instead ended in a sound defeat, as the slings, 
  javelins, and bone clubs of the Putrid Leader’s armies 
  merely bounced off the armor of the bug hordes.  In 
  the end the would-be ghoul empire collapsed, its 
  many tribes dissolving virtually overnight.  Dashing 
  off in panic, many of these ghouls collapsed the old 
  tunnels behind them to prevent the Hive’s bugs from 
  pursuing them, and in doing so irreversibly scattered 
  their people to the far corners of the city.
  Today there are many ghoul tribes in the 
  Necropolis, but there is little chance they will 
  ever come together as they did in the past.  While 
  gatherings of assorted tribes do occur (see “Ghoul 
  Town,” Area #040), so many fractures have occurred 
  as a result of the Putrid Leader’s defeat that the 
  tribes will probably never again rise under one single 
  leader.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  The Domain of the Flesh Eaters is eerily silent most 
  of the time, as its secret inhabitants prefer to remain 
  unheard and unseen.  Though the ghouls tend to 
  lay low to avoid drawing the attention of the Hive, 
  encounters with the rare band of desperate ghouls 
  may still occur; most encounters will involve ghouls 
  in one way or another.
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 
  10.  Roll on the table below to determine the nature 
  of a random encounter.  Individual encounters are 
  detailed in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  RANDOM ENCOUNTER
  1
  Quake!
  2-3
  Radio Trick
  4-5
  Ghoul Bait
  6-7
  Ghouls
  8-9
  Random Noises (Surface)
  10-11
  Corpses
  12-13
  Strange Spoor (Surface)
  14-15
  Rat Swarm
  16
  Trapped Building
  17
  Mineﬁeld
  18
  Wild Men
  19
  Open Warfare
  20
  Weird Weather
  077. AA EMPLACEMENT (EL 0)
  A small park sits up ahead, its ancient trees 
  withered to cracked stumps.  The rubble from a 
  nearby building covers half the green, where it 
  was apparently hit by an air-to-ground missile.
  A badly damaged vehicle wreck sits in the 
  park, but there is no one present.
  This park was used as an ad hoc anti-aircraft missile 
  site during the battle for Los Angeles.  The vehicle 
  in the center of the park is an Avenger (this vehicle 
  is detailed in Charles Rice’s Blood and Guts series 
  of d20 modern supplements; statistics for it are 
  included in the Blood and Guts sidebar. If prefer, use 
  a standard hummer instead).  The vehicle has 1d2 
  Stinger missiles left in its launchers, but is so badly 
  damaged that it must be successfully repaired before 
  either it or its missiles can be operated.
  TRAVELING THROUGH THE GHOUL ENCLAVE
  The Domain of the Flesh Eaters, despite its name, is largely abandoned now.  Once the Hive crushed the 
  ghoul enclave they left, and only return now and again to forage for building materials. Bug patrols are thus 
  probably more common than ghoul sightings.
  Still, the ghouls merely remain hidden because it’s smart to do so when the bugs are around.  By night, 
  the ghouls take to the streets in stealthy packs, looking for prey (or for other ghoul clans to ambush in their 
  never-ending territorial squabbles).
  PCs passing through this region are likely to see recent signs of ghoul activity: footprints, smoldering 
  bonﬁres, the remains of fresh kills, the rotting heads of half-eaten prey stuck on poles to delineate one 
  ghoul tribe’s territory from another’s.  Entrances to the sewers stand open everywhere: old subway 
  entrances, manholes, even holes blasted in the streets.  By night the silent streets come alive with the sound 
  of haunting moans, wicked cackling, and the scampering of ghouls and their well-fed rat packs.
  
  97
  078. GHOUL HIDEOUT (EL VARIES)
  A small band of ghouls has managed to avoid Hive 
  patrols by living in the sewers in this hex.  This band, 
  formerly part of the larger ghoul enclave that once 
  dominated this part of the city, managed to survive by 
  ﬂeeing instead of ﬁghting.
  The tribe has grown lean in recent months, largely 
  due to the fact that all life ﬂed the area as the Hive 
  took over.  The ghouls have been forced to live on 
  rats, and cannibalism of their own numbers is on 
  the menu at least once a week.  They have tried 
  expanding their hunting grounds to the west, but 
  too many of their numbers were lost to Purist traps 
  along the enclave’s frontier. They are similarly loath 
  to hunt to the south, where a number of their kind 
  have vanished—victims of the enigmatic Sightless 
  Stalkers.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The tribe is led by two twins, 
  super ghouls known as “Tic” and “Tac.”  These two 
  cowardly curs only barely “lead,” using their above-
  average intelligence to fool the other ghouls into 
  thinking they are better off in Tic and Tac’s company.  
  In reality, Tic and Tac merely want the other ghouls 
  around as extra eyes and ears, especially now that 
  they’ve begun wandering into Sightless Stalker 
  territory (they’re actually terriﬁed of those ghostly 
  hunters).  Both super ghouls are just as likely to let 
  their “followers” tie down an attacker as they ﬂee 
  as they are to stay and coordinate a defense of their 
  hideout.
  Tic and Tac (Super Ghoul Strong Hero 3):  CR 10; 
  Large Giant; HD 9d8+27 plus 3d8+9; HP 90; Mas 17; 
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 
  15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural, +2 class); BAB +9; 
  Grap +19; Atk +14 melee (1d10+6, greatclub), +10 
  ranged (2d6+6, thrown rock); Full Atk +8 melee 
  (1d6+6, bite), +10 ranged (2d6+6, thrown rock); 
  FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ photosensitive, 
  thermal sight, rock throwing; AL none; SV Fort +11, 
  Ref +5, Will +6; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 23, Dex 12, Con 
  17, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12.
  Skills:  Climb +11, Decipher Script +4, Hide +1, 
  Jump +11, Knowledge (Tactics) +5, Listen +5, Move 
  Silently +5, Search +4, Spot +5, Survival +6 (+14 
  when tracking), Swim +8.
  Feats:  Cleave, Power Attack, Track.
  Possessions:  Bone greatclub, 1d2 large rocks.
  The ghoul pack here is rather small, comprised of just 
  19 Necropolis ghouls, most of them cowardly and 
  pathetic ﬁghters (none qualify as veterans).  They 
  keep no signiﬁcant treasure.
  Tic:  HP 90.
  Tac:  HP 90.
  Necropolis Ghouls (19):  HP 12.
  079. CONSTRUCTION ROBOT (EL 1)
  The sound of slow methodic construction 
  echoes through the streets in this area.
  Dwelling in this hex, deep in some of the most 
  heavily-damaged neighborhoods of the city, is a 
  battered and ancient labor android who has been 
  isolated here for almost 200 years.  The android—
  nicknamed “Fred”—was just one of thousands 
  of such robots found in the employ of major 
  construction companies throughout the city during 
  the time of the Ancients.  Complementing human 
  workers with their strength and tirelessness, these 
  robots served as heavy lifters and helpers, their 
  disposable nature making them ideal for taking the 
  risks that their human masters preferred to avoid.
  Ironically Fred outlived his human masters, as 
  well as his fellow construction workers.  When the 
  city of Los Angeles came under attack most of the 
  civilians tried to ﬂee, but Fred, without anywhere to 
  go, remained.  He survived the initial nuclear attacks 
  (which claimed most of the city’s inhabitants) with 
  only minor damage to his tough titanium shell and 
  lived through the long years since, unaffected by the 
  prolonged nuclear winter that killed so many other 
  organic lifeforms in the city.
  Without anything else to do (and possessing only 
  a limited level of artiﬁcial intelligence) Fred has 
  remained, continuing the task of building.  Having 
  ﬁnished the building he was originally tasked to 
  construct, he has taken it upon himself to start 
  rebuilding the city brick by brick, an unrealistic task 
  that has occupied his simple robotic mind for more 
  than two centuries.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Though Fred has become 
  preoccupied with the futile task of rebuilding the 
  ruins, over the years his below-average intelligence 
  has developed a free will of its own.  He has 
  grown bored, and should he encounter humanoid 
  PCs he will greet them and inform them of his 
  accomplishments so far—and the projected time it 
  will take to complete the city’s reconstruction (“1,891 
  years... assuming the other workers fail to show up 
  for work as usual”).  With a sigh that seems almost 
  truly “tired” he will admit an eagerness for company 
  and conversation, but in truth he is relatively stupid 
  by human standards and possesses only a limited 
  BLOOD AND GUTS VEHICLES
  Name
  Crew
  Pass
  Cargo
  Init
  Man.
  Top Speed
  Def.
  Hard.
  HP
  Size
  Cost
  Craft DC
  Avenger
  2
  0
  0
  -2
  -1
  100 (10)
  8
  8
  40
  H
  8,000 cp 
  25
  M-98A2
  1
  8
  2000 lb.
  -2
  -2
  120 (12)
  8
  8
  40
  H
  10,000 cp
  25
  
  98
  vocabulary and conversation database (he was 
  programmed to be a “buddy” to blue-collar workers, 
  after all).  Still, if the PCs share their plans with him, 
  he will ﬁnd them inﬁnitely more interesting than his 
  current task, and offer to join them.
  Fred is only vaguely humanoid in shape, with a 
  large spherical metal body from which spidery arms 
  and legs sprout (these telescope out to allow him to 
  reach places usually inaccessible from the ground).  
  Lonely and chatty, he could make an interesting 
  addition to the party.  However, though he means 
  well, his naivety and simple nature means he walks 
  and talks loudly, doesn’t think before he acts, and 
  could bring could inadvertently bring more harm 
  than help to the party.  What’s worse, being a simple-
  minded labor model he doesn’t learn well, and could 
  get himself—and the other party members—killed.
  Fred (Android Smart Hero 2):  CR 2; Large 
  Android Construct; HD 2d10 plus 20; HP 31; Mas 0; 
  Init -2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 8, touch 8, ﬂatfooted 10 
  (-1 size, -2 Dex, +1 class); BAB +1; Grap +8; Atk 
  +3 melee (1d10+3, sledgehammer), or -2 ranged (by 
  weapon); FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 15 ft; SQ android 
  traits, DR 2/energy, loud; AL Androids; SV Fort +0, 
  Ref -2, Will +3; AP 1; Rep +1; Str 17, Dex 7, Con 0, 
  Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Laborer Android (Craft 
  [mechanical], Craft [structural]).
  Features and Deteriorations:  Advanced 
  Materials, Behemoth, Telescopic Limbs, Corrupted 
  Memory, Loud.
  Skills:  Computer Use +9, Craft (electronic) +2, 
  Craft (mechanical) +10, Craft (structural) +12, 
  Demolitions +7, Knowledge (Civics) +7, Knowledge 
  (Physical Sciences) +2, Knowledge (Technology) +7, 
  Move Silently -8, Navigate +7, Repair +9.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Builder (Craft 
  [mechanical], Craft [structural]), Free Will, Gearhead.
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Craft [structural]).
  Possessions:  Sledgehammer, multipurpose tool, 
  tool belt.
  Fred is totally unrelated to the Androids of the Los 
  Angeles Harbor area, but if he should learn of their 
  existence he will insist on going there to try and make 
  contact.  This could be dangerous for the PCs, and 
  Fred will eventually try to head there regardless of 
  warnings.  The robots there will see Fred as useful, 
  however, and will accept him and reprogram him 
  to serve as a worker at the Android Base Complex 
  (Area #059 for more on the android complex).  If 
  this occurs, the PCs will lose Fred as a follower 
  permanently.
  Smart PCs could use Fred as an opportunity to get 
  into the android factory complex.  Placing hidden 
  cameras on him, or perhaps even planting a bomb 
  inside his body, could allow the PCs to get a glimpse 
  inside the factory’s perimeter, or strike a crippling 
  blow against the main factory without risking a raid 
  on the compound.
  Fred:  HP 31.
  080. TRIBE OF THE BURROWERS (EL 
  VARIES)
  This hex marks the general location of a tribe of 
  ghouls that sticks, by and large, to the warrens 
  underneath this part of the city.  After witnessing 
  ﬁrsthand the devastating power of the Hive, these 
  survivors of the old ghoul enclave wisely abandoned 
  the surface altogether, keeping carefully to the maze 
  of sewer tunnels beneath the ruins.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The leader of this tribe of 
  “burrowers” is Krakkrak Bonesnapper, a former 
  “general” of the great ghoul enclave whose army was 
  destroyed in the last battle against the Hive.  Fleeing 
  for his life, Krakkrak thought it best to preserve 
  him even if the great enclave could not be saved.  
  Krakkrak has managed to keep his loyal followers 
  alive by fostering the same philosophy in them, while 
  also developing surprise attacks and hit-and-run 
  tactics that keep his people one step ahead of their 
  enemies.
  Krakkrak has a reputation for sadism and savagery, 
  even among ghouls.  He takes particular delight in 
  breaking every bone in a captive’s body, giggling 
  over every pained scream and whimper, before 
  eating her alive (once she is unable to move).  He 
  uses creative new ways to achieve this every time: 
  crushing his prey under a great weight, using 
  elaborate vises, or simply taking a sledgehammer to 
  the poor victim.
  In hand-to-hand combat, Krakkrak tears at enemies 
  with abnormally long, dirt-caked claws that writhe 
  with live earthworms and stink of ﬁlth.
  Krakkrak Bonesnapper (Mutant Strong Hero 
  3/Fast Hero 2/Horde Warrior 5 [B&L]):  CR 10; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 2d8+2 
  plus 5d10+5 plus 3; HP 64; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 
  35 ft; Defense 21, touch 21, ﬂatfooted 19 (+0 
  size, +2 Dex, +9 class); BAB +9; Grap +12; Atk 
  +13 melee (1d8+5, claw), or +12 melee (1d10+5, 
  sledgehammer), or +11 ranged (by weapon); Full Atk 
  +9/+5 melee (1d8+5, 2 claws); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 
  5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, claws, darkvision, 
  cannibalism, blindness in light; AL Burrowers; SV 
  Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3; AP 5; Rep +1; Str 17, Dex 
  14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Predator (Move Silently).
  Background:  Tribal (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Claws x2, Sensitive 
  Sight, Cannibalism x2, Photosensitivity.
  
  99
  Skills:  Climb +16, Craft (structural) +6, Escape 
  Artist +4, Hide +6, Jump +10, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +2, Knowledge (Tactics) +2, Move Silently 
  +7, Survival +3, Tumble +9.
  Feats:  Improved Grab, Pack Tactics [B&L], 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Rend, Run, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Toughness, 
  Track, Weapon Focus (claws).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Talents (Horde Warrior [B&L]):  Flank Attack 
  +1d6, Shared Glory, Flank Attack +2d6, Improved 
  Feint.
  Possessions:  Sledgehammer, 2d6 jeweled 
  engagement rings (each worth 10-80 cp), compass.
  The 47 Burrower ghouls under Krakkrak 
  Bonesnapper are a stealthy pack, and their statistics 
  differ from those of average Necropolis ghouls.  They 
  travel solely underground and are adept at burrowing; 
  when confronted by a collapsed tunnel or other 
  subterranean obstacle, they are quick to dig around it.  
  They also use their digging skills to tunnel under and 
  past defenses, or to emerge suddenly in the middle of 
  an unsuspecting enemy camp.
  Krakkrak Bonesnapper:  HP 64.
  Burrower Ghouls (47):  HP 30.
  Development:  If the PCs manage to defeat 
  Krakkrak in battle, he begs pitifully to be spared.  
  In exchange for his life he offers to give the PCs 
  directions to two potentially interesting sites: 
  Willowbrook Medical Center (Area #081), which he 
  says is inhabited only by “some mangy wild men,” 
  and La Mirada Police Station (Area #087,) which he 
  believes (incorrectly) to be abandoned.
  081. WILLOWBROOK MEDICAL 
  CENTER (EL 5)
  The ruins of an Ancient-era medical complex 
  stand here, crumbling from damage inﬂicted 
  by the Fall and by centuries of unforgiving 
  seismic activity.
  This large hospital complex was a state-of-the-
  art emergency and long-term treatment center 
  during the height of the Ancients.  Like several 
  other such facilities in the Los Angeles area, 
  it was used during the Fall for the emergency 
  treatment of soldiers injured on the frontlines.
  To anyone approaching from outside, the 
  complex appears to be abandoned.  Two police 
  cruisers sit in the lot outside, as well as an M-
  998A2 (the ambulance variant of the Humvee, 
  described Blood and Guts.  Statistics for this 
  vehicle are included in the Blood and Guts 
  sidebar.  If prefer, simply use the statistics for a 
  battle hummer) and a regular ambulance (treat 
  as a moving truck).  Use the Looting Police Cars 
  sidebar to determine the contents of the two 
  police cruisers, and the nearby Looting Ambulances 
  sidebar to determine the contents of the M-998A2 
  and ambulance.
  The old halls, operating rooms, nurse stations, and 
  patient blocks are empty, home only to a small band 
  of 11 wild men who spend their days here playing 
  with old rusted equipment and smashing the remnants 
  of advanced medical machinery.  The wild men are 
  territorial and consider the hospital “theirs,” but will 
  ﬂee any party that exhibits a willingness to ﬁght (i.e. 
  shoots at them and kills at least one of their number).
  Wild Men (11):  HP 18.
  Treasure:  The wild men keep no treasure, but 
  their rampant vandalism hasn’t destroyed everything 
  in the hospital.  A search taking a full 24 hours will 
  uncover 2d4 rolls on Table 6: Juju.  The cafeteria still 
  contains 2d12 ready meals that haven’t yet spoiled, 
  but is otherwise thoroughly ransacked.
  Development:  Any loud noise here (such as a 
  gunshot) has a 1 in 6 chance of drawing the attention 
  of a patrol of 1d6+4 swarm bugs and 1d2 mutant 
  bug thinkers en route to the old Artillery Firebase at 
  Area #105.  Only one patrol will divert to check out 
  the noise, and will attack anyone it ﬁnds here.
  LOOTING AMBULANCES
  Ambulances are easily spotted among the old city 
  streets, often bearing the universal symbol for a 
  medical vehicle ― the red cross ― on its exterior.  
  PCs may soon recognize ambulances as potential 
  troves of useful “juju,” and loot them accordingly.
  Whenever the PCs encounter an ambulance there 
  is a 50% chance that it has useful equipment inside.  
  If this is the case, roll twice on the following table to 
  determine the combined contents of the vehicle.
  D20
  Contents
  1-3
  First aid kit
  4-6
  Medical kit
  7-9
  Battery-ﬂood ﬂashlight (with power cell)
  10-12 Professional walkie-talkie (with power cell)
  13-15 1d3+1 doses of hemochem in ready syringes
  16-18 1d3 doses of antitox in ready syringes
  19
  1d2 cans of wound-healing medi-spray
  20
  1d2 doses of sustainer shot in ready syringes
  
  100
  082. ULGAR’S TRIBE (EL VARIES)
  The early gloaming of dusk sets over this part 
  of the city, but the evening is far from silent.  The 
  deep, resonant clang of drums and the distant 
  sounds of bloodthirsty revelry echo through the 
  darkness, evidence that a tribe of some sort has 
  laid claim to this region...
  One of the largest and most powerful tribes of 
  ghouls dwells in this hex, dominating their particular 
  part of the ruins through cruelty, savagery, and an 
  uncharacteristic fearlessness of their neighbors.  
  This sprawling clan has single-handedly proven the 
  resilience and stubbornness of the Necropolis’ ghoul 
  “infestation,” bouncing back from what seemed the 
  inevitable destruction of their race at the hands of the 
  insidious Hive.
  The ghouls living here are hunters and predators, 
  as well as brave ﬁghters.  Their leader Ulgar has 
  instilled in them a potent hope: that with training 
  and discipline they can rise to become superior to 
  all enemies, including the Hive’s endless waves of 
  warriors.  Ulgar has lent some credibility to this 
  claim by leading his men to victory over several Hive 
  patrols in a series of brutal ambushes.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The leader of these ﬁerce 
  ghouls is a powerful ghoul warrior known as Ulgar 
  Red-Eye, a mutant cannibal who once served under 
  the Putrid Leader whose empire was crushed by the 
  onslaught of the Hive.  Though many of the ghoul 
  tribes under the Putrid Leader’s dominion scattered 
  and ﬂed, dissolving the empire virtually overnight, 
  Ulgar has remained and continues the ﬁght against 
  the Hive.
  Ulgar is a horrendous killer, a savage warrior 
  who has kept the ghouls under him loyal through 
  a combination of punishments and rewards.  He 
  promises his followers security, and has thus far 
  provided it.  Rather intelligent for a ghoul, Ulgar has 
  revived his people’s morale through aggression and 
  unforgiving violence.  Attacking anyone and anything 
  that violates their self-proclaimed territory, they take 
  no prisoners and expect no quarter.  Having fought 
  the Hive for years, they know any surrender will 
  only result in a slow and agonizing death for each 
  and every one of them.  They also realize that any 
  retreat will only mean a fall from glory that would 
  leave them no better than the simpering cowards that 
  abandoned them and consigned the ghoul race to the 
  role of “the hunted.”
  Ulgar is a powerful ghoul with a streak of racism; 
  he believes ghouls to be superior to the Hive, the 
  Broken Ones, and the Purists.  Smart enough to 
  entertain thoughts of conquest, Ulgar dreams of 
  rebuilding the ghoul enclave to its former glory, and 
  destroying those who continue to keep it fractured.  
  He has a particularly terrible fate planned for the 
  other ghoul clans in the city, whom he considers 
  cowards and traitors (and whom he blames for 
  causing their people’s downfall).
  While he is a powerful ﬁghter, Ulgar keeps at his 
  side two super ghouls, tethered by chains.  He does 
  this to openly show his disdain for this new race of 
  ghouls, and to show that his kind is still superior.  
  Ulgar has had both super ghouls lobotomized, and 
  both are thus much less intelligent than normal super 
  ghouls.  They ﬁght like vicious dogs to protect their 
  master.
  Ulgar Red-Eye (Mutant Strong Hero 8/Guardian 
  2/Champion 3):  CR 13; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 8d8+8 plus 2d10+2 plus 3d12+3 plus 3; HP 83; 
  Mas 13; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 26, touch 18, 
  ﬂatfooted 25 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +7 class, +4 natural, 
  +4 equipment); BAB +13; Grap +15; Atk +16 melee 
  (1d10+5, greatclub), or +14 ranged (by weapon); FS 
  5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, 
  cannibalism; AL Ulgar’s Tribe; SV Fort +9, Ref +6, 
  Will +6; AP 6; Rep +1; Str 15, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 
  14, Wis 8, Cha 9.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Protective Dermal 
  Development, Serrated Dental Development, 
  Aberrant Deformity, Cannibalism.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Disguise -7, Intimidate +16, 
  Jump +11, Knowledge (Current Events) +11, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +18, Listen +6, Move Silently 
  +12, Search +3, Sense Motive +1, Spot +3.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Cleave, Great Cleave, 
  Intimidating Strength*, Iron Will, Natural Armor 
  Expertise, Power Attack, Primitive Technology, 
  Ritual Scariﬁcation [B&L], Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Toughness, War Chant [B&L].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash, Advanced Melee Smash, Extreme 
  Effort.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (greatclub).
  Talents (Champion):  Rallying Cry +2, Improved 
  Tactical Aid.
  Possessions:  Bone greatclub, leather armor, 
  necklace made from 14 Morgan silver dollars looped 
  on a cord (worth 50 cp), two juju potions (1d4+2).
  Ulgar is personally served by 2 super ghouls, while 
  his tribe consists of 137 Necropolis ghouls and 45 
  Necropolis ghoul veterans.  His ghouls are known to 
  lead packs of trained rat dogs into battle, and have 16 
  rat dogs at their disposal.
  Ulgar Red-Eye:  HP 83.
  Super Ghouls (2):  HP 67.
  
  101
  Necropolis Ghouls (137):  HP 12.
  Necropolis Ghoul Veterans (45):  HP 28.
  Rat Dogs (16):  HP 11.
  Treasure:  Ulgar hordes treasure, using his 
  collection of artifacts as a sign of status over the 
  other tribes.  Unfortunately he doesn’t know how 
  to use a lot of the items, and merely keeps them 
  around because they’re “fancy.”  These items include 
  a portable detection radar, a power beltpack, a 
  plutonium clip (1d10 charges left), and an atom gun.
  083. ABANDONED COMMUNITY (EL 0)
  A rotting wooden palisade, demolished in 
  places, surrounds a small settlement nestled here 
  among the ruins.  Stubborn growths of vegetation 
  cling to the decaying logs, along with sickly 
  patches of fungus.  Your arrival is met only by 
  silence.
  This site is obviously the ruins of a post-Fall 
  community, whose primitive inhabitants attempted to 
  survive in the Necropolis despite its many dangers.  
  Whoever they were, they are gone now, leaving 
  behind an empty settlement that has suffered greatly 
  from the elements.
  This settlement is only one of several of its kind, 
  its existence here marking the extinction of unknown 
  survivors of the Fall who, at one point or another in 
  the city’s history, tried to band together against its 
  mutant horrors.  It is unclear what exactly caused 
  their downfall ― they may have been overrun by 
  monsters, sacked by other hostile survivors, or might 
  even have abandoned their community in response 
  to an outbreak of a plague (if it’s relevant, feel free 
  to determine the exact nature of the abandonment 
  yourself).
  GM’s Note:  The old compound is large but 
  badly decayed and damaged, its primary structures 
  slowly disintegrating over time.  It is uninhabited 
  (and anything of value it may have once held was 
  looted long ago), but the PCs could make it an ad 
  hoc base of operations if they are so inclined, using 
  its collapsing buildings as shelter to rest, recuperate, 
  or simply cache treasures they’ve found on their 
  forays into the ruins.  Nearby groups (such as the 
  Burrowers, Ulgar’s Tribe, and various ghost raider 
  survivors) have long assumed the compound to be 
  empty, and thus may overlook the party’s presence if 
  they come here to hide.
  084. PESTILENT ONES (EL VARIES)
  Rat spoor can be seen everywhere here, and 
  the fat furry creatures sit brazenly on sidewalks, 
  on the rusted ruins of abandoned cars, and even 
  on the nearby rooftops of this neighborhood.
  A small tribe of ghouls lives in this area, barely 
  managing to get by on what little prey they can 
  hunt.  To adapt, the ghouls have learned to befriend 
  and train the inordinate rat population infesting 
  the neighborhood, and even adopt them as equal 
  members of their tribe.
  These ghouls, known to other ghoul clans as the 
  “Pestilent Ones,” cohabitate with rats in an unusual 
  ratio; there are by far more rats than ghouls.  For 
  some reason the ghouls venerate the rats, whom they 
  claim have saved their lives on numerous occasions.  
  In truth the ghouls, starving after their ancient ghoul 
  enclave was destroyed by the Hive, learned how to 
  ﬁnd food by observing the swarms of rats.  In time 
  the rats grew accustomed to the ghouls, and to this 
  day they have an almost symbiotic relationship.
  While other ghouls may herd rat swarms before 
  them to absorb the brunt of an enemy’s resistance, 
  using them as cannon-fodder, the Pestilent Ones do 
  not.  Every Pestilent One has 1-2 rat “companions,” 
  each with its own name, which the ghoul dotes over 
  day and night.
  The Pestilent Ones tribe of 43 Necropolis ghouls 
  generally sticks to an old subway station located in 
  this neighborhood, preferring to live underground.  
  The vermin (which consist of 500 rats and 11 rat 
  dogs), however, live in the old sewer tunnels, in the 
  station, and on the surface with equal indifference 
  towards intruders.
  A common tactic of the Pestilent Ones involves 
  digging deep, concealed pits throughout their domain.  
  Witless victims falling into a pit trigger small strings 
  of alarm bells that echo through the broken sewer 
  pipes and alert the ghouls.  Eventually the ghouls 
  come to investigate; if prey is found inside, they 
  begin tossing handfuls of rats down into the hole, 
  literally burying the prey alive as the rats slowly bite 
  him or her to death.  Once the victim dies and the rats 
  have had their ﬁll, the ghouls climb down and gnaw 
  what’s left from the bones.
  Necropolis Ghouls (43):  HP 12.
  Rats (500):  HP 1 (see d20 Modern).
  Rat Dogs (11):  HP 11.
  085. LOST MUTAGON GRAVEYARD (EL 
  0)
  This area has been burned and trampled 
  ﬂat over time, leaving a broad and shallow 
  clearing between ancient buildings interspersed 
  with broken outcroppings of rock.  Stubborn 
  vegetation grows on the face of many of the 
  broken ruins nearby, but what lies in the center 
  of it all is the most striking sight.
  Scattered through the enormous, rock-strewn 
  clearing are the colossal skeletons of some three 
  
  102
  dozen creatures, each of which must have been 
  at least thirty feet long and weighed several tons 
  in life.  They have been picked clean by vultures, 
  exposing huge bony heads with massive sword-
  like teeth and horn-like ridges on their spines.  
  Though they must have once been terrifying, now 
  they are merely piles of inanimate bones, their 
  ribs standing like the ivory bars of empty cages 
  in this unsettling place of silent death.
  This hex contains a “lost mutagon graveyard,” 
  where the last great lizards of the Necropolis came 
  to die when age and injury made their continued 
  existence too painful to bear.  Mutagons (enormous 
  creatures that once dominated the ruins) came to 
  this ancestral cemetery for over a century to lay 
  with their ancestors.  Eventually their numbers 
  dwindled to such insigniﬁcant levels that their 
  pathetic descendants, unable to continue their legacy 
  of dominion, scattered into the ruins just to survive.  
  Since then the memory of the graveyard has been 
  lost, but here it remains, awaiting their return.
  There is no treasure here, though the bones of 
  the 30+ mutagons here might be useful for making 
  mastercraft bone weapons and armor (assuming the 
  PCs can ﬁnd someone with the ability to make bone 
  armor).
  086. PIT OF HORRORS (EL VARIES)
  First came the stench ― a nauseating vapor 
  that hit you as hard as a wall of stone.  Then 
  came the sound ― hundreds if not thousands 
  of ﬂies buzzing angrily in the air.  Now, as the 
  stench and sound become unbearable, the ruins 
  give way to an enormous pit plummeting deep 
  into the earth.
  Ringing this huge hole are piles of loose soil 
  and an impressive collection of bones, evidently 
  snapped and gnawed upon by powerful jaws.  
  Flaps of leathery ﬂesh still cling to some.  
  Bright white maggots writhe in clumps of meat 
  still visible through the ribcages of scattered, 
  unidentiﬁable skeletons.  The ﬂies buzz wildly 
  here, creating ever-shifting clouds overhead that 
  almost obscure the sky.
  From inside the gulf you hear a low, inhuman 
  moan.  Then another.  Then another....
  This is the infamous “Pit of Horrors,” a site known 
  to many local inhabitants of the Necropolis as a 
  place to stay well away from.  Dangerously close to 
  the downtown area known as the Acropolis of the 
  Serpent Gods, this site is believed to be visited by 
  those mysterious monsters on occasion.  It is here, 
  they say, that the Serpent Gods dispose of their 
  unwanted experiments, who either live or die in the 
  deep recesses of the Pit.
  The stories behind the Pit are true, but what most 
  inhabitants (including the Serpent Gods) don’t realize 
  is that these failed experiments (known as Horrors) 
  often manage to ﬁnd a way out of the Pit of Horrors.  
  Though most are killed when they are thrown down 
  the Pit (it is forty feet deep), a few manage to survive 
  and claw their way out, inch by inch.
  Anyone coming within 100 feet of the Pit of 
  Horrors must make a Fortitude save at DC 20 or 
  become nauseated for 1d2 hours.  Even if this save is 
  successful, the character is shaken for 1d10 minutes.  
  In addition, the clouds of ﬂies here incur a -2 penalty 
  to Spot checks and a -4 penalty to Listen checks at all 
  times.
  Living near the Pit is a large congregation of 5d6 
  horrors, though these creatures will remain hidden 
  if they detect the approach of PCs (otherwise the PCs 
  will see them crawling pathetically about, feeding off 
  of maggots and scavenging for meat leftovers still 
  rotting on the bones around the area).  The horrors 
  stick to the shadows, watching and sizing the party 
  up.  If they outnumber the group by at least 3:1, 
  they will muster their numbers and attack, crawling 
  miserably from all directions, hoping to encircle the 
  party.  They will ﬁght until the party kills one-third 
  of their number, at which point they will turn and try 
  to ﬂee.
  Trapped at the bottom of the Pit are an additional 
  2d4 horrors.  These creatures moan continuously, 
  hoping someone ― anyone ― will either let them 
  out of the Pit or foolishly descend into its depths.  
  If a character should enter the Pit, these desperate 
  creatures swarm forward to attack as soon as she hits 
  the bottom, ﬁghting to the last of their number for a 
  chance at something to devour.
  Horrors (7-38):  HP 18.
  Development:  Though the PCs might be tempted 
  to await the arrival of a suspected Serpent God 
  patrol en route to dump their experiments, this won’t 
  happen.  The Serpent Gods come here only rarely 
  these days, so if the PCs want to catch a glimpse of 
  these enigmatic monsters they’re going to have to go 
  downtown to get it.
  On the other hand, scouts from the Hive come 
  here on occasion to hunt the horrors, bringing them 
  back to their bughills as hosts for their larvae.  Any 
  time the PCs come here there is a 1 in 6 chance that a 
  small patrol of 3d4 mutant bug guardians is either 
  already present, or will come upon the scene as the 
  PCs ﬁght the horrors.  In either case, the mutant bugs 
  will attack the PCs and the horrors alike, hoping to 
  acquire new incubators for their young!
  Any PCs captured by the Hive will be taken 
  to Hive A (Area #025) and interred in individual 
  honeycombs.
  
  103
  087. LA MIRADA POLICE STATION (EL 
  VARIES)
  A decaying building sits here, bearing 
  evidence of past battle damage.
  This police station was abandoned during the chaos 
  of the Fall, when ofﬁcers stationed here either ﬂed 
  their posts or were overwhelmed by the panicking 
  populace.  Whatever happened, over the years the 
  station has fallen into disrepair, and is little more than 
  a miserable wreck.
  The building features two main entrances: a public 
  entrance in front and a prisoner loading door in 
  the rear (if a map is needed, use the Typical Police 
  Station map).  The former is unlocked, though it can 
  be manually secured; the latter requires a stage IIIC 
  identity card to open.  Unlike other stations described 
  in this book, however, the alarm here no longer 
  works.
  GM’s Note:  Currently a small group of Ghost 
  Raiders are searching the ruins of the station for 
  weapons, careful not to draw the attention of the Hive 
  (whose forces often prowl in the vicinity, usually on 
  their way toward the Artillery Firebase at Area #105).  
  When the PCs arrive they are spread out inside the 
  building searching for a keycard with which to open 
  the armory door.  They will attack the PCs for control 
  of the building, but will refrain from using their guns 
  (unless the PCs ﬁre ﬁrst) to avoid drawing a Hive 
  patrol to the area.
  The most interesting features of the building, and 
  the dispositions of the raiders, are indicated below:
  Armory (EL 0): The police station has an armory 
  on the ﬁrst ﬂoor.  The door is locked with a special 
  mechanism that requires two separate stage IIIC 
  identity cards to be inserted before it will open.  The 
  door is armored, preventing easy entrance.  Inside 
  are stored 1d10 Beretta 92F pistols, 1d3+1 Mossberg 
  shotguns, 1d2 net guns [F/MG], 1d2 stun pistols, and 
  1d4 stun batons.  There are also two boxes (30) of 
  9mm ammo for each pistol, 30 rounds of 12-gauge 
  ammo for each shotgun, 2 power clips for each stun 
  pistol, and 1 power beltpack for each stun baton.  
  There are no ghost raiders either inside or outside the 
  armory; they have split up throughout the building 
  looking for a keycard to bypass the lock.
  Jails (EL 7): The police station has a small cell 
  block used for holding prisoners awaiting transfer 
  elsewhere.  The jails are all mechanically locked; 
  someone outside the cell block (in an adjoining room) 
  must ﬂip a switch on the main switchboard to open a 
  particular cell’s doors.  Otherwise the jail cells prove 
  to be formidable and secure.  Two ghost raiders have 
  moved to this separate complex and are methodically 
  searching each cell.  One ghost raider is in the hall 
  on guard, while the other searches individual cells.
  Police Robots (EL 0): Police stations before 
  the Fall were assigned a force of police robots to 
  complement their human counterparts.  Kept in small 
  bays where they could be repaired, re-armed, and 
  maintained, the robots assigned to this station were 
  destroyed by rioting civilians after being sent out to 
  try and restore peace.  The bays are empty.
  Ofﬁces (EL 9): Four ghost raiders are split up 
  among the various Ofﬁces: two in the north room on 
  the ﬁrst ﬂoor and two in the southern room.  All of 
  these individuals are busy ransacking ﬁling cabinets 
  and rummaging through desks, so they suffer a -2 
  circumstance penalty on their Listen checks.
  Computer Crimes Division (EL 0): The second 
  ﬂoor room marked Ofﬁce was set aside for the 
  investigation of computer crimes, including hacking, 
  credit card fraud, and child pornography.  There are 
  no ghost raiders present, though the computers here 
  are salvageable for 7,500 cp in spare parts for Craft 
  (electronics) projects.
  Generator (EL 5):  The police station has its own 
  generator in the basement.  One of the ghost raiders 
  has come down here looking for fuel to scavenge 
  for his motorcycle.  However, there is no fuel in the 
  basement and after 10-20 minutes he gives up and 
  joins the others in the Ofﬁces.
  Ghost Raiders (7):  HP 22.
  Development:  Any loud noise (such as a gunshot) 
  here has a 1 in 4 chance of drawing a patrol of 1d6+4 
  swarm bugs and 1d2 mutant bug thinkers en route 
  to the old Artillery Firebase at Area #105.  Only one 
  patrol will divert to check out the noise, and it will 
  attack anyone it ﬁnds here.  If they drive the PCs and 
  ghost raiders off, the bugs also try to loot the armory 
  for their use, and take the computer equipment here 
  for use in their own nefarious reconstruction projects!
  088. GANG HIDEOUT (EL 3)
  Though most of the buildings here look the same 
  (cheap tenements), one was used as a gang hideout 
  during a brief period just before the Fall.  Only if the 
  PCs are actively searching these buildings ﬂat by ﬂat 
  will they will stumble on this considerable ﬁnd.
  This place looks like a dump—the windows are 
  boarded up and the interior is covered with lewd 
  grafﬁti and nudie posters.  But it is immediately 
  obvious that this place was used by gangsters.  
  A sparse kitchen still contains the homemade 
  paraphernalia needed to cook up crack.  In the “living 
  room” is a table made from cardboard boxes that still 
  holds wads of rotting cash ($20,000 in all), and 2-3 
  pizza boxes (the half-eaten contents devoured by rats 
  long ago).  Bottles of drain cleaner, brillo pads, boxes 
  of matches, tin spoons, and other mundane items 
  used in the manufacture of various drugs are scattered 
  about the table.
  
  104
  GM’s Note:  A small pack of 3 rat dogs live in 
  this place, and will attack the PCs if they intrude on 
  their “lair”.
  Rat Dogs (3):  HP 11.
  Treasure:  The PCs could conceivably use the 
  equipment here to begin small-scale production 
  of drugs, which still have a considerable value in 
  the wasteland.  The setup is relatively complete, 
  so anyone with the appropriate Craft (chemical) or 
  Craft (pharmaceutical) skills could get a considerable 
  operation up and running with the apparatus 
  collecting dust in this place.
  089. THE VAST OOZE (EL 15)
  Though at ﬁrst you didn’t notice it, by now 
  it’s too hard to miss: the ashen ruins here are 
  unusually quiet, even for a dead city like the 
  Necropolis.  No birds, no animals, not even the 
  squeak of rats from a nearby sewer grate greets 
  your ears.  Tall buildings, empty intersections, 
  and wind-swept parking lots all stand quiet.  The 
  only sound is the noise of your footsteps as they 
  crunch on the pavement underfoot.
  This hex, and each hex surrounding it, is the domain 
  of a monstrous terrestrial efﬂuvium that has lived in 
  the sewers beneath the city for at least ﬁfty years.  A 
  creation of radiation and pollution, this pitch black, 
  semi-intelligent carnivorous ooze has grown to 
  unprecedented size over the decades by feeding off of 
  sewer rats, stray monsters living on the surface, and 
  even birds and the rare humanoid wandering into its 
  part of the city.
  The terrestrial efﬂuvium lives in a vast series 
  of tunnels underneath this entire area (see Ooze 
  Caverns, Area #176), a single continuous mass 
  of chemical ooze and animate slime that ﬁlls 
  entire sewer passages and caverns.  Thus, it isn’t 
  immediately obvious to those traveling on the surface 
  that they’ve wandered into the territory of a powerful 
  monster!
  The terrestrial efﬂuvium remains underground at 
  all times, unable to bring its considerable mass to the 
  surface.  Instead, it extends elongated pseudopods up 
  tunnels and pipes, inﬁltrating through sewer grates, 
  manholes, and even the plumbing of individual 
  houses and buildings to affect those who move on the 
  surface.  With a dozen or so of its feelers “peeking” 
  through open manholes, out of toilets, or through 
  sewer grates in street gutters, there is a good chance it 
  will spot anyone moving through the indicated hexes.
  Though it is tremendously powerful, the terrestrial 
  efﬂuvium prefers to act subtly.  The PCs shouldn’t 
  realize they are in danger until it is too late, but use 
  subtle hints to keep the area eerie, keeping them on 
  edge.  For example, one moment they might see a 
  bird land near a storm drain; the next moment, when 
  they look back, the bird has vanished, with only a 
  few feathers slowly falling back to the ground where 
  it had been.  Perhaps a single rat passes them as they 
  walk down the street; a second later they hear an 
  abrupt squeak, but when they turn the rat is gone.
  The terrestrial efﬂuvium uses its sinuous 
  pseudopods to snatch creatures from the surface and 
  draw them down beneath the streets to its lairs, to be 
  consumed.  After a few mysterious encounters like 
  the ones suggested above, the PCs should eventually 
  become the target of the terrestrial efﬂuvium’s 
  attention, most likely as they camp in the ruins of an 
  old building.  On edge from what they may or may 
  not have seen traveling in the area, they may fortify 
  the building against outside attackers in hopes of 
  spending a secure night, only to have the terrestrial 
  efﬂuvium rise up through the pipes to strike when and 
  where they least expect it.  The terrestrial efﬂuvium 
  generally tries to attack only when they split up 
  (when one goes to use the bathroom, for instance), 
  grappling a lone individual and trying to drag her 
  back underground.  Even if the PCs can’t ﬁt through 
  the pipes, the terrestrial efﬂuvium will still batter her 
  repeatedly (using its slam) against the opening until 
  she is dead, using its inherent acid to dissolve her 
  enough that she can be “sucked” down the pipes!
  Unless the PCs go underground they probably can’t 
  kill the terrestrial efﬂuvium, but they can hurt it by 
  attacking its pseudopods.  If it suffers enough damage 
  it may give up the attack, giving them time to escape 
  the area.
  Terrestrial Efﬂuvium (1):  472 HP (see d20 
  Modern).
  090. CHOP SHOP (EL 0)
  Tucked into a grafﬁti-strewn alley is what 
  appears to be an old auto repair shop.  By 
  the looks of it the shop must have been out of 
  business even before the Fall.
  Though it looks empty and mundane, this garage was 
  an illegal “chop shop” ― one of probably dozens 
  operating in the L.A. underworld prior to the Fall.
  The door here is locked, requiring a stage IIC 
  identity card to open (it is otherwise a steel door; see 
  d20 Modern).  Once inside, if they examine the other 
  side of the lock, it looks as if someone tried to break 
  it to get out of the building, but ultimately failed 
  to get past the door.  (The PCs may thus wrongly 
  believe that someone else is in the building with 
  them.)
  Treasure:  Upon entering, the PCs ﬁnd numerous 
  fancy cars in the main garage area, in various 
  degrees of being re-assembled and modiﬁed.  These 
  include two BMW M3s, a Lamborghini Diablo, two 
  
  105
  Mercedes E55 AMGs, and a Lincoln Sky King [LP].  
  The components in each vehicle are in top repair 
  (despite their age), but each vehicle requires 1d4-1 
  successful Repair checks ― and the needed spare 
  parts for each attempt ― before it becomes operable.  
  All of the vehicles are missing their ignition keys, 
  however, so anyone hoping to take one will either 
  have to locate the keys (see Area #092 [P]) or hotwire 
  the car in question (Disable Device DC 25).
  There are 750 cp worth of spare parts here as well, 
  including numerous spare tires, engine parts, etc.  
  There is also the equivalent of 50 gallons of fuel 
  (plus 1d2+1 minifusion cells for electrically-powered 
  vehicles, though none of the vehicles mentioned 
  above use this type of power source), and 1d3 deluxe 
  mechanical toolkits.  All of these items appear to 
  have been rummaged through, but are undamaged.
  Development:  A Search check at DC 30 uncovers 
  a hidden hole in the ground towards the back of the 
  chop shop.  A terrible smell emerges from this deep 
  tunnel.  If the PCs explore this tunnel (it is man-
  sized), they will eventually end up in the domain of 
  the Sightless Stalkers (see Area #092).
  091. ENEMY POSITION (EL 9)
  Up ahead you see a small bunker made from 
  sandbags.  A many-barreled contraption of some 
  kind bristles underneath the pillbox roof, facing 
  your direction.
  A group of RT-14 androids has continuously 
  defended this position ever since they recently awoke 
  from EMP-induced deactivation.  The small unit is 
  following its standing order to maintain the “front 
  line,” and will ﬁre on anyone or anything that comes 
  within their ﬁeld of vision.
  There are 5 RT-14s inside the bunker (treat as 
  having nine-tenths cover; +10 bonus to Defense, +4 
  bonus to Reﬂex saves).  Two operate a TCA on a 
  wheeled carriage (not unlike a WWII machinegun), 
  which provides the main “sting” of the encounter.  
  The rest prepare to repel attackers with their LV-
  94 riﬂes, ﬁring from small ports in their defensive 
  position.
  The RT-14, LV-94, and TCA are detailed on pages 
  74 and 66 of The Foundationists; if you don’t have 
  this book, simply use the statistics for a security 
  android and a normal laser riﬂe (use a standard 
  minigun instead of the TCA).
  RT-14 Combat Androids (5):  HP 48 (each is 
  missing 1d6 hit points).
  092. UNDERWORLD OF THE SIGHTLESS 
  STALKERS (EL VARIES)
  The domain of the Sightless Stalkers, known as the 
  Underworld, is essentially one giant trap.  Though 
  they live in these detestable warrens by choice, the 
  Sightless Stalkers have turned the gore-strewn tunnels 
  and passages into deathtraps to catch, snare, and kill 
  
  106
  unwanted intruders.
  There are numerous entrances to the Underworld, 
  concealed throughout this part of the city and 
  connected by miles of tunnels.  The village of the 
  Sightless Stalkers lies at the center of this web of 
  tunnels, centered at a natural rift in the subterranean 
  rock created during the seismic upheaval that created 
  such violent features as the Rift Valley.  Believing 
  this to be a sacred place where the murderous spirits 
  of darkness could cross over into the material world; 
  the Sightless Stalkers constructed their village in 
  nearby caverns, and wove their deadly traps around it 
  to secure it from outsiders.
  Finding The Entrance (EL 2):  Finding an 
  entrance to the Underworld is not easy; the Sightless 
  Stalkers patrol the surface ruins, hunting and killing 
  those intruders who get uncomfortably close.  
  However, some few do manage to avoid detection, 
  and stumble upon the many secret entrances dotting 
  the area.  Likewise, particularly tough intruders are 
  often deliberately chased by Stalker patrols towards 
  these entrances, so that they fall in and thus spiral 
  ever downwards into their traps.
  A typical entrance to the Underworld is usually 
  nothing more than a concealed pit or chute covered 
  cleverly by natural debris.  These pits are usually 
  quite wide (up to 20 ft wide), and plummet down to 
  a rough and bone-strewn cavern ﬂoor below.  The 
  Stalkers climb down the chutes when they return to 
  their lairs, making use of naturally rugged surfaces, 
  exposed roots, and even hidden handholds.  All of 
  these caverns are interconnected by tunnels carved by 
  the Stalkers, and are described as Area A below.
  The nearby inset shows the main tunnels of the 
  Underworld, and where they connect to the surface.  
  Some of these connect to speciﬁc locations on the 
  City Map, while others are merely assumed to 
  connect to the surface in mundane places in a given 
  hex (such as in non-descript alleys that otherwise 
  do not warrant a description).  These tunnels also 
  connect to the sewers (see Area #206 on the Sewer 
  Map).
  Pit Trap:  Fall for 3d6 damage (Reﬂex save DC 13 
  for half).
  A. UPPER LEVEL CAVERNS - NOT DEPICTED (EL 1)
  Each entrance to the Underworld leads down about 
  40 feet to a roughly-hewn cavern.  Those not killed 
  by the fall ﬁnd themselves in a lightless place ﬁlled 
  with the bones of less fortunate creatures ― rats, 
  dogs, and even the rare ghoul from the surface.  One 
  or more high-ceilinged tunnels run off from these 
  caverns, their earthen walls vanishing into darkness, 
  while sounds echo eerily down each passage.
  The exits from each upper level cavern are always 
  trapped.  These traps consist of simple rope snares, 
  which when set off use a clever counterbalance 
  system to hurl their victims high into the air, leaving 
  them suspended.  These traps are only intended to 
  snare wounded creatures that somehow manage 
  to survive the fall into the cavern.  Such victims 
  generally starve to death hanging from their snares, 
  but a party of humanoids should easily be able to 
  avoid this fate due to their numbers.
  GM’s Note:  If the PCs were herded here by a 
  Sightless Stalker patrol, the creatures will ring the top 
  of the pit and throw rocks and javelins down on them, 
  hoping to drive them deeper into the Underworld.
  Snare Trap:  Reﬂex save DC 20 or be entangled 
  and suspended 10 feet off the ﬂoor (and 10 feet from 
  the nearest wall).  No damage.
  B. GRISTLE CHUTE (EL 1)
  Eventually all of the meandering tunnels lead to this 
  central cave, which ends abruptly in a wide chute.  
  From this chute the odor of death and decay emanates 
  like a continuous wave; bits of broken bone, rotted 
  ﬂesh, and the tatters of shredded clothing lie strewn 
  all about.
  GM’s Note:  Descending the gristle chute without 
  the proper Stalker tools is deliberately difﬁcult, 
  requiring a Climb check at DC 30.  Failing this check 
  by 5 or more means the character falls 30 feet to 
  the bottom of the gristle chute, taking appropriate 
  damage (3d6 damage, Reﬂex save DC 13 for half).
  C. HELL’S SLAUGHTERHOUSE (EL VARIES)
  The passage from Area B exits here onto a broad 
  rocky shelf that overlooks a vast, pitch-black chasm 
  (the Great Gulf; see Area D below).  The rock here 
  is well worn and smooth, with a slight bowl-like 
  A NOTE ON THE UNDERWORLD
  Living at the heart of what amounts to a giant “spider web” (that is, a complex intended to snare creatures 
  and funnel them towards ever deadlier traps), the Sightless Stalkers have a lot of bones on their hands.  
  They put these bones to good use; from Area C onward all tunnels and caverns are shored up with bones 
  ― animal and humanoid ― many of which are slick with fresh gore and rank with rotten meat.
  Creatures (including PCs) unaccustomed to the gory passages of this charnel complex must make a 
  Reﬂex save at DC 15 each time they move at any speed greater than their base (including charging, taking 
  double moves, etc.) or immediately fall prone.
  
  107
  depression in which hundreds, if 
  not thousands, of unidentiﬁable 
  bones lie stacked in a veritable pool 
  of bone and rotting gristle.  Thick 
  clouds of ﬂies buzz here at all hours, 
  creating a hum that reverberates 
  down the chasm to the north giving 
  intruders a vague idea of its true 
  size.
  This area is just one place where 
  the Stalkers dump the remains of 
  their victims, as well as the unusable 
  parts of past meals.  Though the 
  heap of bones looks forbidding, 
  a search of the remains uncovers 
  the skeletons of more animals than 
  humans.  Nevertheless, the sight is 
  both awesome and disturbing.
  GM’s Note:  At any given time 
  there is a 50% chance that 1d3+2 
  Sightless Stalkers are present 
  here, dumping the remains of a past 
  feast into the broad pit.  Two of the 
  Stalkers are on guard, speciﬁcally 
  towards Area B, for any sign of 
  intruders.  The others are carrying 
  loads of bones and unused meat.  If 
  the PCs are detected, the Stalkers 
  immediately split up; half move 
  toward Area F and the other half 
  toward Area M.
  Because of the dense cloud of ﬂies 
  that swarms here at all times, anyone 
  in Area C suffers a -1 penalty to 
  attack rolls, -2 to Spot checks, and -4 
  to Listen checks while present.
  Sightless Stalkers (3-5):  HP 17.
  D. GREAT GULF (EL 0)
  The entire Underworld of the 
  Sightless Stalkers is clustered 
  around a huge underground 
  chasm formed beneath the city 
  during the Fall.  This enormous 
  gulf is considered holy to the 
  superstitious Stalkers, a magical 
  crossroads between this world 
  and the “world of shadows.”  As 
  such, it seemed a ﬁtting place to 
  establish their community.
  The gulf is more than a holy 
  place, however; it also ﬁgures 
  in prominently in the Stalkers’ 
  defense of the complex.  Here 
  and there natural pinnacles of 
  rock, shards left over when the 
  abscess-like cavern formed long 
  ago, stand like thin towers that 
  rise precariously up to this level.  
  The Stalkers have connected 
  many of these pinnacles with 
  bridges that lead to their most 
  sacred shrine (see Area P).  
  These bridges are actually an 
  elaborate trap (see Area E).
  GM’s Note:  The Great Gulf 
  looks bottomless in even the 
  most intense light, and even the 
  Sightless Stalkers have never 
  descended to its deepest levels 
  (in reality its rough, rubble-
  strewn ﬂoor bottoms out 400 to 
  500 ft below the main level).  Its 
  roof lies 50 ft overhead.  It is 
  entirely unlit.
  Though the bottom of the 
  
  108
  gulf is barren and featureless, it may be home to the 
  Sightless Stalkers’ “god of darkness” (see the nearby 
  sidebar for more information).
  E. BONE BRIDGES (EL 0)
  Seemingly constructed to allow the Stalkers easy 
  travel over the gulf, this series of unnatural bridges 
  connects the four major pinnacles of rock to the 
  Stalkers’ holy shrine on the far side.  The bridges 
  are rickety causeways made from human and animal 
  bones, spinal columns, and clusters of skulls, woven 
  together with strands of cured animal skin, ropes 
  made from ghoul hair, and human sinew.  The bridges 
  drip with bits of greenish, rotting meat, and all sorts 
  of insects scuttle over the bony surfaces of each like a 
  living sea of vermin.
  The bridges present the most obvious way of 
  getting across the Great Gulf, but they are actually a 
  trap designed to isolate and destroy intruders.  Since 
  the cavern is unlit, anyone crossing the bridge has no 
  idea that they are in fact exposing themselves to ﬁre.
  GM’s Note:  Assuming the alarm has been raised, 
  as the PCs navigate the bridge, archers at all areas 
  marked “J” open ﬁre on them with crossbows, 
  keeping them under constant threat.  At the same 
  time, the ﬁnal section of the bridge is cut by the 
  defenders at Area Q.  Severing the sinew rope 
  that holds it up, the bridge will collapse into the 
  seemingly depthless Great Gulf (after all, they can 
  always craft a new bridge).
  Thus, as they are driven deeper by the crossbow 
  ﬁre, the PCs will ﬁnd that the bridge is in fact a dead 
  end, over 100 feet short of the shelf at Area Q.  At 
  this point the defenders at Area Q will open ﬁre as 
  well, driving the PCs back.  In the end the party 
  will likely be forced to retreat the way they came, 
  exposing themselves to the same ﬁre (from Area J) a 
  second time!
  F. LIGHTED CHAMBER (EL 0)
  The passage leading here from Area C is a steep rise.  
  Murky light can be seen coming from a hole in the 
  roof, illuminating the ﬂoor below.  This means that 
  though they may have a head start, Stalkers ﬂeeing 
  Area C will be seen darting down the passage to the 
  north (their movements are illuminated by the hole 
  above as they pass under its light).
  GM’s Note:  In reality the Stalkers want the PCs to 
  know where they are going (they’re leading the PCs 
  towards Area G).  Even if the PCs ﬁre at them they 
  will ﬂee, hoping to lead the PCs after them.
  This chamber is bottle-shaped, making it 
  impossible to climb out of.  The roof of the chamber 
  is 60 ft above; if the PCs somehow manage to climb 
  out they ﬁnd themselves emerging from a small 
  sinkhole in a back alley in Lomita.
  G. BOULDER TRAP (EL 5)
  At this point a large tunnel branches off the main 
  tunnel.  As the Stalkers ﬂeeing from Area F pass 
  by, they hop one by one over the tripwire stretched 
  across the chamber.  The PCs, if they pursue, may not 
  be so lucky.
  If triggered, the tripwire causes a huge round 
  boulder to roll out from the side passage and strike 
  the character who triggered it, while at the same 
  time sealing the passage with its considerable size 
  and weight.  Since the boulder ﬁts snugly into the 
  passage, it is not easy to move it out of the way (at 
  the GM’s discretion, a combined Strength of 80 may 
  be enough to push it out of the way).
  Snare Trap:  10d6 points of damage; Reﬂex DC 
  20 (success indicates no damage).  Roll a second 
  Reﬂex save DC 20; failure means that after the trap 
  is triggered the character ﬁnds himself trapped on the 
  north side of the boulder; success means the character 
  is on the south side of the boulder with the rest of the 
  party.
  GM’s Note:  If the lead PC becomes trapped on 
  the north side of the boulder, the ﬂeeing Stalkers will 
  turn around and come back, hoping to corner the PC 
  against the boulder so he can’t escape.  They try to 
  THE GOD OF DARKNESS
  The Sightless Stalkers’ belief that the Gulf is a bridge to the “world of shadow” is not without some 
  foundation.  In fact, a sort of “god” does live beneath the city, and any combat taking place here may bring 
  its attention.
  Any major combat taking place on the Bone Bridges (Area E) or in the Temple of Blood (Area Q) has 
  a cumulative 2% chance (rolled every minute) of summoning the terrestrial efﬂuvium from Area #176.  
  This enormous black ooze senses the sound of conﬂict through the bedrock, and slowly moves here through 
  unseen cracks and ﬁssures to ﬁll the bottom of the Great Gulf.
  The efﬂuvium is unable to reach (and thus attack) the PCs either on the bridges or in the Temple, but it 
  can certainly be heard as it enters the complex, heralded by the thundering sounds of a seething, bubbling, 
  waterfall of slime.  Throughout the battle it will remain at the bottom of the gulf, waiting for PCs ― or any 
  of its Sightless Stalker “worshippers” ― to plunge into the Gulf and into its mass.  After devouring these 
  hapless souls, it will only leave when the combat dies down, or if it is somehow injured.
  
  109
  kill the PC while he is separated from the rest of his 
  group, but ﬂee if one of their number is killed.
  Whether or not the Stalkers come back, they 
  continue to move toward Area I.
  H. BONE SCREENS (EL 10)
  A separate tunnel leads to a large natural cavern, 
  where the Stalkers have set up a forward camp.  Two 
  huge screens made out of interlaced bones, sinew, 
  and organic hair block the tunnel entrances.  The 
  Stalkers are able to ﬁre their crossbows through the 
  gaps in these “screens,” but getting through is harder 
  than it seems.
  When the PCs arrive, the Stalkers on guard 
  immediately open ﬁre (if the alarm has been raised, 
  all of the Stalkers present move here to ﬁre through 
  the screens at them).  The screens offer three-quarters 
  cover (+7 to Defense, +3 to Reﬂex save) to those 
  behind them, and no cover to anyone coming from 
  the southern passage.
  The Stalkers continue ﬁring at the PCs until half 
  their number are wounded, two of them are killed, or 
  the PCs show signs of being able to bring the screens 
  down.  If this happens, the remainder retreats toward 
  Area K.
  Sightless Stalkers (10):  HP 17; armed with 
  crossbows (instead of javelins).
  Bone Screens (2):  Hardness 5, Hit Points 30.
  I. SINKHOLE (EL 8)
  This entire chamber is the bottom of a large natural 
  sinkhole, into which a hazy light pours through a 
  murky ﬁlter of tree roots, old rusted sewer pipes 
  (severed by the collapse), and hanging garbage at 
  the edge of the hole.  The whole ﬂoor is strewn with 
  rubble and small boulders, heaps of garbage blown 
  into the pit by the wind and rains, and the skeletons 
  of animals that fell into the sinkhole and died.  An 
  automobile, a streetcorner mailbox, and a toppled-
  over streetlight also sit on the sinkhole ﬂoor, having 
  been sucked down into the pit when it was formed.
  GM’s Note: The sinkhole was created long ago by 
  the same natural forces that created the Great Gulf 
  (see Area D); it is 60 feet deep.  The Stalkers now use 
  it as a trap.
  The sinkhole bottom is lit only by a murky, 
  shadowy light from above.  When the PCs enter, 4 
  Sightless Stalkers and a Sightless Stalker elite (plus 
  any Stalkers ﬂeeing from Area G) are present; all are 
  hiding behind the car wreck, which faces the southern 
  entrance from atop a heap of rubble.
  As soon as they get to act, the Stalkers will turn 
  on the car’s still-functioning fog lights.  Due to the 
  peculiar cave environment, this has the effect of 
  forcing all creatures in the southwestern quarter of 
  the cave (including those near the entrance) to make a 
  Fortitude save at DC 17 or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.  
  Those that succeed are still dazzled (taking a -1 
  penalty to attack rolls) for the same duration.
  Once they’ve blinded the PCs, the Stalkers emerge 
  to attack them, ﬁghting until the blindness wears off.  
  Once it wears off they withdraw toward Area K.
  Sightless Stalkers (4):  HP 17; plus any survivors 
  from Area G.
  Sightless Stalker Elite (1):  HP 42.
  Treasure:  The battery inside the old car could 
  conceivably be removed and used as a power pack 
  (though only about one quarter of its original capacity 
  remains).
  J. ARCHER PLATFORMS (EL 7)
  These large ledges overlook the Great Gulf at Area D. 
  From these spots, Stalker archers and throwers can 
  position themselves to rain down projectiles on any 
  PCs caught out on the bone bridges (Area E).
  If the alarm has been raised, there are 4 Sightless 
  Stalkers on each of these ledges (there are six ledges 
  total; see map)  ― two armed with crossbows and 
  two with javelins.  Since the Stalkers can detect the 
  PCs with their hearing and sense of smell, the fact 
  that the entire Gulf is cloaked in absolute darkness 
  doesn’t affect them (though they still need to make 
  a Listen check at DC 20 to target the PCs with their 
  ranged attacks).  However, the darkness can (and 
  probably will) prevent the PCs from returning ﬁre; 
  the PCs will be unable to ﬁght back effectively while 
  swarms of quarrels and javelins come at them from 
  all directions!
  The Stalkers continually attack PCs on the bridges 
  unless they come under heavy ﬁre, in which case 
  they pull back for a round until reinforcements can 
  arrive.  Once reinforced, they will return to the ledge 
  to continue harassing the PCs.
  GM’s Note:  The suggested EL noted above is for 
  each group of four Stalkers.
  Sightless Stalkers (24):  HP 17; half armed with 
  crossbows, half with javelins.
  K. AMBUSH (EL 12)
  The tunnel here is set up as an ambush site.  A small 
  cavern was dug out nearby, with secret tunnels 
  connecting it to various points along the main 
  passage.  A number of Sightless Stalkers hide in this 
  small cave, waiting for intruders to pass by (and for 
  any survivors from Areas H and I to run past on their 
  way to Area L).
  Once the party passes the ﬁrst (southern) secret 
  tunnel exit, but before they reach the second 
  (northern) secret tunnel exit, the Stalkers emerge, 
  splitting into two groups (each with 4 Sightless 
  Stalkers and 1 Sightless Stalker elite).  The ﬁrst 
  group emerges from the northern tunnel to block 
  the PCs’ progress and tie them down.  The second 
  emerges from the southern tunnel, boxing the party in 
  
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  and cutting off their retreat!
  The two groups of Stalkers will ﬁght ﬁercely and to 
  the death, hoping to wither away the party’s strength 
  and perhaps even bring down the weaker members 
  (who tend to hang in the rear).  Any survivors will 
  ﬂee towards Area L.
  Sightless Stalkers (8):  HP 17.
  Sightless Stalker Elites (2):  HP 42.
  L. AMBUSH CAVE (EL 9)
  This large dark cave is yet another ambush site.  The 
  chamber is enormous, with a roof almost forty feet 
  overhead, and ﬁlled with stalagmites and rubble.  
  Natural ledges formed by dripping water line the 
  walls like miniature steps and platforms suspended in 
  space.
  When the alarm is raised, the denizens of this 
  cavern prepare to ambush the party.  Any survivors 
  ﬂeeing from Areas H and I will also be here (having 
  bypassed Area K), ready to ﬁght.
  The Stalkers remain hidden on the ledges 
  throughout this chamber, cloaked in shadow (they 
  receive a +4 bonus to their Hide checks as a result of 
  the strange rock formations here).  Once the party is 
  fully in the room, they attack.
  On the ﬁrst round of combat the ﬁrst Stalker to act 
  will upset the delicate stony stalactites on the roof 
  using thrown rocks.  This causes a large number of 
  the small stalactites to break free and fall, inﬂicting 
  4d6 points of damage on everyone in a 10-ft radius 
  on the ﬂoor of the cavern (Reﬂex save DC 25 for 
  half).
  Once this is done, the rest of the Stalkers attack, 
  throwing javelins down on the PCs from up high.  If 
  they exhaust their javelins (or if this tactic proves 
  ineffective), the Stalkers will leap down from their 
  perches.  This grants them the typical charge bonus 
  (+2 to their attack and -2 to their Defense), but in 
  doing so the Stalkers suffer 2d6 points of damage 
  from the fall.  Now on the ﬂoor, they simply resort to 
  an all-out melee with the PCs.
  Development:  Should the PCs somehow manage 
  to overrun this place, any surviving Stalkers will 
  retreat to Area O.
  Sightless Stalkers (7):  HP 17; plus any survivors 
  from Areas H, I, and K.
  M. GREAT DOOR (EL 6)
  Half of the ﬂeeing Stalkers from Area C will head 
  here, to a pair of enormous metal doors that block 
  the entire passage.  Guards watch this main entrance 
  to the Stalker village at all times; when the ﬂeeing 
  creatures reach safety, the guards quickly shut the 
  doors behind them.  On the same round the doors will 
  be secured from behind.
  The two doors, constructed long ago, are made of 
  reinforced iron plate scavenged from the ruins. They 
  are decorated with rusted spikes, clanking chains, 
  clusters of ﬂesh-stripped skulls, decapitated heads in 
  various stages of decay, and forests of severed hands 
  tied wrist to wrist.  The stench is awful, the doors 
  virtually impenetrable.
  GM’s Note:  Since the guards here are on watch, 
  they take 10 with their Listen checks at all times.  
  Unless the PCs managed to kill the Stalkers at Area 
  C without noise, and also sneak here without making 
  a sound, the guards are able to close and secure these 
  doors against their intrusion.  They do not intend 
  to ﬁght, just to secure the main entrance to their 
  peoples’ subterranean village.
  Sightless Stalkers (3):  HP 17; plus any survivors 
  from Area C.
  Steel Doors (2):  Hardness 10, Hit Points 120.
  N. STALKER VILLAGE (EL 20)
  Beyond the Great Door (Area M) lies the village of 
  the Sightless Stalkers, comprised of several inter-
  connected levels and numerous natural and man-
  made caves (only one is depicted on the map).  Here 
  the majority of the Sightless Stalkers eat, live, sleep, 
  and engage in ritual combat (ceremonies are reserved 
  for the Temple of Blood and Cathedral of Bone; see 
  below).
  Should the PCs manage to enter this area they will 
  come under attack by the whole tribe, which includes 
  40 Sightless Stalkers, 30 females and young (non-
  combatants), and 10 Sightless Stalker elites.
  Development:  Should the PCs somehow manage 
  to overrun this place, the any surviving Stalkers will 
  retreat to Area O.
  Sightless Stalkers (40):  HP 17; plus any survivors 
  from Areas C and M.
  Sightless Stalker Elites (10):  HP 42.
  Treasure:  The Stalkers keep few treasures, 
  reserving most of their precious goods for the 
  Cathedral of Bone (Area R).  A few items may be 
  available, however ― rudimentary tools, eating 
  utensils, pots and pans, and other domestic items.
  NA. PIT LEADING DEEPER (EL 16)
  This marks a broad pit that descends to the next 
  level of the Underworld (not depicted).  A sturdy 
  wooden scaffold encircles the pit, from which hang 
  numerous ropes and chains that allow the Stalkers 
  to ascend and descend at will.  The level below is 
  essentially identical to Area N, with additional living 
  quarters and a larger percentage of the Stalkers’ non-
  combatants (16 Sightless Stalkers, 50 females and 
  young, and 2 Sightless Stalker elites).
  Development:  Should the alarm be raised on the 
  level above, the Stalkers here begin climbing up to 
  the village to bolster the defenses.  The GM should 
  
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  decide which reinforcements arrive on which rounds, 
  depending on how well (or poorly) the PCs are doing 
  in the Underworld.
  Sightless Stalkers (16):  HP 17.
  Sightless Stalker Elites (2):  HP 42.
  O. STONE BRIDGE (EL VARIES)
  Unlike the bridges at Area E, these causeways are 
  made entirely from unworked stone.  There are two 
  such bridges; one on the east arm of the Great Gulf, 
  the other on the west.  They are unknot trapped, but 
  any ﬂeeing ‘Stalkers from Areas L and N will make a 
  ﬁghting stand on whichever bridge is nearest.
  If the PCs have only attacked from one direction, 
  the defenders will make a stand at the appropriate 
  bridge while reinforcements move down through the 
  caves to attack the party from the rear and relieve the 
  pressure.  Depending on where the reinforcements 
  are, this could take anywhere from 4 to 10 rounds.  
  However, this is the tribe’s last chance to overwhelm 
  the PCs, so they will try to hold on as long as 
  possible.
  P. HALLS OF THE ELITE (EL 15)
  These isolated, sacred caves are reserved for the 
  priests of the tribe, including the witch doctor who 
  rules the Sightless Stalkers as their “god-chief.”  Like 
  other caves in the complex, these small caverns are 
  decorated with bone ― along with the hides of ﬂayed 
  victims, curtains made from the woven hair of living 
  creatures, and candles and lanterns fueled by tallow 
  made from human fat.
  The witch doctor dwells here with his small 
  entourage of submissive priests, who tend to Areas 
  Q and R for their people.  Separated from the rest of 
  the tribe, they have degenerated deeper into bizarre 
  rituals and madness, and are unrecognizable in their 
  obscuring cloaks made from stitched human skin.  
  Elaborate headdresses hide their grotesque faces; 
  each consists of four human skulls mounted on each 
  side of the head (front, back, and both sides), making 
  it impossible to tell which way the priest is facing.  
  The priests gesture to their worshipping followers 
  with whisks made from the bone-white hair of 
  ghouls, the long tufts of which conceal barbed whips 
  that can be deployed with a ﬂick of the wrist to lash 
  at unrepentant Stalkers ― or at unsuspecting PCs.
  The witch doctor is a stronger version of a 
  typical priest, but he has additional tricks as well.  
  Employing poisons with a passion, his concealed 
  whip is always dripping with deadly toxin.
  Development:  The witch doctor and his priests 
  remain here during the conﬂict even if the alarm is 
  raised, conﬁdent that their minions and traps can deal 
  with the PCs.  Only if the PCs manage to attack the 
  village (Area N) or the Temple of Blood (Area Q), or 
  if they receive word that Area L is compromised, will 
  they be roused to action, moving to prepare a ﬁnal 
  defense in the Cathedral of Bone (Area R).
  Sightless Stalker Priests (5):  HP 40.
  Sightless Stalker Witch Doctor (1):  HP 91.
  Treasure:  A search of these warrens uncovers 
  a yellowed, jawless human skull encrusted with 
  cabochon-cut gemstones, a ceremonial item used 
  by the witchdoctor during rituals.  It might be worth 
  250 cp to a collector of curiosities.  The PCs also 
  ﬁnd the witch doctor’s workshop and his supply of 
  potions and poisons, including three juju potions 
  (1d4+12), six doses of rattlesnake venom, three doses 
  of blue vitriol, and one dose of curare.  All of these 
  ― including the juju potions ― are kept in identical 
  unlabeled gourds; a Craft (pharmaceutical) check at 
  DC 28 is required to identify their contents.
  Q. TEMPLE OF BLOOD (EL 9)
  Central to the Sightless Stalker community is the 
  “Temple of Blood,” a cavernous shrine situated on a 
  broad natural shelf overlooking the Great Gulf.  The 
  terraced temple centers around a deep pool, the dark 
  waters of which are tinged red like blood (in reality 
  it is a normal underground spring, but the hearts of 
  human sacriﬁces tossed into it by the tribe’s witch 
  doctor, have turned the water red).
  The Stalkers use this precarious plateau to hold 
  bloody rites of sacriﬁce and worship, slaughtering 
  select victims before casting their lifeless bodies into 
  the pitch black chasm of the Great Gulf.  The Stalkers 
  believe the “god of darkness” is roused by the 
  thundering drums and screams that accompany these 
  ceremonies, and that it seethes from the surrounding 
  bedrock to ﬁll the bottom of the chasm and devour 
  whatever falls into its waiting body.  There is some 
  truth to this legend; see the God of Darkness sidebar 
  for details.
  Development:  When the community is under 
  attack, the guardians of the Temple of Blood move 
  to the southern edge (on the verge of the Great Gulf) 
  to provide archer ﬁre against anyone coming down 
  the bridges.  Just as the PCs get close, they will also 
  sever the last section of bridge, forcing the party to 
  retreat back the way they came (see Area E for more 
  on this tactic).
  Sightless Stalkers (8):  HP 17; half armed with 
  crossbows, half with javelins.
  Treasure:  There are some treasures scattered near 
  the pool and on the steps of the terraced temple: 2d10 
  corium pieces, 3d4 tin cans, and 2d10 rounds of loose 
  ammunition (of a random caliber; these shells are 
  cast about before a “mass” by the priests to create a 
  harmonious tinkling like that of ceremonial chimes).
  
  112
  R. CATHEDRAL OF BONE (EL VARIES)
  This enormous natural cavern is essentially the great 
  “treasure cave” of the Sightless Stalkers, where 
  these hideous mutants drag the belongings of every 
  creature and adventurer they have murdered during 
  their tribe’s existence.  The place is a grotesque 
  cathedral of rocky shelves, sprinkled with thousands 
  of bones, countless copper and silver coins, dimly-
  luminous corium nuggets, rotting clothing, rusting 
  weaponry and armor, and other items pried from the 
  cold dead hands of their prey.
  Development:  The priesthood of the tribe will 
  retreat here to prepare their ﬁnal defense, bringing 
  with them any warriors that survived from Area L 
  (or that escaped the massacre at the village).  The 
  warriors will provide a screen, stubbornly preventing 
  the PCs from getting at their holy leaders.  The 
  priests, in turn, will use their Coordinate/Inspiration/
  Greater Inspiration talents to give attack bonuses to 
  as many warriors as they can, remaining out of the 
  ﬁght until gaps are opened in the line of battle by 
  the PCs ― at which point they march forward with 
  scourges at hand to join the battle, using their War 
  Chant [B&L] feat.
  Treasure:  The treasures kept here by the Sightless 
  Stalkers are vast.  There are two suits of leather 
  armor, a mastercraft chain shirt +1, 2d4 pieces of pre-
  Fall jewelry (worth 50 cp each), 847 corium pieces, 
  a mastercraft spear +1 (made from mutagon bone), 
  a ﬂamethrower (8 shots left), a satchel charge C, and 
  1d4 Junk, 1d2 Trade Goods, 1d2 Scav Attire, 1d3 
  Civilian Weapons, and 1 Rare Military Weapon.
  
  113
  DOMAIN OF THE 
  BROKEN ONES
  Hollywood was once among 
  the most famous cities in all the 
  world.  Under the shadow of the great lettered hill 
  that proclaimed its name for all to see, it became 
  a monument to pomp, luxury and decadence.  The 
  mansions along its hills and the posh mercantile 
  districts erected in its shade spilled forth jewels of 
  luxury like an over-burdened treasure chest straining 
  at the seams.  But when the Final War came, its glory 
  was swept from the earth and only hollow remains 
  were left to face the judgment of the survivors.
  These survivors were not entirely men, and not 
  entirely animals.  According to their own lore, the 
  Broken Ones were born of both, for only the strength 
  and savagery of animals combined with the cruel 
  cunning of man could account for their drive to 
  conquer the Necropolis.  “Broken Ones,” they name 
  themselves, out of an unspoken knowledge that they 
  are an unnatural and incomplete combination of man 
  and beast, lacking the feral innocence of one and the 
  complex beauty of the other.
  Awful, angry, and consumed by hate, the Broken 
  Ones once lurked like shadows out of shame at 
  their fall from animal purity and human superiority.  
  Their ancestral memories depict them living as wild 
  beasts, running untamed through the old city ruins, 
  hunting one another in the fashion of animals.  But 
  this shame, this self-disdain, this lack of culture and 
  intelligence, did not last.  Somehow, somewhere, 
  these frightened beastmen came to hate their 
  own self-pity more than they hated themselves.  
  Intelligence began to develop among their kind, along 
  with the ability to use tools and communicate with 
  each other ― even with others who clearly came 
  from entirely different animal strains.
  The scattered tribes of Broken Ones emerged as 
  one from the shadows and raised their heads high in 
  pride.  Gathering to them all creatures that shared the 
  traits of man and beast, and casting away the “purity” 
  of the humans who had once been their fathers, they 
  swore to bring a great Order to the city.  As a people 
  they rose up and crafted from the ruins a cruel and 
  malicious empire to subjugate all who stood against 
  them.
  THE EMPIRE
  The empire of the Broken Ones has grown since 
  their emperor, Klaww the Beastmaster, ﬁrst led the 
  scattered groups of evolving beastmen into uniﬁed 
  action.  Gathering the tribes into one enormous 
  army, Klaww put the dedication and worship of his 
  followers to work carving out ﬁrst a niche, then a 
  domain, for his people.  Early on the Broken Ones 
  faced the perils of mass starvation, as the great 
  groups gave up killing one another in hopes of 
  something better.  Hungry, the Broken Ones proved 
  their loyalty by swallowing their animal instincts 
  
  114
  and following Klaww despite not knowing whether 
  or not they would survive.  Attacking other sheltered 
  communities in the ruins, slaughtering those who 
  once hunted them when they were mere animals, 
  Klaww and his people forged a place to call their 
  own, and a fortress from which to expand into the 
  surrounding ruins.
  Over time the beastmen were to prove far superior 
  to many of their enemies in the ruins.  Unity proved 
  one of their greatest strengths, more important even 
  than the tremendous strength and animal ferocity of 
  individual beastmen.  Klaww personally led each 
  battle, teaching his followers by example.  Former 
  beasts soon learned tactics, then strategy, and over 
  time, pride for their newly-forged race.
  Klaww’s beastman empire currently occupies a 
  good portion of the Necropolis, largely centered on 
  what was once the great city of Hollywood.  The 
  signiﬁcance of this location has not escaped the 
  beastmen, who by scrounging through the ruins have 
  rediscovered much of the lost culture of the Ancient 
  world.  Through naive and innocent eyes they have 
  come to piece that culture back together with a 
  decidedly unique twist, even recreating parts of it (the 
  parts that appeal to their inherent violent nature) to 
  suit their desires.
  Today the empire of the Broken Ones combines the 
  drive and instinct of animals with the cult worship 
  of the great Emperor Klaww, blending in fragments 
  of Ancient cinema culture uncovered through their 
  primitive study of the past.  The Broken Ones have 
  adopted an almost Roman hedonism, second only 
  to its perhaps more infamous martial tradition; in 
  so doing they have created an imperial society that 
  reveres its leader as a half-god “Caesar” and elevates 
  its warrior castes above all other ranks of citizenry.  
  The glories of Rome are mimicked in Broken One 
  architecture, from vast palaces and legion outposts to 
  the towering gladiatorial arenas that have become the 
  obsession of the Broken One populace.
  CASTES OF THE BROKEN ONE EMPIRE
  The great race of Broken Ones has come to organize 
  itself in a system not unlike early feudal societies and 
  empires, with distinct castes comprising the various 
  tiers of their racist and warlike civilization.  These 
  castes are outlined below.
  Imperial:  The imperial caste is relatively small 
  compared to the other tiers of Broken One society.  It 
  is comprised solely of the greatest and most feared 
  Broken One warriors and generals (many of whom 
  personally helped Klaww forge the empire’s current 
  boundaries) and their immediate families.  The 
  stature of these accomplished soldiers affords their 
  families continued respect and reverence as well, 
  creating the beginnings of a dynastic nobility.
  Though they ostensibly stand to inherit the great 
  names of their fathers, it is unsure how the next 
  generation of this caste will fare once the legacy 
  of their forebears has passed.  Some in the empire 
  speculate that the warrior caste will attempt to 
  overthrow these pompous elites and install a new 
  emperor, and that he in turn will award his own loyal 
  coterie with similar positions of prestige.  Others, 
  however, believe these sons and daughters will inherit 
  their parents’ legacy, creating an unshakable dynasty.
  The oldest sons and daughters of these generals 
  (and of the emperor) are aware that their future is 
  uncertain, and have begun taking steps to secure their 
  continued power.  Those born with strength have 
  followed in their fathers’ footsteps by entering the 
  military ranks; those without the fortress of ﬂesh have 
  instead invested in bodyguards or servants willing 
  to carry out their orders without question should the 
  future require it.
  THE TRUTH
  Though they are entirely unaware of their true ancestry, the entire beastman race ― including monkeys, 
  horses, lions, leopards, elephants, and other subspecies ― can trace its legacy back to the enigmatic 
  Zoogenic Corporation of the pre-Fall period.  Zoogenic was a monolithic bioengineering corporation 
  whose eccentric owner, Ronald Bernard, was for some reason obsessed with the creation of a cross-species 
  mixture of man and animal.  Whatever his reasons, Ronald Bernard bent the world-spanning resources 
  of his super-corporation to the ultimate goal of creating just such an inter-species bridge.  Not satisﬁed 
  with just one such creation, Ronald Bernard’s elite core of dedicated (some might claim insane) scientists 
  created numerous strains, which once released into the city during the chaos of the Fall would eventually 
  survive and become the Broken Ones, the Serpent Gods, the insects of the Hive, and the feeble and pathetic 
  aquatic species of Skaels.
  It is a remarkable fact that these four mighty factions of the Necropolis, which wage war unaware of their 
  common ties, are all related ― if not by blood, then by the genetic engineering of Ronald Bernard and his 
  corporation.  Though evidence of Bernard’s meddling with God’s creations was lost in the Fall, certain sites 
  throughout the Necropolis offer tantalizing clues that, piece by piece, tell the story of one man’s obsession 
  with fulﬁlling a nightmare prophecy that would dictate the future of life on the planet Earth....
  
  115
  Warriors:  The warrior caste is by far the most 
  powerful in the empire.  Admired as the protectors 
  of the empire, they alone keep the “barbarians” (i.e. 
  other city factions) at bay, preserving the worthy 
  culture of the beastman race as it exists in the city.
  Warriors in Broken One society occupy a special 
  and idealized tier.  Though they must risk their 
  lives for the common good, they are professional 
  soldiers, trained from an early age to shrug off 
  fear; they accept their role as the spears and shields 
  guaranteeing the race’s survival and superiority over 
  all others.  All warriors share in the glory of battles 
  won, and are revered by the common citizenry for 
  their self-sacriﬁce.
  But adoration is only one beneﬁt of membership 
  in the warrior caste.  Warriors receive many other 
  privileges that mere civilians do not, including the 
  right to bear arms, the right to a share of spoils of 
  war, the right to take a home and make it one’s 
  own, military protection for a soldier’s family and 
  possessions, guaranteed admittance into the legion 
  for a soldier’s children, the right to never become 
  enslaved, and the beneﬁt of the doubt in all disputes 
  with civilians.  Other privileges exist as well, clearly 
  setting those of the warrior caste above those who 
  cannot or do not put their lives in risk for the glory of 
  the empire.
  Raging Claws:  The so-called “Raging Claws” 
  are a sub-faction of the Broken Ones ― one that is 
  well-regarded, even immortalized, by the majority 
  of Broken Ones.  The Raging Claws are an almost 
  religious order, composed of the most animalistic 
  beastmen who have chosen to neglect their human 
  legacy in favor of their bestial one.  Filled with 
  rhetoric and propaganda that implants in them the 
  seed of hate against their human origins, they are 
  taught from an early age that the concept of humanity 
  and humane behavior is weak, and that the animal 
  
  116
  drive and instinct to kill is superior.
  Having a child selected to join the ranks of the 
  Raging Claws is considered a blessing among many 
  Broken One citizens, but once a youth enters he 
  can never leave.  Males and females may both enter 
  the ranks of the Raging Claws, though their lives 
  soon become consumed with military training and 
  inevitably end with death on the battleﬁeld.
  Minds:  Though not as respected as warriors, the 
  “minds” form a useful caste of their own that has 
  contributed much to the glory of the empire.  Minds 
  comprise the minority intelligentsia of the Broken 
  Ones civilization; they are the builders, the engineers, 
  and the scientists whose efforts have created the 
  society of today.  Resurrecting old movie images on 
  which to base mighty palaces and temples that bolster 
  their race’s pride, as well as creating new weapons 
  and engineering civilian developments (such as 
  aqueducts, farms, and foundries), their contributions 
  to the community have humbly elevated the entire 
  race, with very little thanks.
  Commons:  “Commons” serve a speciﬁc purpose 
  in Broken One society, but are so abundant that their 
  contributions are seldom recognized.  Commons 
  range from farmers to traders, craftsmen to laborers, 
  herders to scroungers.  The majority of Broken Ones 
  come from this caste; retired warriors who did not 
  give their lives gloriously are often relegated to 
  making a living as Commons in their later years.
  Lashers:  The Lashers are a separate but deﬁnite 
  part of Broken One society.  They are captive humans 
  or mutants, prisoners from other communities, 
  and the strongest of slaves.  Lashers are given the 
  chance to serve the empire, just as former gladiators 
  in ancient Rome were allowed to serve as jailers or 
  administrators of the coliseum.  In exchange for their 
  lives, they serve to keep the slave races in line.  The 
  whip is their tool, and they cruelly betray their own 
  races purely to survive.
  Lashers (along with trains of slaves) are a common 
  sight in the streets of the City of the Broken Ones, 
  where they can be kept under tight scrutiny.  They 
  hold rank only above slaves, and must show 
  reverence ― if not worship ― to the other castes.  
  Lashers can be killed outright if they displease even 
  common passersby, although this happens rarely.  
  Any Lasher that hopes to live long learns to be 
  visibly cruel and merciless, even against the innocent, 
  to avoid being seen as sympathetic to the slaves.
  Slaves:  Slaves are used by the Broken Ones 
  to construct great temples, palaces, and fortresses 
  throughout their territory.  They also serve in 
  wealthier households as menial servants and helpers.  
  Slaves are drawn from all manner of captive peoples, 
  though most are from the rare groups that wander 
  into the Broken Ones’ domain.  Such captives are 
  usually cruelly stripped of all humanity, branded and 
  shackled like cattle, and kept in squalid conditions 
  until called into service.  Slaves are regarded as 
  property, and there is seldom any punishment for 
  killing a slave of the empire.  When a slave dies from 
  being overworked no tears are shed, for there are 
  always two more to take the dead one’s place.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  Unlike other parts of the city, The Domain of the 
  Broken Ones is alive with activity.  Though miles of 
  desolate ruin separate the various outposts of their 
  ﬂedgling empire, the Broken Ones are determined to 
  build here in the ﬁery ruins west of the Acropolis of 
  the Serpent Gods.  And while the Broken Ones have 
  a deﬁnite ﬂair for the dramatic, the landscape itself is 
  as fantastic as any movie set from the Ancient era ― 
  these are the ruins of a lost civilization, interspersed 
  with grand military outposts, isolated walled villages, 
  an amazon fortress, and even ﬁery-hot lava beds 
  around which mighty mutagons, like dinosaurs from 
  the past, battle it out against one another under the 
  withering heat of the sun.
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 8.  
  Roll on the table below to determine the nature of a 
  random encounter.  Individual encounters are detailed 
  in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2
  Mineﬁeld
  3-4
  Herd Animals
  5-6
  Cavalry Patrol
  7
  Unusual Wildlife
  BEASTMEN IN THE NECROPOLIS
  In the Necropolis, beastmen ― as depicted in Charles Rice’s Darwin’s World supplement of the same name 
  ― are a relatively new phenomenon.  According to their own lore, the beastmen of the Necropolis were 
  once mere animals, without any intelligence or civilization at all.  Somewhere along the line they began 
  to evolve, developing culture, speech, and intellect at a lightning pace.  Led by a particularly intelligent 
  member of their kind (Klaww the Beastmaster, who would become their great leader), the beastmen were 
  united into one empire, in which individual genotypes (lion, leopard, bear, etc.) worked together toward a 
  common goal.
  
  117
  8
  Corpses
  9-10
  Random Noises (Surface)
  11-12
  Strange Spoor (Surface)
  13-14
  Slave Train
  15-16
  Wall Crawlers
  17
  Rope Worm
  18
  Wild Men
  19
  Open Warfare
  20
  Weird Weather
  093. CITY OF THE BROKEN ONES (EL 
  VARIES)
  Hollywood, the ancient playground of America’s 
  famous and elite, has become the sanctuary of a race 
  of monsters.  Here, amid the ruins of a once-posh and 
  world-famous city, the Necropolis faction known as 
  the Broken Ones has created an empire from which to 
  launch a campaign to conquer the entire ruins.
  Hollywood is the capital of this cruel empire of 
  savage beastmen, degenerate animal crossbreeds 
  whose society has survived through brutality and 
  bloodlust.  A city reborn from the ashes, Hollywood 
  has been remade into a capital worthy of their violent 
  and glorious legacy.  Fantastic coliseums and temples 
  to their emperor-king Klaww celebrate their ﬁery, 
  bloody rise to power.  The new heart of the Broken 
  Ones empire, Hollywood is a grotesque metropolis 
  kept alive by violent rule and a sea of slave races 
  cruelly torn from the surrounding city to serve their 
  mutant masters.
  A. THE PALACE (EL 20)
  Imagine the most impressive structure of Ancient 
  Rome, and you have the Palace of the Emperor 
  Klaww.  Mighty white ramparts face out across 
  the city from a hill at its heart, its towers and 
  walls standing high over the congested streets and 
  
  118
  marketplaces below.  Enormous banners of green 
  cloth, each one hundred feet tall, hang from the 
  palace’s walls, emblazoned with the bloody claw 
  symbol that is the standard of the Broken Ones’ 
  empire.
  The Palace is the residence of Klaww the 
  Beastmaster and his retinue of loyal generals, as well 
  as many of the noble families of the city.  (Though 
  these latter are sequestered inside the Palace walls, 
  they live in buildings separate from Klaww’s 
  sanctum.)  Broken One soldiers are everywhere, 
  and an entire company of cavalry kept as Klaww’s 
  personal unit trains in the huge open courtyard 
  almost daily.  In addition, the Broken Ones’ version 
  of the Praetorian Guard is barracked here, an elite 
  unit of hyena genotype thugs who pledge loyalty to 
  the Emperor ﬁrst, and the empire’s citizens second.  
  Cruel, wicked, and sadistic, these armor-clad hyena-
  men are feared even by the regular garrison of the 
  Palace, for they are favored by the Emperor and 
  given special privileges over other soldiers.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Emperor Klaww the 
  Beastmaster is the great leader who ﬁrst brought 
  the assorted beastman tribes of the Necropolis 
  together as one.  At the time many beastmen lacked 
  sentience, living in packs like wolves and dogs.  
  Klaww, according to popular lore, was among the 
  ﬁrst beastmen to develop true intelligence, though he 
  certainly wasn’t alone.  Followed by other intelligent 
  beastmen, Klaww allegedly taught the animals of 
  the city to recognize their potential and unlock their 
  intelligence.  He taught them to speak, to lay down 
  their differences, and to ﬁght as one.  He forbade 
  beastmen from hunting one another, and instead 
  turned them against the other creatures of the city.  
  He is the creator of the empire and the father of the 
  beastman race.
  Klaww still lives, an aging and highly-intelligent 
  mastermind behind the violent empire of the Broken 
  Ones.  Though old, his lion form is still regal and 
  majestic.  His eyes have gone milky white but he 
  can still see, and his enormous mane frames his head 
  like the rays of the sun.  Klaww is a remarkable 
  example of what the beastmen can achieve, both 
  physically and mentally, and living evidence that 
  the race, while quite young, has amazing potential.  
  It is almost certain that Klaww began life as an 
  unintelligent beastman himself, but something in 
  him ― something inexplicable ― awakened his 
  brain and granted him near-human levels of thought, 
  understanding, and cunning.
  Today Klaww remains the savage ruler of the 
  beastman empire, a visionary leader around whom 
  an entire cult of personality has evolved.  Seen as the 
  father and progenitor of their species, as well as the 
  sole guiding light whose leadership has preserved life 
  and built a civilization, he is vital to the beastmen’s 
  furious pride and self-image.
  Unlike many despotic leaders, Emperor Klaww 
  is not a selﬁsh, self-obsessed leader, nor a coward 
  or madman.  A true leader of the Broken Ones, his 
  people are the most important thing to him, the very 
  reason for his existence―and he is the ﬁrst to admit 
  it.  Though he is cruel and bloodthirsty, this is merely 
  the nature of the beast within; he is no villain to his 
  people, being neither unjust nor unusually cruel.  He 
  is the embodiment of the Broken One ideal, someone 
  with the traits they most respect: dedication, purpose, 
  strength, power, charisma, fearlessness, and intellect 
  rivaling the best of the human race.
  Emperor Klaww “The Beastmaster” (Lion 
  Genotype Strong Hero 3/Guardian 7/Champion 
  7/Alpha 3 [BST]):  CR 20; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 3d8+12 plus 7d10+28 plus 7d12+28 plus 3d8+12 
  plus 3; HP 126; Mas 18; Init +3; Spd 20 ft; Defense 
  34, touch 25, ﬂatfooted 31 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +12 
  class, +9 equipment); BAB +19; Grap +24; Atk +28 
  melee (2d6+9, mastercraft greatsword +3), or +22 
  ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility, claws, scent, carnivore, 
  muzzle; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +17, Ref +13, 
  Will +12; AP 8; Rep +6; Str 20, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 
  18, Wis 15, Cha 23.
  Occupation:  Guide (Handle Animal, Survival).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Current Events]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Hyper Olfactory, Carnivore, Muzzle.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +1, 
  Gather Information +4, Handle Animal +20, Hide 
  +5, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (Ancient Lore) 
  +7, Knowledge (Current Events) +21, Knowledge 
  (History) +7, Knowledge (Mutant Lore) +17, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +24, Knowledge (Theology and 
  Philosophy) +7, Listen +9, Sense Motive +12, Spot 
  +9, Survival +16.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Battleﬁeld Leader [F/MG], Cleave, Heroic Surge, 
  Iron Will, Leadership, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Rallying Leader 
  [F/MG], Renown, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Stubborn Ox [B&L], Toughness, Wild Child [REW].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (greatsword), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (greatsword), Defender +4.
  Talents (Champion):  Rallying Cry +2, Improved 
  Tactical Aid, Rallying Cry +3, Awesome Presence, 
  Challenge.
  Talents (Alpha [BST]):  Animal Companion, Wild 
  Empathy, Animal Senses.
  
  119
  Possessions:  Mastercraft greatsword +3, 
  mastercraft legionnaire’s armor +3, fur-trimmed 
  cape, goblet made from a human skull (worth 25 cp), 
  two juju potions (1d4+4).
  The inhabitants of the Palace include 25 Palace 
  Guards, 25 Broken One cavalry, 40 Broken One 
  warriors, 10 Broken One elites, 5 giant mutant 
  beastmen, 100 Broken Ones commons (these range 
  from the families of the noble caste to specialists 
  such as blacksmiths, animal trainers, etc.), and a 
  household complement of 30 slaves (employed as 
  cooks, servants, etc.) and 3 Lashers.
  Emperor Klaww:  HP 126.
  Palace Guards (25):  HP 63.
  Broken One Cavalry (25):  HP 74.
  Broken One Warriors (40):  HP 40.
  Broken One Elites (10):  HP 68.
  Giant Mutant Beastmen (5):  HP 92.
  Broken One Commons (100):  HP 29.
  Slaves (30):  HP 10.
  Lashers (3):  HP 29.
  B. THE SENATE (EL VARIES)
  This enormous public ediﬁce was constructed to 
  house the Broken One Senate, a political body 
  mimicking that of ancient Rome.  Though the 
  Senate’s public face has gained increasing notice in 
  recent years due to a rise in racial pride among the 
  various genotypes, in reality it remains a puppet of 
  the Emperor, a “governing body” that serves only 
  to conﬁrm his proclamations and make them seem 
  democratic.
  The Senate, despite being a mere tool of Emperor 
  Klaww, has a membership of many inﬂuential 
  ﬁgures.  Each beastman genotype is represented 
  in the Senate, pushing their own agendas (so long 
  as they don’t conﬂict with the Emperor’s) and 
  seeing to the demands of their constituents.  The 
  major Senators include Jymago (senator of the 
  ape genotypes, this dour gorilla-man is behind the 
  organization of the ape race in a powerful “labor 
  union”), Boltrus (senator of the bison genotypes, this 
  gentle mystic preaches a non-violent and passive 
  path, and advocates a closer relationship with nature), 
  Maggar the Brute (senator of the bear genotypes, this 
  former legion commander is a patriotic follower of 
  Emperor Klaww and aggressively opposes all who 
  cast doubts on his leadership), Ximas (senator of 
  the elephant genotypes, an aging and almost senile 
  politician who has lost his will to debate now that 
  his son, Lox, has been exiled to the frontier for his 
  views), Ninnik Patterpaw (senator of the monkey 
  genotypes, an overly talkative demagogue who 
  is loathed by the other senators for his ability to 
  ﬁlibuster for days on end), Horn (senator of the rhino 
  genotypes, this stupid and blindly loyal politician 
  is easily manipulated by Klaww’s agents in the 
  Senate), Zazarr (senator of the tiger genotypes, a wily 
  adversary of Klaww’s politics), and the Scarred One 
  (senator of the leopard genotypes, a former legion 
  general and personal friend of Emperor Klaww who 
  now serves as his eyes and ears in the Senate).
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Two Senators stand above the 
  rest.  The ﬁrst is the Scarred One, a true alpha whose 
  dominating personality and aggressive behavior have 
  made him leader of the Senate’s majority faction 
  (who favor Klaww and loyally endorse his edicts).  
  Former commander of the Empire’s southern armies, 
  the Scarred One has the conﬁdence of a veteran 
  warrior, and his words are gladly heeded despite 
  his grotesque appearance (his face is a mass of scar 
  tissue from an almost fatal encounter with a rope 
  worm in the empire’s early days of expansion).  But 
  the Scarred One is more than just a senator ― he is 
  Emperor Klaww’s most loyal cohort, and has stood 
  with Klaww since the Emperor ﬁrst organized the 
  beastmen into a single faction.  The Scarred One 
  continues to serve his master by representing his 
  interests in the Senate, making sure that the public 
  body’s attitudes do not wander too far from Klaww’s 
  vision.  Most senators recognize that the Scarred 
  One is Klaww’s agent, but his inﬂuence is so great 
  that none can do anything about it.  In the past the 
  Scarred One has challenged others who dared oppose 
  Klaww’s voice in the Senate, killing all of them in 
  ritual combat.
  The second Senator of note is Zazarr, leader of the 
  tiger genotypes.  Despising the general dominance of 
  the lion genotypes in the empire (from Klaww to the 
  high priestess Fomlia), Zazarr plots to replace Klaww 
  with a new leader ― one of the tiger faction, perhaps 
  even himself.  To this end Zazarr secretly funds the 
  Oracle (see Area #101), who though also being a 
  lion genotype has done a ﬁne job of irritating Klaww 
  and sowing discord in the Empire.  Zazarr hopes his 
  actions will cause conﬁdence in the lion race to falter, 
  creating an opportunity to replace Klaww altogether.
  The Scarred One (Leopard Genotype Strong 
  Hero 3/Guardian 10/Demagogue 1):  CR 14; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+9 plus 10d10+30 
  plus 1d6+3; HP 115; Mas 16; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; 
  Defense 23, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 23 (+0 size, +0 Dex, 
  +7 class, +6 equipment); BAB +13; Grap +15; Atk 
  +19 melee (1d8+8, longsword), or +14 ranged (2d8, 
  FA Casull); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, claws, sensitive sight, carnivore, 
  loner; AL Klaww, Broken Ones; SV Fort +11, Ref 
  +6, Will +6; AP 7; Rep +8; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 16, 
  Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Diplomacy).
  
  120
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Sensitive Sight, Carnivore, Loner.
  Skills:  Bluff +8, Diplomacy +19, Hide +2, Jump 
  +8, Knowledge (Current Events) +7, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +8, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 
  +7, Listen +5, Sense Motive +6, Spot +5, Survival 
  +6.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency 
  (medium), Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-
  Apocalyptic Technology, Power Attack, Primitive 
  Technology, Rallying Leader [F/MG], Renown, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stubborn Ox [B&L], 
  Twist The Blade [B&L].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (longsword), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (longsword), Defender +4, Greater Weapon 
  Specialization (longsword), Raider Bane.
  Talents (Demagogue):  Followers.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft longsword +3, FA 
  Casull, 12 rounds of .50AE ammo, legionnaire’s 
  armor, gold amulet (worth 50 cp), two juju potions 
  (1d4+4).
  Zazarr (Tiger Genotype Charismatic Hero 5/
  Demagogue 2/Fast Hero 3):  CR 10; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 5d6+5 plus 2d6+2 plus 3d8+3 plus 3; 
  HP 52; Mas 12; Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 
  16, ﬂatfooted 17 (+0 size, -1 Dex, +7 class); BAB +5; 
  Grap +8; Atk +8 melee (1d6+3, sickle), or +4 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, claws, scent, carnivore; AL Broken 
  Ones; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +5; AP 5; Rep +9; Str 
  16, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Knowledge [Current 
  Events], Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Diplomacy).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Hyper Olfactory, Carnivore, Loner.
  Skills:  Bluff +15, Climb +4, Diplomacy +17, 
  Disguise +13, Gamble +2, Gather Information 
  +13, Hide +4, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +16, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 
  +13, Move Silently +2, Perform +11, Profession +3, 
  Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +2, Tumble +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Camouﬂage 
  [REW], Conﬁdent, Deceptive, Defensive Martial 
  Arts, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive 
  Technology, Renown, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Toughness, Track.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Charm, Favor, 
  Captivate.
  Talents (Demagogue):  Followers, Lead 
  Followers.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Uncanny Dodge 1.
  Possessions:  Sickle, utopian robe [F/MG], 
  walking stick.
  The Senate itself is usually well-guarded, with a 
  detachment of 15 Broken One elites and 2 giant 
  mutant beastmen.  The Scarred One is often 
  accompanied by three hyena genotype Palace 
  Guards as well, a reminder to his opponents that he 
  has the Emperor’s favor.
  The Scarred One:  HP 115.
  Zazarr:  HP 52.
  Broken One Elites (15):  HP 68.
  Giant Mutant Beastmen (2):  HP 92.
  Palace Guards (3):  HP 63.
  C. THE GREAT ARENA (EL VARIES)
  One of the most impressive features of the City of the 
  Broken Ones is the Great Arena, a towering coliseum 
  built with the inventive engineering techniques of the 
  Minds caste.  Bearing a remarkable semblance to the 
  ancient coliseum in Rome, this place has become the 
  most adored and popular cultural centers of Broken 
  One society.
  Gladiatorial games are held in the Great Arena 
  at least once a week, sometimes even daily (during 
  special festivals or celebrations).  Slave warriors, and 
  even professional beastman gladiators, gather here 
  under the sweltering Necropolis sun to duel to the 
  death for the debased amusement of the citizenry.  
  One-on-one combats are a staple, but organized 
  events are also common, including team matches, 
  themed battles, and ﬁghts between a gladiator (or a 
  team of gladiators) and monsters captured from the 
  ruins.
  Klaww the Beastmaster attends most gladiatorial 
  games, especially during festivals commemorating 
  recent victories.  It is his right as emperor to dictate 
  the victor of a given match, dispensing mercy or 
  execution as his whim suits him.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Though he doesn’t live here, 
  the princeling Tuth spends most of his time here, 
  a rapt spectator of the deadly matches played out 
  in the Arena.  The son of a former general, Tuth is 
  a member of the newly-rising noble caste.  A lion 
  genotype, he carries about him an air of prejudice and 
  arrogance.  Tuth feuds incessantly with his brothers, 
  sisters, and cousins, and members of their small 
  coterie go to great lengths to one-up each other.
  Tuth (Lion Genotype Fast Hero 2/Charismatic 
  Hero 2):  CR 4; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8 
  plus 2d6; HP 16; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 35 ft; Defense 
  16, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 15 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +5 
  class); BAB +2; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d6+3, 
  claw), or +3 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, claws, scent, 
  carnivore, muzzle; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +2, Ref 
  
  121
  +5, Will +2; AP 2; Rep +5; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 10, 
  Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Bluff, Knowledge 
  [Current Events]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Diplomacy).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Hyper Olfactory, Carnivore, Muzzle.
  Skills:  Bluff +12, Climb +4, Diplomacy +8, 
  Disguise -1, Hide +3, Intimidate +6, Jump +5, 
  Knowledge (Business) +1, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +7, Tumble +3.
  Feats:  Acrobatic, Deceptive, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Predator [BST], Primitive Technology, 
  Renown, Silver Tongue, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Fast-Talk.
  Possessions:  Fine robes, jewelry (worth 100 cp).
  Tuth may buy PCs whom he sees ﬁghting in the 
  Arena to become his personal guards, or even his 
  champions.  He will go to any expense to acquire the 
  best, hoping to humiliate his fellow nobles by having 
  the best-of-the-best.  Of course, any PC who passes 
  into Tuth’s service will likely be used to settle Tuth’s 
  scores with his rivals, ﬁghting other noblemen’s 
  champions to satisfy his honor.
  Tuth:  HP 16.
  D. ROYAL GRANARIES (EL 18)
  This compound contains the royal granaries, a 
  complex of warehouses where grain and other goods 
  (herd animals, horses, slaves, etc.) given as tribute by 
  the villages of the empire are stockpiled in the name 
  of Klaww the Beastmaster.  The royal granaries are 
  the purview of the emperor himself, to be dispensed 
  at his leisure, and considered his property.
  The contents of the royal granaries are kept under 
  heavy guard and serve as an emergency stockpile for 
  hard times.  Though these are legally the property of 
  the emperor, in times of crisis Klaww distributes a 
  portion to the civilian populace to ease the burdens 
  of war, famine, and hardship.  The rest goes to his 
  soldiers, to ensure that the army is not weakened by 
  the ravages of ill fortune.
  GM’s Note:  The granaries are guarded by a troop 
  of 25 Broken One warriors at all times, plus a small 
  detachment of 5 Broken One cavalry.  A staff of 
  20 Broken One commons is kept here to tend the 
  animals and stores, with 30 slaves and 5 Lashers as 
  additional labor.
  Broken One Warriors (25):  HP 40.
  Broken One Cavalry (5):  HP 74.
  Broken One Commons (20):  HP 29.
  Slaves (30):  HP 10.
  Lashers (5):  HP 29.
  E. TEMPLE OF THE BEAST (EL VARIES)
  The Temple of the Beast is not a temple to a speciﬁc 
  deity per se, but to the “beast” that lives within all 
  beastmen.  This magniﬁcent structure was dedicated 
  to the savage courage of the Broken One race, and 
  stands as a clear afﬁrmation that they embrace their 
  violent and primal side.
  Though it is called a temple, this mighty sanctum 
  holds no religious services (most imperial citizens 
  actually “worship” the Serpent Gods, whose 
  enigmatic nature intrigues and mystiﬁes the Broken 
  Ones); instead, beastmen come here on festivals to 
  engage in bloody sports and games.  At least once 
  each year members of each sub-race of the beastmen 
  ― elephant genotype, wolf, bear, etc. ― select the 
  ﬁnest example of their kind and send him or her here 
  to compete.  The contestants are seldom killed (the 
  peoples’ lust for blood is better sated in the Great 
  Arena), but ritual combats between these supple 
  and muscled warriors often cripple the loser.  The 
  winner (and his entire sub-race, who get the glory for 
  breeding such a ﬁne athlete) is greatly elevated in the 
  eyes of the Broken Ones citizenry.
  Of particular note is the Temple’s bestiary, not to 
  be confused with the larger public Bestiary located 
  elsewhere in the city.  In these kennels the priests of 
  the Temple of the Beast keep beautiful, well-groomed 
  specimens of various animal species ― lions, tigers, 
  wolves, etc. ― descended from animals taken from 
  the vicinity of the old city zoo, creatures which lived 
  wild for centuries after human civilization fell apart.  
  These well-fed and cherished animals are considered 
  holy by the Broken Ones populace, and are not 
  allowed to be harmed, even in self-defense (there 
  are stories of careless temple novices being eaten 
  alive).  There is a superstition that if these animals 
  are allowed to die, their particular species (and the 
  genotypes descending from them) will also die off.  
  As a result these creatures are pampered, and seldom 
  seen by any but the temple priests, except on annual 
  holy days, when these proud animals join the temple 
  priesthood’s parade through the city.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The high priestess of the 
  Temple of the Beast is Fomlia, a striking lioness 
  beastwoman with toned golden muscles and rich 
  amber-colored fur.  An aesthete in every sense, the 
  high priestess harbors remarkably moderate views 
  considering her position.  Though many accuse her of 
  being soft on human slaves, in reality Fomlia simply 
  believes the human race is just another species of 
  animal, and not deserving of the treatment the Broken 
  Ones subject them to.  Humans, like the race of 
  beastmen, share the passion and the drive of the Beast 
  that lives in all living creatures.  In answer to those 
  who scoff at her philosophy, she merely suggests a 
  visit to the Great Arena to watch two human slaves 
  ﬁght to the death in the gladiatorial games ― proof 
  enough of man’s barbaric potential, at least for her.
  
  122
  Fomlia is considered a great beauty by most 
  Broken Ones, being relatively young and a perfect 
  specimen of the lion genotype (as is required by 
  her station as high priestess).  She is sought after 
  by many powerful Broken Ones, including the 
  Scarred One (see Area B).  Fomlia requires all of 
  her temple staff to maintain a rigid daily routine of 
  self-discipline and martial arts to perfect their natural 
  ﬁghting abilities and keep the Temple secure.  She 
  herself is a master martial artist ― an unconventional 
  path that has opened her mind to concepts closed to 
  more conservative members of the beastman race.
  Fomlia (Lion Genotype Strong Hero 3/Initiate 
  9 [WF]/Sensei 3 [WF]):  CR 15; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+6 plus 9d8+18 plus 3d8+6 plus 
  3; HP 100; Mas 17; Init +5; Spd 30 ft; Defense 21, 
  touch 21, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +10 class); 
  BAB +14; Grap +17; Atk +21 melee (1d10+8/crit 19-
  20, claw), or +15 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, claws, scent, 
  carnivore, muzzle; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +13, 
  Ref +11, Will +10; AP 6; Rep +5; Str 17, Dex 12, 
  Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Cleric [LP] (Diplomacy, Knowledge 
  [Theology and Philosophy]).
  Background:  Resentful (Handle Animal).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Hyper Olfactory, Carnivore, Muzzle.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Concentration +11, Diplomacy 
  +14, Disguise -6, Gather Information -3, Handle 
  Animal +6, Hide +3, Intimidate +8, Jump +11, 
  Knowledge (Current Events) +6, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +4, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 
  +12, Listen +10, Meditation +11 [WF], Ride +3, 
  Sense Motive +11, Spot +10, Tumble +6.
  Feats:  Animal Afﬁnity, Combat Expertise, Combat 
  Reﬂexes, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Improved 
  Damage Threshold, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, 
  Lurker’s Eyes [Style Feat; WF], Poise [WF], Power 
  Attack, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Toughness, Weapon Focus (claw), 
  Weapon Master [Style Feat; WF].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Initiate [WF]):  Mastery (Weapon 
  Mastery 1), Mastery (Hard Strike 1), Mastery 
  (Weapon Mastery 2), Mastery (Hard Strike 2), 
  Mastery (Weapon Mastery 3).
  Talents (Sensei [WF]):  Mastery (Accurate Strike 
  1), Mastery (Accurate Strike 2), Personal Style 
  (Skills).
  Possessions:  Light robes, gold diadem (worth 50 
  cp).
  The high priestess is served by a number of lesser 
  priests, amounting to 20 Broken One commons.  
  She also leads a small contingent of soldiers loyal to 
  the Temple (treat these as 10 Broken One warriors).
  Fomlia:  HP 100.
  Broken One Commons (20):  HP 29.
  Broken One Warriors (10):  HP 40.
  F. THE BESTIARY (EL VARIES)
  This grand bestiary was established by Klaww to 
  glorify the exploits of his legions.  Essentially a 
  sprawling zoo modeled after those of the pre-Fall 
  world, the bestiary contains bizarre and dangerous 
  creatures captured by his armies from all across the 
  empire.  Included are a giant sewer croc, several 
  gronts, a lurking panther, a carrion raptor, a pack 
  of wild men, a number of human slaves (former 
  villagers from the Savage Village at Area #114 who 
  were re-captured and put here on display), a single 
  mutant bug from the Hive, and even a few ghouls, 
  kept in chains at all times.
  GM’s Note:  The Bestiary is kept by a staff of 
  10 Broken One commons (as well as 5 slaves who 
  clean the cages), but the Emperor has ordered a small 
  detachment of 5 Broken One warriors to guard the 
  Bestiary in case any of the specimens break out.  In 
  such an event, 2-3 Broken One warriors will remain 
  to ﬁght the escapees while the others (including the 
  commons) ﬂee to raise the alarm in the city.
  Broken One Commons (10):  HP 29.
  Slaves (5):  HP 10.
  Broken One Warriors (5):  HP 40.
  G. THE CATACOMBS (NOT DEPICTED) (EL VARIES)
  Though death is a necessary part of life, many 
  Broken Ones consider the handling of dead bodies a 
  disgusting and unclean act.  Most Broken Ones prefer 
  to eat their fallen loved ones in the superstitious 
  belief that doing so grants the loved one immortality, 
  her spirit being infused in those who consume the 
  corpse.  However, Broken Ones who die alone or 
  who have no family must be interred here in the 
  Catacombs.
  The Catacombs were built right under the city 
  and continue to expand.  In recent years Broken 
  One families have begun to believe it prestigious to 
  have the bones of a loved one interred here (after 
  the ﬂesh is eaten, of course); they spend lavish sums 
  building underground mausoleums and crypts.  The 
  caretakers of the Catacombs are only too happy to 
  oblige, making a pretty penny despite doing what the 
  majority of the population considers ﬁlthy work.
  The Catacombs are operated by a clan of mole 
  genotype beastmen who have found a comfortable 
  niche in the burial business.  Shunning the surface, 
  these industrious workers serve the Empire in their 
  own humble capacity ― and are thankful for it.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The Catacombs are run by the 
  patriarch of the mole genotype, an elderly beastman 
  
  123
  known as Stone Eater.  A businessman at heart, 
  Stone Eater is obsessed with keeping the Catacombs 
  orderly, and busies himself daily making sure that 
  the paying patrons (mostly noble families from the 
  city) can visit the tombs of their loved ones with 
  little trouble.  Stone Eater loves his job and is quite 
  talkative, but being utterly blind (as are all members 
  of his genotype), he could conceivably be tricked by 
  human or mutant PCs into thinking they are actually 
  beastmen.  Stone Eater doesn’t know when to quit 
  talking, and often brags about the large number of 
  tunnels his people have dug.  He even whispers about 
  having broken into the old city sewers and subway 
  lines, and particularly wily PCs might trick him into 
  leading them there so that they can escape.  Stone 
  Eater is loyal to the Empire, however, and should he 
  ﬁnd out that the PCs are not who they claim, he will 
  try to turn them in.
  Stone Eater (Mole Genotype Tough Hero 
  2/Charismatic Hero 2):  CR 4; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 2d10+2 plus 2d6+2 plus 2; HP 24; 
  Mas 12; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, 
  ﬂatfooted 13 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +2; 
  Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d6+2, claw), or +3 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, blindsight 10 feet, blindness, claws; 
  AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +0; AP 2; 
  Rep +2; Str 15, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 
  15.
  Occupation:  Merchant (Diplomacy).
  Background:  Resentful (Craft [structural]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, 
  Blindsight, Claws, Hyper Olfactory, Blindness.
  Skills:  Bluff +4, Craft (structural) +8, Diplomacy 
  +10, Gather Information +4, Knowledge (Business) 
  +4, Knowledge (Current Events) +2, Listen +7, 
  Navigate +2, Profession +4, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Endurance, Filthy, Great Fortitude, Guide, 
  Primitive Technology, Silver Tongue, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Troglodyte, Trustworthy.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Robust.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Charm.
  Possessions:  Filthy robes.
  Stone Eater leads roughly 20 Broken One 
  commons (mole genotypes only).  These blind 
  workers typically stick to the Catacombs, either 
  continually excavating or tending to crypts (placing 
  ﬂowers, keeping them clean, making sure no one has 
  despoiled them, etc.).  Most of these ﬂee rather than 
  ﬁght if conﬂict erupts in the Catacombs.
  Stone Eater:  HP 24.
  Broken One Commons (20):  HP 29.
  H. SLAVE MARKET (EL 12)
  One of the most forbidding sights of the City of the 
  Broken Ones is the great slave market, which lies in 
  the largest square in the city overlooked by the Palace 
  and the Royal Granaries.  It is here that slaves taken 
  by the Empire’s armies are sold to private owners, 
  generating a great deal of coin for the Empire’s war 
  machine.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The slave market is run by 
  Botarh, a short and stocky bear genotype beastman.  
  Though smaller than most bear genotypes (he appears 
  to be descended from black bear stock), Botarh was 
  once a skilled warrior in Klaww’s army.  Botarh was 
  forced to retire after being badly wounded, but as a 
  reward for his years of brave service he was made 
  master of the market, getting 5% of every sale made 
  in the marketplace.
  Though he has claws and a mouth full of jagged 
  teeth, Botarh is never seen without his scourge.  His 
  bellowing, mean-spirited voice is a trademark of the 
  market and can be heard from several streets away, 
  even over the cries of his “merchandise.”  Botarh 
  keeps a large number of Lashers as his retainers; they 
  keep the slaves in line and act as spies, reporting on 
  possible troublemakers among the slave population 
  (Botarh likes to hobble the really troublesome ones).  
  Botarh chooses Lasher servants over fellow beastmen 
  because he just doesn’t trust members of his own 
  race, knowing full well that they would cheat him if 
  they had a chance.  At least he can keep the Lashers 
  in fear of him, and in that way maintain control over 
  the slave market indeﬁnitely.
  Botarh (Bear Genotype Tough Hero 4/Strong 
  Hero 4):  CR 8; Medium-size humanoid; HD 4d10+8 
  plus 4d8+8 plus 7; HP 63; Mas 14; Init +0; Spd 
  20 ft; Defense 23, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 23 (+0 size, 
  +0 Dex, +6 class, +1 natural, +6 equipment); BAB 
  +7; Grap +11; Atk +11 melee (1d6+6, claw), or +8 
  ranged (1d3+4, whip); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; 
  SQ medical incompatibility, claws, fur, muzzle; AL 
  Broken Ones; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +3; AP 4; 
  Rep +1; Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 
  14.
  Occupation:  Slaver (Gamble, Intimidate).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Business]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Fur, Loner, Muzzle.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Diplomacy +0, Disguise -3, 
  Gamble +5, Gather Information +0, Intimidate +11, 
  Knowledge (Business) +5, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +1, Knowledge (Tactics) +1, Swim +6.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Combat Reﬂexes, Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency 
  (whip), Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Toughness, Weapon Focus (whip).
  
  124
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Robust, Second Wind.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Possessions:  Whip, legionnaire’s armor.
  Botarh keeps a retinue of 12 Lashers at his beck 
  and call, and he is never seen without at least three 
  of these thugs at his side as his personal guards.  The 
  population of slaves in his possession will vary, 
  ranging from 10 to 100 depending on whether it has 
  been relatively peaceful or not in recent weeks.
  Botarh:  HP 63.
  Lashers (12):  HP 29.
  Slaves (10-100):  HP 10.
  I. STREETSWEEPERS (EL VARIES)
  The Streetsweepers are a rudimentary guild almost 
  entirely comprised of dog genotype beastmen.  
  Based in a series of run-down buildings at Area 
  I, Streetsweepers can be seen on virtually every 
  street corner in the city, living in the shadows of the 
  Empire’s greatness.  Most Broken Ones of the Empire 
  consider them second- or third-class citizens and 
  look down on these canine beastmen with a mixture 
  of racial bigotry and disgust.  The reason, as any 
  Broken One (dogs included) will attest, has its roots 
  in ancient history.  Long ago dogs were the friends of 
  man, allowed to walk free while other animals were 
  hunted (often with the help of dogs, no less) or caged 
  in zoos.  To punish them for being “co-conspirators 
  with humanity,” the entire race of dog beastmen has 
  been relegated to the role of menial servants and 
  street people.  They have no representation in the 
  Senate and are often considered the last choice for 
  recruitment into the Imperial army.  Most ﬁnd work 
  sweeping the streets, clearing garbage, and carrying 
  burdensome goods as porters and bearers ― all for 
  mere pennies.
  Most of the Streetsweepers are dog genotypes, 
  but some cat genotypes are also lumped with them.  
  Cat genotypes, like their canine counterparts, must 
  struggle against powerful prejudices.  Ironically, 
  both species now ﬁnd that they must get along, work 
  together, and pool their resources and cunning to 
  survive in this hostile environment.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The leader of the 
  Streetsweepers is a middle-aged dog beastman known 
  as Rex; by all accounts he chose the name to snub 
  Broken One tradition (“Rex” was a name commonly 
  used by humans to name their dog companions).  Tall 
  and covered in wiry gray hair, Rex has the traits of 
  a Scottish terrier, with bristling whiskers and a thick 
  and shaggy coat of fur.
  A common man’s leader, Rex is known for his 
  biting sense of humor, though whether this comes 
  from his jaded attitude towards life or from the 
  chronic gout he suffers from is hard to tell.  Though 
  he seems to be in a sore mood all the time, Rex is 
  actually a committed leader and clever organizer.  He 
  has turned the destitution of the entire dog genotype 
  around, giving them a purpose and place in the 
  Empire’s hierarchy.  He has used sardonic humor and 
  slapstick antics to begin eroding the hatred of the 
  other beastman races; many Broken Ones think he’s 
  quite funny, and only because he seems outwardly 
  harmless do they occasionally allow themselves 
  to see the truth in his vocal criticisms of Klaww’s 
  government.  All such criticism is disguised as 
  comedy, of course, and though he gets away with 
  it for now, it is quite possible that one day Rex will 
  ridicule the wrong Broken One senator or general and 
  ﬁnd his efforts dashed in a gesture of petty revenge.
  Rex has won his people some small measure of 
  respect, but deep down Rex and his followers want 
  more.  They earnestly seek a better lot for themselves, 
  and even sympathize with the humans taken as slaves 
  by Klaww’s armies.  If the PCs are looking for allies 
  to start a revolution, they might ﬁnd loyal friends 
  among the Streetsweepers....
  Rex (Dog Genotype Tough Hero 3/Dedicated 
  Hero 3/Charismatic Hero 2):  CR 8; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d10+3 plus 3d6+3 plus 2d6+2 plus 
  6; HP 49; Mas 12; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, 
  touch 16, ﬂatfooted 15 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +5 class); 
  BAB +5; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d6+1, bite), or 
  +5 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; 
  SQ medical incompatibility, scent, carnivore, social 
  animal; AL Streetsweepers; SV Fort +7, Ref +5, Will 
  +5; AP 4; Rep +4; Str 13, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, 
  Wis 14, Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Bluff, Diplomacy).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Current Events]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Hyper 
  Olfactory, Serrated Dental Development, Carnivore, 
  Social Animal.
  Skills:  Bluff +17, Craft (writing) +2, Diplomacy 
  +16, Gather Information +8, Hide +3, Intimidate 
  +5, Knowledge (Current Events) +7, Knowledge 
  (Streetwise) +3, Listen +4, Perform +6, Sense Motive 
  +5, Spot +4, Survival +4.
  Feats:  Alertness, Bay of the Pack [REW], 
  Creative (Craft [writing], Perform), Filthy, 
  Leadership, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, 
  Trustworthy.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Robust, Second Wind.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Empathy, Skill 
  Emphasis (Bluff).
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Fast-Talk.
  Possessions:  Filthy robes, staff.
  
  125
  The total number of Streetsweepers amounts to 
  about 150 Broken One commons (dog and cat 
  genotypes only), though they are usually found 
  scattered throughout the city.  It usually takes 
  Rex less than an hour to get word out to all of his 
  followers, however, and could be mobilized quickly 
  if Rex deems it necessary.
  Rex:  HP 49.
  Broken One Commons (150):  HP 29.
  094. HILLS OF THE BROKEN ONES (EL 
  VARIES)
  In the purplish light of dusk, the ruins of the 
  Necropolis give way to a sprawling expanse of 
  rolling hills that rise from the wreckage of the 
  city.  Bonﬁres by the dozens illuminate the area 
  almost as brightly as it must have been when the 
  Ancients ruled the earth.  Each of these bonﬁres, 
  dotting these hills like fallen stars, marks the 
  location of a tent camp.
  These are the Broken Ones’ hill camps, which have 
  stood at the heart of their empire since Klaww the 
  Beastmaster brought the ﬁrst tribes of beastmen 
  together.  The Broken Ones originated among these 
  tribal camps, before discovering the technical skills to 
  build the great structures they now inhabit in the City 
  of the Broken Ones.
  Though the majority of the population has left 
  these overcrowded camps, older Broken Ones still 
  feel a tie to this land that keeps them bound to the 
  hill slopes.  The camps are smaller now, and there 
  are fewer of them than there used to be, but the 
  Broken Ones maintain a presence here as herders and 
  farmers.
  Movement through this open area is not likely 
  to go unnoticed, as Broken One shepherds keep a 
  lookout on the hills for ghouls and other predators 
  that would hunt their herds.  PCs are cause for alarm, 
  and the camp dwellers will rise to defend their homes 
  and their empire as loyally and courageously as any 
  other Broken One citizen.
  GM’s Note:  Individual camps are generally 
  separated by four to ﬁve hundred yards of open 
  terrain, mostly dry grassy hills sprinkled with a few 
  trees and the remains of older buildings.  A given 
  camp consists of three to four tents housing an entire 
  extended family of Broken One herders, and a small 
  corral to pen in the ﬂock at night.  Each camp is 
  usually home to 1d8+7 Broken One commons plus 
  1d10+10 herd animals.
  Broken One Commons (8-15):  HP 29.
  Herd Animals (11-20):  HP 37 (see d20 Modern).
  Treasure:  The typical family has treasure in the 
  form of 1d2 Trade Goods and 1d2 Simple Foods.
  095. VILLAGE YTHRA (EL 8)
  A smudge of grayish smoke rises into the 
  sky.  Through the ruins you see a small fortiﬁed 
  village, its outer wall apparently trampled ﬂat.  
  A number of village huts have burned to the 
  ground.  The ﬁres are out, but the place looks 
  like a ruin.
  This village recently came under attack from one of 
  the mutagons at Area #116.  A reasonably common 
  sight in this part of the city, mutagons rarely attack 
  Broken One settlements, and the inhabitants run for 
  cover behind the village walls when they appear.  
  This small thorpe, Village Ythra, wasn’t lucky 
  enough to evade the mutagon’s attentions and was 
  attacked.
  An agricultural village, Ythra’s crop was almost 
  completely decimated by the rampaging mutagon.  It 
  also devastated the town defenses and killed a good 
  portion of the settlers before moving on.  The village 
  headmaster, Ythra, was killed when he mustered the 
  militia to sally forth and try to ﬁght off the mutagon.
  The villagers are currently trying to rebuild the 
  outer wall ― it is needed to keep ghouls and other 
  creatures out once darkness sets in.  Terriﬁed that the 
  beast might return (or that other creatures will sense 
  their weakness), they are on full alert.  The entire 
  population is armed and will rally to ﬁght off anyone 
  who approaches the village boundaries.
  The village population is currently reduced to 13 
  Broken One commons and 2 Broken One warriors.  
  The latter are down to 4 hit points apiece from 
  injuries, and are currently recuperating in one of the 
  village’s few intact huts.
  Broken One Commons (13):  HP 29.
  Broken One Warriors (2):  HP 40 (down to 4 hit 
  points).
  096. VILLAGE TAMARIS (EL 12)
  Fields here display a bounty of crops, neatly 
  tended in rows.  A village lies at the heart of the 
  ﬁelds, surrounded by a low wall.  Granaries poke 
  out over the walls, strained to their limits with 
  grain.
  This Broken One village was set up to produce 
  agricultural goods for the capital city.  Relatively 
  successful, it provides a steady stream of grain that 
  has become essential to the city.
  Village Tamaris is one of the larger Broken One 
  villages, populated by hard-working beastmen who 
  have dedicated their lives to supporting their great 
  emperor and his ambitions of conquest.  Patriots, 
  these villagers consider their work just as important 
  as the sacriﬁces made by the soldiers of the empire’s 
  
  126
  legions.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  This village is led by a quiet 
  but proud camel beastman named Tamaris.  Formerly 
  a beggar on the streets of the Broken Ones’ capital 
  city, Tamaris came here looking for a better life.  
  Now headmaster of an entire village, he has learned 
  the most efﬁcient ways of coaxing crops out of the 
  city’s rocky soil, and though he doesn’t brag, his 
  village has become the top producer of edibles for the 
  whole empire.
  While Tamaris usually seems peaceful and level-
  headed, deep down he has a ﬁery loyalty to the 
  emperor, whom he rabidly supports.  To no one’s 
  surprise, most of the other villagers do as well.  
  Grumbling citizens who so much as mention doubts 
  about Klaww’s ability to rule are not welcomed in 
  his village, and such individuals are usually given the 
  cold shoulder until they get the message and move 
  on.
  Tamaris (Camel Genotype Tough Hero 5):  CR 
  5; Medium-size humanoid; HD 5d10+15 plus 8; HP 
  51; Mas 17; Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, 
  ﬂatfooted 13 (+0 size, -1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +3; 
  Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d6+2, sickle), or +2 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, +4 fort vs environmental damage, 
  scent, herbivore, quadruped; AL Broken Ones; SV 
  Fort +8, Ref +0, Will +4; AP 2; Rep +4; Str 14, Dex 
  8, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13.
  Occupation:  Herdsman (Navigate, Survival).
  Background:  Resentful (Craft [structural]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Hyper 
  Olfactory, Interior Moisture Reservoir, Herbivore, 
  Quadruped.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Craft (structural) +3, 
  Diplomacy +3, Gather Information +3, Intimidate 
  +3, Knowledge (Current Events) +2, Navigate +4, 
  Profession (farmer) +7, Sense Motive +2, Survival 
  +10, Swim +4.
  Feats:  Athletic, Great Fortitude, Guide, Iron Will, 
  Primitive Technology, Renown, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Toughness, Trustworthy.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Robust, Damage 
  Reduction 1/—, Damage Reduction 2/—.
  Possessions:  Sickle, robes.
  Village Tamaris is populated by a large number of 
  villagers who have made a stable life for themselves 
  here.  They comprise 92 Broken One commons, 
  with an additional 5 elderly and 10 children (treat 
  both of these groups as non-combatants).  Because 
  the grain shipments from Village Tamaris are vital to 
  the Broken Ones, a garrison consisting of 4 Broken 
  One warriors and 1 giant mutant beastman has 
  been assigned to the village.  Finally, there are 30 
  slaves in the village, used as general labor or as 
  skilled craftsmen in areas where the Broken Ones 
  themselves lack expertise.
  Tamaris:  HP 51.
  Broken One Commons (92):  HP 29.
  Broken One Warriors (4):  HP 40.
  Giant Mutant Beastman (1):  HP 92.
  Slaves (30):  HP 10.
  097. VILLAGE MANSU (EL 12)
  A walled compound lies up ahead among 
  the ruins.  The sounds of martial shouting drift 
  across the clearing to your ears.
  As part of the Broken Ones’ expansion, Emperor 
  Klaww established numerous villages to complement 
  their burgeoning agricultural output.  Most of these 
  villages were settled by the poorest members of 
  Broken Ones society, giving them a chance to erase 
  their dishonor by contributing to the empire’s wealth.  
  Others, however, saw in the settlements a chance to 
  get rich.
  Village Mansu was set up by a former Broken One 
  colonist who knew little of herding and practically 
  nothing of agriculture.  What he did know, however, 
  were the ins and outs of gladiatorial combat; not as 
  a ﬁghter, but as a heavily-addicted gambler.  Having 
  lost a fortune betting on the arena games in his home 
  city, Mansu became a settler not by choice, but out 
  of necessity.  When his farm began to sink (in no 
  small part due to his inability to discern a seed from a 
  stone), he used his last remaining inﬂuence to buy up 
  the best slaves on the market.
  Mansu has transformed his dying settlement from 
  an impoverished farm into a stable for the best 
  gladiators in the empire.  A competent businessman 
  where slaves are concerned, Mansu uses much of 
  his proﬁt traveling to the Broken Ones capital to 
  purchase slaves from the markets there and bring 
  them back here for warrior training.  He has a keen 
  eye for such things, and has made a signiﬁcant turn-
  around by training some of the most entertaining 
  ﬁghters the Broken Ones have ever seen.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Mansu continues to lead the 
  small enclave here personally.  He has a special eye 
  for diamonds in the rough.  He takes a personal role 
  in breaking and training new arrivals, turning them 
  into not just ﬁghting machines, but entertaining 
  ﬁghting machines.  His skills are best suited for the 
  entertainment aspect, however; he has hired on actual 
  weapon trainers to teach the bloodier aspects of arena 
  combat.
  Though his business is an ugly one, Mansu is 
  actually a reasonably kind master.  He doesn’t 
  mistreat his gladiators, though he gives his hirelings 
  free reign to train the stable as they see ﬁt.  He is a 
  trustworthy fellow (perhaps to a fault), and would 
  
  127
  not be above making an unusual friendship with one 
  of his gladiators if he or she stood out from the rest.  
  And while he may be relatively benevolent, he is 
  unlikely to simply give a slave his freedom ― unless 
  that slave made him a tremendous amount of money 
  ﬁrst, making him feel somehow compensated for the 
  loss... .
  Mansu (Mule Genotype Charismatic Hero 3/
  Trader 2):  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d6+6 plus 2d6+4 plus 3; HP 31; Mas 14; Init -1; Spd 
  30 ft; Defense 11, touch 11, ﬂatfooted 12 (+0 size, 
  -1 Dex, +2 class); BAB +2; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee 
  (1d6, quarterstaff), or +1 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 
  ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, 
  immune to critical hit, immune to posion, quadruped; 
  AL none; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +4; AP 2; Rep +6; 
  Str 11, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Merchant (Knowledge [Business]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Diplomacy).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, 
  Extreme Resilience, Superior Kidney Development, 
  Loner, Quadruped.
  Skills:  Bluff +12, Diplomacy +11, Disguise 
  +6, Gamble +4, Gather Information +14, Handle 
  Animal +4, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (Business) 
  +11, Knowledge (Current Events) +10, Perform +8 
  (oration), Profession +9 (trader), Sense Motive +5.
  Feats:  Deceptive, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Renown, Silver Tongue, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Charm, Favor.
  Talents (Trader):  Ear to the Ground, Money 
  Talks.
  Possessions:  Quarterstaff, robes.
  The compound is populated by Mansu and his 
  immediate household, as well as a number of hired 
  specialists and their families, for a total of 18 Broken 
  One commons.  They are further tended by a number 
  of trainers amounting to 8 Broken One warriors 
  and 1 Broken One elite.  Mansu keeps a stable of 
  2d4+10 slaves (future gladiators) at any given time.
  Mansu:  HP 31.
  Broken One Commons (18):  HP 29.
  Broken One Warriors (8):  HP 40.
  Broken One Elite (1):  HP 68.
  Slaves (12-18):  HP 10.
  098. VILLAGE HOREAK (EL 8)
  Pastures surround a walled village in this 
  broad, open clearing.  The smell of animal 
  dung pervades the air, as does the incessant 
  hammering of a blacksmith somewhere beyond 
  the village walls.
  The village here has ﬂourished since its original 
  founding.  A large number of Broken One settlers 
  inhabit the village, originally eking out a modest 
  living through agriculture.  In recent years, however, 
  they have replaced their income from farming with a 
  more lucrative trade: breeding, raising, and training 
  horses for the empire’s cavalry.
  Like most Broken One villages, this one was built 
  with defense in mind, both from enemies of their 
  empire and the menacing monsters that are known 
  to inhabit the ruins.  A wall surrounds the town and 
  a low wooden watchtower allows guards to keep 
  an eye out on the pastures.  Inside the compound, 
  however, huts and buildings crowd around a number 
  of large corrals, which hold the herds of horses the 
  villagers have become adept at raising.  These horses 
  are particularly prized by the Broken Ones military, 
  whose legions have a great demand for brave steeds 
  they can ride into battle.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  This village is run by Horeak 
  Horsetrader, a shrewd businessman and a relatively 
  moderate headmaster.  Early on Horeak’s business 
  sense earned him a good reputation, attracting 
  likeminded settlers from the Broken Ones capital 
  who saw in Horeak’s idea (raising horses) a brilliant 
  way of making money.  Those whom he has attracted 
  to the village are now loyal friends and supporters; 
  though other Broken Ones sometimes criticize 
  Horeak for being neglectful and allowing slaves 
  to escape, with so much money coming into their 
  possession his fellow villagers support him 100% 
  regardless.
  Horeak Horsetrader (Bison Genotype Charismatic 
  Hero 3/Trader 2):  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 3d6+3 plus 2d6+2; HP 23; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 
  30 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 12 (+0 size, 
  +0 Dex, +2 class); BAB +2; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee 
  (1d3+2 nonlethal, unarmed), or +2 ranged (1d3+2, 
  whip); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, horns, immune to critical hit, muzzle, 
  social animal; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, 
  Will +2; AP 2; Rep +3; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 
  15, Wis 9, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Merchant (Knowledge [Business]).
  Background:  Resentful (Handle Animal).
  Mutations and Defects:  Aberrant Horn 
  Development, Bestial Genotype, Extreme Resilience, 
  Muzzle, Social Animal.
  Skills:  Bluff +10, Climb +4, Diplomacy +10, 
  Disguise -3, Gather Information +14, Handle Animal 
  +11, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (Business) +11, 
  Knowledge (Current Events) +10, Navigate +4, 
  Profession +7, Ride +5, Sense Motive +3, Survival 
  +3, Swim +4, Treat Injury +1.
  Feats:  Animal Afﬁnity, Athletic, Exotic Weapon 
  Proﬁciency (whip), Guide, Primitive Technology, 
  
  128
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Track, Trustworthy.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Fast-Talk, 
  Coordinate.
  Talents (Trader):  Ear to the Ground, Money 
  Talks.
  Possessions:  Whip, robes.
  Horeak’s fellow villagers number 30 Broken 
  One commons, four of whom have had some 
  military training and should be treated as 4 Broken 
  One cavalry.   They keep a number of slaves (18 
  slaves total) on hand as stablehands, cleaning stalls, 
  shoveling dung, and tending to the horses when 
  their masters are busy with other things.  Another 
  15 slaves are kept to work the ﬁelds outside the 
  village, but since they are largely left unattended (the 
  villagers are preoccupied with training horses for the 
  military) they often have a chance to run away.  The 
  villagers don’t seem concerned, however, and use 
  money raised from their burgeoning trade to replace 
  escapees when needed.
  Horeak Horsetrader:  HP 23.
  Broken One Commons (30):  HP 29.
  Broken One Cavalry (4):  HP 74.
  Slaves (15):  HP 10.
  Treasure:  In the corrals of the village are kept 12 
  well-trained horses, which could be taken and ridden 
  by the PCs if they manage to deal with Horeak’s 
  guards.
  099. VILLAGE VARIA (EL 6)
  The rocky ground here gives way to a small 
  clearing where crops grow in unkempt ﬁelds.  A 
  small compound sits at the center of the ﬁeld, 
  surrounded by a tall wooden wall.  Colorful 
  clothing slung over the top of the wall is drying 
  in the sun.
  This marks the location of a Broken One frontier 
  village that, sadly, has seen better days.  It was settled 
  by a widowed beastwoman of no little money, but her 
  attempts at raising a crop for the good of the empire 
  have repeatedly failed.
  Facing the impending threat of poverty, the village 
  headmistress Varia turned her failed enterprise 
  around.  Already employing mostly female slaves, 
  Varia turned her farm into a frontier brothel.
  Varia has been turning a tidy proﬁt now that she 
  has given up farming.  Though they live in relative 
  isolation from the capital city of the Broken Ones, the 
  whores here manage to make money by entertaining 
  villagers from the other Broken One villages, who 
  come here to spend their coin on a regular basis.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Varia treats her slaves 
  exceptionally well, despite what she asks of them.  
  She considers her slaves sisters and daughters and 
  dotes affectionately over them, even ones of races 
  and breeds not her own.  While she is sympathetic 
  to their plight as slaves, she sees herself as just one 
  woman, unable to topple an entire empire.  She’s not 
  particularly fond of Emperor Klaww’s policies, but 
  she is a beastman after all, and is unready to openly 
  criticize or act against the cruelty of her people’s 
  empire.
  Varia has recently become infatuated with Mansu, 
  the headmaster of Village Mansu (see Area #097).  
  To lure him back into visiting her regularly she has 
  offered her girls for the entertainment of his stable 
  of gladiators at a deep discount.  Recognizing the 
  beneﬁt such visits have for the morale of his ﬁghters, 
  Mansu usually accepts, and regularly brings his 
  warriors here to celebrate recent victories in the 
  arena.  When Mansu does make the trip to visit, Varia 
  tries her best to ﬂirt with Mansu, but the man seems 
  totally oblivious to her advances!  As such the poor 
  woman is close to having a broken heart.
  Varia (Horse Genotype Dedicated Hero 2/
  Charismatic Hero 2):  CR 4; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 2d6+2 plus 2d6+2 plus 3; HP 21; Mas 
  13; Init -1; Spd 40 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 
  13 (+0 size, -1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk 
  +3 melee (1d3+1 nonlethal, unarmed), or +1 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, herbivore, quadruped; AL 
  none; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +6; AP 2; Rep +3; Str 
  12, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Merchant (Diplomacy).
  Background:  Resentful (Treat Injury).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, 
  Hyper Olfactory, Increased Movement, Herbivore, 
  Quadruped.
  Skills:  Bluff +6, Craft (writing) +3, Diplomacy 
  +10, Disguise +4, Gamble +7, Gather Information 
  +6, Knowledge (Art) +6, Knowledge (Business) +6, 
  Knowledge (Current Events) +6, Perform (sing) +4, 
  Sense Motive +8, Spot +6, Survival +6, Treat Injury 
  +5.
  Feats:  Deceptive, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, 
  Lightning Reﬂexes, Primitive Technology, 
  Run, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, 
  Trustworthy.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Skill Emphasis 
  (Survival).
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Charm.
  Possessions:  Robes.
  Village Varia is populated by 12 Broken One 
  commons, eight of which are “working girls” while 
  the other four are house staff (cook, steward, etc.).  
  Another 19 slaves are kept here as well, all of whom 
  are women and brothel workers.  Varia has managed 
  to hire 5 Broken One warriors as mercenaries to 
  guard the village, but these men are surly drunks 
  who think little of their current job at this wretched 
  
  129
  frontier posting, which they see more as exile.
  Varia:  HP 21.
  Broken One Commons (12):  HP 29.
  Slaves (19): HP 10.
  Broken One Warriors (5):  HP 40.
  100. VILLAGE GOLGARUS (EL 12)
  Rocky ﬁelds surround a village here.  A few 
  humanoid creatures are working in the ﬁelds.  
  Wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys of small 
  buildings clustered inside the village walls.
  A Broken One village has been built in this hex.  It 
  is populated largely by members of the dispossessed 
  caste who became settlers to avoid destitution in the 
  capital city.  These pioneers are all grateful to have 
  new homes ― and a means of contributing to their 
  race’s imperial ambitions.
  The village is typical of Broken One settlements, 
  surrounded by a wooden palisade which keeps out 
  rogue beasts and keeps in the village’s small but 
  valuable slave population.  Though the villagers are 
  hard-working, like all Broken Ones they’ve come to 
  rely on slaves to complement their efforts.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The headmaster of this village 
  is a Broken One named Golgarus, a ruthlessly 
  efﬁcient taskmaster and leader.  Once a penniless 
  member of Broken One society, he despised being 
  a man of such little consequence among his people.  
  Though many of his rat genotype cousins ﬂed at 
  the ﬁrst chance to start their own community far 
  away (see the Village of the Rat People, Area #010), 
  Golgarus scoffed at the idea, believing that only by 
  remaining with the Broken Ones could his people 
  survive.  For years he lived as a slave, but when the 
  call came for villages to be built to boost the Broken 
  Ones’ agricultural output, he leapt at the chance to 
  become a settler on the empire’s growing frontier.
  In the years since the village was ﬁrst founded, 
  Golgarus has risen in rank through hard work, 
  dedication, and an ability to get things done, ﬁnally 
  attaining the town’s top position.  He prides himself 
  on the fact that he (unlike most of the rat genotypes) 
  did not ﬂee when times got hard.
  While his cruel and indifferent leadership prompts 
  some of his fellow settlers to fear and despise him, 
  Golgarus’ inability to cut his men a break or even 
  make allowances for the crippled stems from his fear 
  of ever returning to the City of the Broken Ones.  
  He knows that, should his village fail to impress 
  Emperor Klaww with its crop output, he could 
  very well be replaced and condemned to just such a 
  humiliating fate.
  Golgarus (Rat Genotype Dedicated Hero 3):  CR 3; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6+6; HP 17; Mas 14; 
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 13, ﬂatfooted 
  13 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +2 class, +1 equipment); BAB 
  +2; Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, cutlass), or +3 
  ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility, scent, muzzle, reptile brain; 
  AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +6; AP 1; 
  Rep +4; Str 13, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 
  10.
  Occupation:  Herdsman (Ride, Survival).
  Background:  Resentful (Craft [structural]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance, 
  Bestial Genotype, Hyper Olfactory, Muzzle, Reptile 
  Brain.
  Skills:  Craft (structural) +2, Diplomacy -2, 
  Disguise -5, Gather Information -2, Hide +3, 
  Knowledge (Business) +4, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +6, Listen +6, Ride +7, Sense Motive +8, 
  Spot +6, Survival +8.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Primitive Technology, 
  Renown, Sand in the Eyes [B&L], Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Skill Emphasis 
  (Survival), Faith.
  Possessions:  Cutlass, leather armor.
  Golgarus’ village is populated by 42 Broken 
  One commons; three of these are retired warriors 
  who should be treated as 3 Broken One elites.  The 
  entire village oversees (and co-habitates with) 17 
  slaves, who assist in everything from building huts 
  to tending animals to planting and harvesting the 
  crop.  They also have 3 gronts which they have 
  domesticated (at a great loss of life) to serve as beasts 
  of burden.
  Golgarus:  HP 17.
  Broken One Commons (42):  HP 29.
  Broken One Elites (3):  HP 68.
  Slaves (17):  HP 10.
  Gronts (3):  HP 50.
  101. ORACLE (EL VARIES)
  A complex of lavish tents stand here, 
  surrounding a decayed oasis formed from the 
  deep pool of a bomb crater.  From a distance 
  you spot dozens of bestial creatures congregated 
  near the tents, clad in long white robes and 
  kneeling all around one large central tent as if 
  awaiting someone’s emergence.
  This hex marks the location of the Oracle, a curious 
  phenomenon that continues to plague the Broken 
  Ones’ civilization.  The Oracle is a ﬁgure of great 
  inﬂuence in Broken One society, an elder beastman 
  who claims to have prophetic powers.  Like a wise 
  man of old, the Oracle has gathered to his side a vast 
  
  130
  following of the Broken Ones’ more superstitious 
  citizens, who listen to his charismatic doomsaying 
  and ﬁnd hidden meaning in his never-ending stream 
  of poetic riddles.
  The Oracle of the Broken Ones appeared when 
  Klaww began to unite the tribes of scattered 
  beastmen into one “super-tribe.”  The Oracle ﬁrst 
  came to the public’s attention by playing devil’s 
  advocate, cautioning against Klaww’s message of 
  unity; but like any smart player in Broken Ones 
  politics, he quickly realized there was more power to 
  be gained through supporting unity instead of ﬁghting 
  it.  However, while the Oracle has the people’s ear 
  ― and worship ― he has become a political enemy 
  of Klaww and his generals.
  The Oracle is a thorn in Klaww’s side.  Because his 
  word holds considerable weight and inﬂuence, he is 
  often seen as an indirect threat to Klaww’s autocratic, 
  imperial rule.  While the Oracle has no ofﬁcial 
  position, his prophecies are widely respected, both in 
  the civilian and warrior ranks.
  The Oracle’s most recent (and most annoying) 
  prophecy involves a dream in which he saw the 
  Broken Ones marching to the south to the “blaring 
  trumpets of conquest.”  The Oracle’s followers 
  believe this means that the Broken Ones must ﬁrst 
  conquer the Purists to the south if they are ever 
  to achieve their racial dream of ruling over the 
  Necropolis.  This has resulted in many generals 
  and civilian leaders pressuring Klaww to divert his 
  forces from the Hive front (in the east) to the Purists.  
  Klaww wisely recognizes the Hive as a much greater 
  threat to his imperial ambitions, but he fears the 
  potential dissent that might arise if he ignores the 
  Oracle’s vocal following.  As such he is forced, with 
  increasing annoyance, to siphon forces from the war 
  against the Hive to satisfy the wild prophecies of the 
  “mad Oracle” ― an act that is slowly beginning to 
  endanger the empire’s war efforts.
  It is not clear what will result from the continued 
  antipathy between Klaww and the Oracle, as both are 
  beloved ﬁgures in Broken Ones society.  However, as 
  time goes by more and more Broken Ones are falling 
  under the Oracle’s spell, buying into the belief that 
  a second front must be opened against the Purists if 
  their people are ever to rule over the Necropolis.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The Oracle resides at this oasis 
  within the territory of the Broken Ones empire, in 
  a kind of monastic retreat from the bustling capital 
  city.  The Oracle is a whiskered old lion who walks 
  about in a simple white robe and carries a gnarled 
  wooden staff.  His mane is still magniﬁcent, however, 
  and though one of his fangs is chipped, his powerful 
  muscles can still be seen (perhaps deliberately, as 
  a warning to potential assassins sent by Klaww) 
  through his robes.
  The Oracle is more than just a cult ﬁgure, he is a 
  rising political force… and he knows it.  Though at 
  ﬁrst he only distrusted Klaww, he now views Klaww 
  as a rival.  He knows he walks a ﬁne line with his 
  act, but the surprising rise of so many loyal listeners 
  has engendered in him a foolhardy arrogance and 
  courage.  The Oracle isn’t afraid of Klaww, though he 
  probably should be.
  The Oracle (Lion Genotype Charismatic Hero 
  9/Demagogue 5):  CR 14; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 9d6 plus 5d6; HP 50; Mas 10; Init -1; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 15 (+0 size, -1 
  Dex, +5 class); BAB +6; Grap +10; Atk +10 melee 
  (1d6+4, quarterstaff), or +5 ranged (by weapon); FS 
  5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, 
  claws, scent, carnivore, muzzle; AL Broken Ones; 
  SV Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +10; AP 7; Rep +10; Str 18, 
  Dex 8, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 16.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Bluff, Knowledge 
  [Theology and Philosophy]).
  Background:  Resentful (Knowledge [Mutant 
  Lore]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Hyper Olfactory, Carnivore, Muzzle.
  Skills:  Bluff +23, Climb +5, Craft (writing) 
  +13, Decipher Script +6, Diplomacy +20, Disguise 
  +0, Gather Information +20, Hide +1, Intimidate 
  +20, Knowledge (Current Events) +18, Knowledge 
  (Mutant Lore) +7, Knowledge (Theology and 
  Philosophy) +8, Listen +3, Perform +15, Spot +3.
  Feats:  Alertness, Deceptive, Frightful Presence, 
  Great Fortitude, Hard-Eyed, Iron Will, Leadership, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Rend, Renown, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Super-Charismatic, 
  Trustworthy, War Chant [B&L].
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate, Charm, 
  Favor, Captivate, Inspiration.
  Talents (Demagogue):  Followers, Lead 
  Followers, Zealots, Captivate Masses.
  Possessions:  Quarterstaff, robes, two juju potions 
  (1d4+4).
  The Oracle does not dwell at his retreat alone; at 
  any given time he is protected by 20 Broken One 
  elites and a hand-picked gathering of mindlessly 
  loyal servants (20 Broken One commons).  An 
  additional 15 slaves are present at his compound 
  at any time, performing menial tasks as suits their 
  position.  Finally, gathered outside like pilgrims are 
  anywhere from 100 to 200 Broken One commons, 
  come to hear the Oracle’s next prophecy or receive 
  a blessing by gazing on his magniﬁcence.  These 
  beastmen are borderline zealots, and will attack with 
  insane fervor any who threaten the Oracle’s life.
  The Oracle:  HP 50.
  Broken One Elites (20):  HP 68.
  Broken One Commons (120-220):  HP 29.
  Slaves (15):  HP 10.
  
  131
  102. VILLAGE OF THE CARRION 
  KNIGHTS (EL VARIES)
  A walled wooden village sits here on the far 
  side of a grassy clearing.  The strong smell of 
  dung hangs heavy in the air.
  The village of a small tribal community exists here 
  largely unknown to the other inhabitants of the 
  Necropolis.  Needless to say, these tribals prefer it 
  that way.
  The tribe consists of men, women, children, and 
  elderly, all direct descendants of a band of desperate 
  refugees who ﬂed the raider-infested deserts and 
  returned to Los Angeles in the years just following 
  the Fall.  Though they faced disease, chemical 
  poisons, and radiation, they considered the dangers of 
  the wilderness far more dangerous, and chose to stay 
  here.
  Having lived in the Necropolis for generations, this 
  tribe of purebloods has degenerated in many ways, 
  becoming more and primitive with each passing year.  
  Today the tribals use spears, axes, and clubs, and 
  wear only the furs and skins of beasts killed in battle.  
  Though they have lost almost all knowledge of the 
  past, they have adapted in other ways, learning how 
  to hunt, track, forage, and domesticate animals.
  In particular these warlike tribals have learned 
  to raise and domesticate carrion raptors, training 
  them to serve as mounts which they ride into battle 
  like knights of the ancient past.  The tribals know 
  of several carrion raptor nesting grounds in the city 
  (such as Area #104), which they raid frequently for 
  eggs and chicks to raise and train.
  While they are perfectly capable of defending 
  themselves, these tribals are obsessed with a speciﬁc 
  bloody mission.  Though they hardly remember 
  the past, they know that their ancestors survived 
  by hunting the beasts of the city without mercy.  In 
  ancient times, when animals ran amok everywhere in 
  the ruins of the blasted city (due in no small part to 
  the genetic meddling of Zoogenic Corporation; more 
  on this elsewhere), there was never enough food for 
  these creatures and the human survivors to share.  
  Over the generations the tribals learned to despise 
  virtually all animals (except perhaps ‘raptors), and 
  continue to hunt them.  It is their mission, they 
  believe, to drive animals all from the Necropolis so 
  humans can rise again.
  In recent years the evolution of the Broken Ones 
  has been of paramount concern to these tribals, who 
  consider them just “talking animals” (which of course 
  they are) and a serious danger to their way of life 
  and continued survival.  Devouring ever-increasing 
  amounts of resources, the empire’s lightning growth 
  and expansion has alarmed them into considering the 
  declaration of war.
  GM’s Note:  The tribe consists of 83 tribal 
  warriors (use the stat block for the tribal warrior, 
  but note that these warriors do not use poison), 
  including men and women trained as Carrion 
  Knights; there are 53 Carrion Knights total.  These 
  warriors are easily distinguished by their feathery 
  headdresses.  The other 30 are specialists, such as 
  craftsmen, healers, and foragers.  The tribe also keeps 
  35 carrion raptors as mounts, which they use to 
  great effect in battle.
  Tribal Warriors (30):  HP 22.
  Carrion Knights (53):  HP 40.
  Carrion Raptors (35):  HP 23.
  Treasure:  Though the Carrion Knights have no 
  real treasure per se, PCs searching the camp will ﬁnd 
  a map in the chief’s hut.  This map (scribbled on one 
  large animal skin) depicts what the Carrion Knights 
  know of the area.  It shows this village (Area #102), 
  as well as Fort Lox (Area #125), the Carrion Raptor 
  Nesting Ground (Area #104), and the ghoul-infested 
  cemetery (Area #106).  It also vaguely shows the 
  boundaries of Downtown, which is enigmatically 
  labeled “citadel of the Serpent Gods.”
  Development:  Though they haven’t acted yet, the 
  tribals of this forgotten village train for war everyday, 
  and prepare for battle with foolhardy exuberance.  
  They could make useful allies to the PCs in any 
  engagement or endeavor against the Broken Ones, 
  whom the tribals have identiﬁed as the top threat to 
  their mission of making the city safe for humans.  
  Any party that is mostly human (or mutant, but 
  certainly not beastman) will ﬁnd it easy to twist the 
  tribe’s hatred and paranoia to their advantage.
  103. WALL CRAWLERS (EL 10)
  The neighborhood here smells of rot, decay, 
  and something worse ― the awful stench of 
  reptiles.  Cracked and gnawed bones litter the 
  streets everywhere.
  This area is home to a large colony of wall crawlers, 
  large dexterous lizards that survive by hunting some 
  of the most abundant creatures in the Necropolis: 
  wild men.  Wall crawlers are agile and speedy reptiles 
  that have developed a taste for these primitive 
  humanoids, almost to the exclusion of other prey.
  The PCs may come into contact with groups of 
  wall crawlers while they pass through this hex, at 
  your discretion.  They will certainly ﬁnd signs of 
  these hunters in the form of gnawed bones, huge piles 
  of guano, and heaps of shed reptile skin.
  If drawn to the sounds of the party passing through, 
  the wall crawlers will come eagerly expecting to 
  ﬁnd wild men, but upon seeing the party will merely 
  trail them for an hour or so before returning to the 
  wild man hunt.  Unless the PCs exhibit exceptional 
  
  132
  weakness (for instance, if they are all badly injured), 
  or have a wild man with them, the wall crawlers will 
  watch them for a time until their curiously wanes and 
  they scamper energetically away.
  Wall Crawlers (19):  HP 22 (page 26, The Broken 
  & the Lost: New Terrors)
  104. CARRION RAPTOR NESTING 
  GROUND (EL 9)
  The faces of several tall buildings here been 
  blown open by ancient ﬁghting.  The smell of 
  dung is redolent in the air.  From where you 
  stand you can gaze up into the exposed innards 
  of these old buildings, where you see a number of 
  enormous “bird nests” perched on ledges, piles 
  of rubble, and on the exposed upper ﬂoors.
  This area is a popular nesting area for carrion 
  raptors, enormous predatory mutant birds.  Their 
  nests (and piles of dung) litter the area; the sound 
  of mating calls, males battling for mates, and the 
  squawking of newly-hatched young ﬁlls the air 
  during most hours of the day.
  When the PCs visit this area there is a good chance 
  that a number of carrion raptors are present.  At 
  any given time there are 11 carrion raptors (not 
  including young) building new nests, squatting on 
  eggs, engaging in ritual courtship, or battling for the 
  right to mate with choice females.
  PCs wandering into the nesting grounds aren’t 
  likely to raise much concern from the raptors unless 
  they wander close.  If spotted they will have to 
  contend with enraged mothers, as well as puffed-up 
  males seeking to impress potential mates, who come 
  rushing to tear the trespassers apart!
  Carrion Raptors (11):  HP 23.
  Treasure:  The raptors don’t horde treasure, but 
  their eggs are potentially quite valuable, since the 
  young can be trained to serve as exceptional war 
  steeds.  An intact, un-hatched egg is worth 1,000 cp 
  if sold to merchants outside the city.  A given raptor 
  nest has a 2 in 10 chance of having an egg inside.  A 
  raptor egg is large and heavy (weighing just under 
  35 lbs).  If the PCs take an egg, roll 1d6 and add 
  +2.  This is the length of time, in days, before the egg 
  hatches!
  105. ARTILLERY FIREBASE (EL 18)
  Up ahead you spot a fortress atop a slight rise, 
  surrounded by nearly a half-mile of blasted-ﬂat 
  rubble.  It seems ancient, older than the current 
  factions of the city; surrounded by barbed wire 
  fences, mineﬁelds, and palisades of sand-bags 
  and earth, it is a formidable citadel.  Old rusted 
  artillery pieces, some ridiculously huge, rise 
  from within, pointing toward the sky.  A tattered 
  ﬂag of green cloth ﬂaps overhead.
  This hex marks the site of an Ancient-era artillery 
  ﬁrebase set up in the city during the ﬁghting for Los 
  Angeles.  So far in the future it is unclear which 
  side used this base to support their forces, but its 
  centralized location and powerful guns have made it 
  a major strategic point in the battles between the Hive 
  and the Broken Ones.
  The ﬁrebase is currently held by the Broken Ones, 
  who dislodged the Hive’s stubborn mutant bug 
  garrison in a swift and decisive attack several months 
  ago.  Ever since then the bugs have been trying to 
  reclaim the base, sending wave after wave of their 
  forces at the base in ever-increasing numbers.  Each 
  time they been repelled, but not without great loss in 
  Broken One warriors.  Still, Klaww the Beastmaster 
  is obsessed with keeping this key location.  Though 
  his troops have no idea how to operate the big guns 
  gathering rust within the fortress perimeter Klaww 
  hopes to someday reactivate the guns and bring them 
  to bear on the enemies surrounding his empire.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The current garrison 
  commander of the ﬁrebase is an intelligent and 
  capable beastman named Red Tongue, a former 
  cavalry general who has managed to hold this 
  strategic base against all attacks, and to earn Klaww’s 
  favor in doing so.  Though there are more ambitious 
  ofﬁcers among the Broken Ones, Red Tongue knows 
  that Klaww’s eyes are upon him and he thus ﬁghts 
  every day not only for the objective, but for the glory 
  of Klaww.
  Red Tongue rides a tattooed palomino named 
  Stalwart into battle, a faithful companion that has 
  metal plates sewn into its skin and hooves ﬁtted with 
  blades (allowing it to slash enemies when it rears).
  Red Tongue (Wolf Genotype Strong Hero 3/
  Guardian 6/Beast-Friend (Horse Rider) 3 [B&L]):  
  CR 12; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8 plus 6d10 
  plus 3d8; HP 61; Mas 11; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; Defense 
  25, touch 20, ﬂatfooted 22 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +7 
  class, +5 equipment); BAB +11; Grap +13; Atk +13 
  melee (1d12+4, greataxe), or +15 ranged (2d8+2, 
  M16A2); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, carnivore, social animal; AL 
  Broken Ones; SV Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +3; AP 6; 
  Rep +2; Str 14, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 
  12.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Intimidate).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Hyper 
  Olfactory, Serrated Dental Development, Carnivore, 
  Social Animal.
  Skills:  Handle Animal +15, Hide +5, Intimidate 
  
  133
  +7, Jump +4, Knowledge (Current Events) +3, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +11, Ride +18, Survival +2
  Feats:  Animal Afﬁnity, Archaic Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor 
  Proﬁciency (medium), Cleave, Mounted Archery, 
  Mounted Combat, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Ride-By Attack, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (M16A2), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (M16A2).
  Talents (Beast-Friend (Horse Rider) [B&L]):  
  Favored Mount/Companion, Mounted Raider (Horse 
  Rider), Masterful Rider (Horse Rider).
  Possessions:  M16A2, two boxes of 5.56mm 
  ammo (60), legionnaire’s armor, greataxe, two doses 
  of stimshot B.
  Stalwart (Horse):  CR 1; Large animal; HD 3d8+6; 
  HP 19; Mas 15; Init +1; Spd 60 ft; Defense 16, touch 
  10, ﬂat-footed 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural); BAB 
  +2; Grap +7; Atk +2 melee (1d4+1, hoof); Full Atk 
  +2 melee (1d4+1, 2 hooves); FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 
  5 ft; SQ scent, low-light vision; AL Red Tongue; SV 
  Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 
  13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Listen +6, Spot +6.
  Feats:  None.
  Possessions:  Dermal plating +3 [F/MG].
  The ﬁrebase is a built-up fortiﬁcation sitting on a 
  small natural rise, surrounded by several hundred 
  yards of blasted ground (a killing zone).  Sandbags 
  and low stone walls surround the entire base; sand-
  bagged gun pits containing the rusting remnants of 
  old artillery guns (a total of six 155mm howitzers, 
  though none have any usable ammunition left) ring 
  the perimeter.  At the center are a number of old sand-
  bagged bunkers ― now the quarters of the Broken 
  Ones garrison.
  Red Tongue has a small but powerful command 
  of 25 Broken One cavalry and 5 giant mutant 
  beastmen.  The Broken Ones back at home 
  have managed to send the garrison 6 Broken 
  One commons to assist them, including two 
  weaponsmiths, a blacksmith, and three grooms (for 
  their mounts).
  Red Tongue:  HP 61.
  Stalwart:  HP 19.
  Broken One Cavalry (25):  HP 74.
  Giant Mutant Beastmen (5):  HP 92.
  Broken One Commons (6):  HP 29.
  Treasure:  Red Tongue secured a number of items 
  when he took the ﬁrebase, and keeps them stored 
  in one of the ﬁrebase’s bunkers.  The bunker is 
  unlocked, but to get at it the PCs will have to ﬁght 
  through the Broken Ones.  The cache contains 5 Hive 
  acid riﬂes (treat these as sonic riﬂes), a power clip 
  (down to 3 charges), and two energy grenades ― 
  items taken from the Hive defenders, the signiﬁcance 
  of which Red Tongue doesn’t recognize.
  Development:  Red Tongue and his men will open 
  ﬁre on anyone or anything they see moving through 
  the ruins, no matter what, and will ﬁght to the death 
  to defend the ﬁrebase.  They know when supply 
  caravans are going to show up, so they’ll be wise to 
  PCs trying to pose as relief forces.
  What’s more important, however, is that in the 
  nearby ruins to the east the remnants of the last 
  bug attack force are building up for another attack, 
  as reinforcements arrive daily from Hive A (Area 
  #025).  Should the PCs wander east of the ﬁrebase 
  (or be spotted outside by the bugs, which have secret 
  lookouts hidden nearby); they will come under 
  attack from the ragged groups of bugs hiding among 
  the ruins.  A typical encounter with such a group 
  consists of 2d4 swarm bugs and 1d4+1 mutant 
  bug guardians, plus a 50% chance of 1 mutant bug 
  thinker and a 10% chance of 1 giant tank bug.
  106. FOREBODING RUIN (EL VARIES)
  This area is a dark and foreboding ruin.  
  Cackles and moans echo from over the shattered 
  and wrecked stone walls that surround the 
  property.  The smell here is rich with the odors of 
  decay.  A light mist lingers over the great rolling 
  ﬁelds, where tall grass conspires to hide any 
  structures or dangers that might lie within.  Here 
  and there you spy the stubs of strange statues, 
  half-concealed by mist, now discolored and 
  cracked.  Other marble and bronze sculptures 
  seem to dim and fade as the mist shifts with the 
  stale wind.
  This location marks the site of what was once the 
  Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a 
  sprawling cemetery.  This hilly graveyard complex 
  was home to a large concentration of savage ghouls 
  up until a few years ago, when an army of the Broken 
  Ones was sent to eradicate the ghoul infestation.
  Though the Broken Ones were successful, the 
  site was later quietly reoccupied by ghouls ﬂeeing 
  from the Hive.  A foul and pestilent ghoul general 
  known as Zuul Bonegnawer brought a large number 
  of surviving ghouls to this distant refuge in hopes of 
  leaving the Hive threat behind them.  To prevent the 
  Hive from following them, they collapsed the old 
  tunnels they used to reach their new refuge via the 
  sewers and subways beneath the city, and thus have 
  no access to the sewer system.
  The ghouls have lived in this area without being 
  
  134
  discovered by the Broken Ones for some time 
  now.  Zuul ― a coward but also a clever survivalist 
  ― hopes that the Hive and Broken Ones will kill 
  each other off.  Hiding here his people will survive, 
  and if fortune proves favors them, they will be able 
  to retake what was lost once those factions have 
  annihilated each other.
  Though he has given strict orders for his men 
  to lay low for the time being, a few of Zuul’s less 
  obedient followers have taken to sneaking out of the 
  park under the cover of night to scavenge the fringes 
  of nearby Broken One frontier settlements.  They 
  haven’t been discovered yet, but if they were to be 
  spotted the Broken Ones might shift a considerable 
  force to the park’s vicinity to crush the ghouls living 
  here once and for all.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Zuul Bonegnawer, once 
  despised for his cowardly tactics as a battleﬁeld 
  commander, now leads an entire enclave of ghouls 
  hiding out in the hills of Forest Lawn Memorial 
  Park.  One of the few Necropolis ghouls with enough 
  brains to lead an “army” into open battle (despite 
  his personal cowardice), he has since grown both 
  mentally and physically, eating those ghouls who do 
  not obey his orders.  This horriﬁc practice has slowly 
  transformed him into a super ghoul, and now he has 
  become a towering, ogrish monstrosity.
  This mental and physical transformation has shifted 
  Zuul’s eating preferences to the simple rats and rat 
  dogs that follow his kind around.  He constantly 
  surrounds himself with swarms of furry vermin, 
  and considers these creatures far more trustworthy 
  than even his closest ghoul advisors (and sadly, he’s 
  probably right).  He is also beginning to develop a 
  slight case of dementia, claiming to hear advice in the 
  squeaks of the hundreds of rats that accompany him 
  wherever he goes.
  Zuul Bonegnawer (Super Ghoul Strong Hero 
  3/Tough Hero 3):  CR 13; Large Giant; HD 9d8+27 
  plus 3d8+9 plus 3d10+9; HP 115; Mas 17; Init +1; 
  Spd 30 ft; Defense 18, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 17 (-1 
  size, +1 Dex, +4 natural, +4 class); BAB +11; Grap 
  +22; Atk +17 melee (1d10+9, greatclub), +13 ranged 
  (2d6+6, thrown rock); Full Atk +17 melee (1d10+9, 
  greatclub), +13 ranged (2d6+8, thrown rock); FS 10 
  ft by 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ photosensitive, thermal 
  sight, rock throwing; AL none; SV Fort +13, Ref +6, 
  Will +7; AP 0; Rep +1; Str 24, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 
  14, Wis 14, Cha 12.
  Skills:  Climb +12, Decipher Script +4, Hide +5, 
  Intimidate +10, Jump +12, Listen +6, Move Silently 
  +5, Search +4, Spot +9, Survival +9 (+17 when 
  tracking).
  Feats:  Alertness, Cleave, Power Attack, Track, 
  Weapon Focus (thrown rock).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Second Wind, Remain 
  Conscious.
  Possessions:  Bone greatclub, 1d2 large rocks.
  Zuul’s tribe consists of 37 Necropolis ghouls and 
  15 Necropolis ghoul veterans, as well as 33 rat 
  dogs.  Zuul is the only super ghoul in the tribe.
  Zuul Bonegnawer:  HP 115.
  Necropolis Ghouls (37):  HP 12.
  Necropolis Ghoul Veterans (15):  HP 28.
  Rat Dogs (33):  HP 11.
  Treasure:  Zuul jealously takes all treasure 
  accumulated by his tribe and arranges it at the foot 
  of his charnel throne.  These treasures include 1d2 
  light rods, a broken Geiger counter (requires a Repair 
  check at DC 15, but no spare parts, to ﬁx), a full tank 
  of boron solution spray, and 3d10 salt pills.
  107. HORRORS (EL 9)
  You are surprised to see creatures moving 
  through the rubble ahead.  They appear to be 
  a gross mixture of man and snake, but perverse 
  in form and imperfection.  They lack the ability 
  to move at more than a crawl, pulling their 
  paralyzed serpentine bodies along on frail 
  human arms.  Half-human faces stare mournfully 
  at you through blind cystic eyes, almost begging 
  for a merciful death, while the beasts move 
  closer and closer....
  A large group of horrors makes this hex its home, just 
  a short distance from the Pit of Horrors.  The horrors 
  have no communal village or gathering place and 
  stick largely to the shadowy places created by the 
  ruins: sewer entrances, rubble heaps, and the hollow 
  ruins of tall buildings.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The horrors here are led by a 
  particularly powerful member of their awful race, 
  who has grown large and fat through successful 
  hunting and the cannibalistic devouring of other 
  horrors.  But this creature’s size and strength isn’t 
  what attracts the other horrors to its leadership; this 
  horror is able to reliably provide food.
  The lead horror keeps its “tribe” content through 
  regular feedings.  Somewhat adventurous for a 
  horror, it managed to locate a reliable food source 
  a few months ago, in the form of the Temple to the 
  Serpent Gods (see Area #129).  Though it has no 
  idea why, the horror noticed that the Broken Ones 
  repeatedly left living prey chained or tied up at 
  this site, then left.  Once they had gone, the horror 
  mustered its courage and came forward.  Despite 
  the victim’s screams, it was able to feed without the 
  Broken Ones returning.  Satisﬁed, it slithered off.
  The horror observed the Broken Ones repeat their 
  offering several times in succession, and after ﬁnding 
  
  135
  it to be a reliable source of food, eventually started 
  bringing others with it.  Now the entire group of 
  horrors lives here under that creature’s leadership, 
  following it to the Temple to feed on a regular basis.
  Horror “Chief” (Mutant Tough Hero 3/Outcast 
  Survivor 1 [B&L]):  CR 4; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 3d10+3 plus 1d8+1 plus 3; HP 29; Mas 12; Init 
  +1; Spd 10 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 13 
  (+0 size, -1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +2; Grap +5; Atk 
  +5 melee (1d3+3 nonlethal plus poison, unarmed), or 
  +1 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; 
  SQ medical incompatibility, acid attack, poison; AL 
  Horrors; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +2; AP 2; Rep +2; 
  Str 16, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Acid Excretion Glands, 
  Neurotoxin Sting, Atrophied Cerebellum (Int), 
  Ophidianism [B&L].
  Skills:  Balance -7, Climb +0, Escape Artist +1, 
  Hide +8, Intimidate +6, Jump -3, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +8, Spot +4, Survival +8, Swim -3. 
  Feats:  Alertness, Filthy, Know The Signs [B&L], 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Stealthy, Toughness. 
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Remain Conscious, Damage 
  Reduction 1/—. 
  Talents (Outcast Survivor [B&L]):  Poison Use, 
  Terrorize. 
  Possessions:  None.
  The “tribe” currently consists of 27 horrors, but at 
  any given time two-thirds of these are out scouring 
  through the ruins, either individually or in packs of 
  2-3.  The rest will probably be found together in their 
  leader’s company, hoping to be led to their next meal.  
  Wherever their engorged leader wanders they follow; 
  they have no set “village,” only an area of territory in 
  which they meander about each day (i.e. this hex).
  Horror “Chief”:  HP 29.
  Horrors (27):  HP 18.
  108. PLACE OF THE SKY WATCHERS 
  (EL VARIES)
  Overlooking the mountains here is a decaying 
  old structure, its fabulous masonry crumbling 
  with age.  Three large domes once capped the 
  building, but one of these has caved in, and the 
  others are overgrown with ivy and some other 
  dry, stubborn vegetation.
  This is the site of the Grifﬁth Park Observatory, a 
  famous landmark of old Los Angeles.  Originally 
  dedicated to the city by a wealthy patron, the 
  observatory was abandoned during the Fall along 
  with the rest of the city.  Except, that is, for the 
  planetarium’s aging caretaker, who witnessed the 
  ﬁghting for Los Angeles, the nuclear blasts over 
  the city, and the eventual disintegration of human 
  civilization.
  Though this elderly man died generations 
  ago, before he passed on he opened his doors to 
  a small group of orphans who wandered up to 
  the observatory.  Loaded onto a bus from their 
  orphanage, they were being taken from the city when 
  the detonations over the city blinded the bus driver 
  and sent the vehicle plunging into a canyon.  The 
  grown-ups died, but the children managed to escape.  
  The old man, hearing their story, took them in.
  The old man raised the children for a time in the 
  observatory building, teaching them everything he 
  knew about the stars and planets ― and sharing 
  with them his dreams.  He sparked the youths’ 
  imaginations, and when he died they vowed to follow 
  his dream and protect the observatory in his name.
  Today the observatory has aged much, but the 
  descendants of those original children still remain.  
  Over time they have changed too, losing sight of their 
  origins and the truth of the old man’s words, evolving 
  from innocent youths into a xenophobic enclave of 
  star- and moon-worshippers.  Though the ancient 
  telescope of the observatory has been unusable for 
  years, the “Sky Watchers” have created smaller 
  telescopes of their own which they use to observe 
  the Necropolis (the observatory is a perfect vantage 
  point).  They have seen the rise of the Broken Ones 
  and witnessed the construction of the Hive’s bughills 
  in the distant east, and thus have more reason than 
  ever to fear outsiders.
  The Sky Watchers have developed a legend that 
  one day soon angelic beings from another planet will 
  appear in the skies over the Necropolis and collect 
  them, the faithful, who still reside atop this “holy 
  mountain.”  The Sky Watchers believe that all other 
  worldly creatures will perish when this day comes, 
  and having observed many battles unfolding between 
  the city’s various factions, they believe there is no 
  point in trying to save any of these inhabitants from 
  the inevitable.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The chosen leader of the Sky 
  Watchers is a young woman named (not surprisingly) 
  Moonbeam.  Though she was groomed from a young 
  age to lead the tribe, both as its chief and its high 
  priestess (with a head full of garbled lore about 
  spaceships and a moon populated with friendly 
  beings), she longs for a life of adventure instead of 
  the conﬁning role her people have chosen for her.  
  Naive and consumed with wanderlust, she might 
  help captive PCs escape if they take her with them.  
  In exchange she promises to put in a good word for 
  each of the party members when the time comes to be 
  “beamed up” and taken away on the “mothership.”
  
  136
  Moonbeam (Mutant Dedicated Hero 3):  CR 3; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6-3; HP 8; Mas 8; 
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 
  12 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +2 class); BAB +2; Grap +2; 
  Atk +2 melee (1d6, quarterstaff), or +4 ranged 
  (1d6, sling); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility; AL Sky Watchers; SV Fort +1, Ref 
  +3, Will +3; AP 1; Rep +1; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 
  12, Wis 13, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Decipher Script, 
  Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy]).
  Background:  Tribal (Spot).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance.
  Skills:  Craft (visual art) +4, Craft (writing) +4, 
  Decipher Script +7, Hide +4, Knowledge (Arcane 
  Lore) +4, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 
  +11, Listen +6, Move Silently +4, Navigate +3, Sense 
  Motive +4, Spot +7, Survival +4, Treat Injury +4.
  Feats:  Alertness, Dodge, Primitive Technology, 
  Remove Defect, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Stargazer [B&L], Stealthy.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Skill Emphasis 
  (Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy]), Faith.
  Possessions:  Quarterstaff, sling, 2d6 slingstones, 
  folding spyglass, antique sextant, glowing amulet 
  (actually a plutonium clip with full charge).
  The Sky Watchers number only a few dozen, 
  but they guard their mountain stronghold ﬁercely.  
  Secrecy is their best defense, however, as no other 
  communities know they even exist.  Should the PCs 
  venture too close to the observatory, the xenophobes 
  will venture out under the cover of darkness (or 
  through the forest) to attack and capture the PCs.  
  Those who are imprisoned by the Sky Watchers will 
  likely be executed to keep them from spreading word 
  of what they’ve seen.
  GM’s Note:  The Sky Watchers community 
  consists of 48 Sky Watchers, including men, women, 
  and children, and led by a council of seven elders.  
  At any given time 12 Sky Watchers are on watch 
  duty (two using telescopes to spy the city and the 
  approaches to the observatory, another four patrolling 
  the grounds, and two groups of three armed Sky 
  Watchers hiding in the forest near the road leading 
  to the observatory itself), with the rest in a state of 
  rest.  If the advance guard at the road spots intruders 
  they will sneak through the woods back to the 
  observatory to raise the silent alarm, and the rest of 
  the community will prepare to sortie out and kill the 
  party to protect their secret sanctuary.
  Moonbeam:  HP 8.
  Sky Watchers (48):  HP 11.
  Treasure:  The Sky Watchers have no real 
  treasures, save for an impressive collection of “sacred 
  jewels” ― pins and baubles from the observatory’s 
  old gift shop that they have preserved like holy relics 
  of the past.  These might fetch a total price of 150 cp 
  from the Paradise Believers (or any similar star-cult).
  109. BROKEN ONES CAMP (EL 15)
  A small camp sits here in the ruins, surrounded 
  by makeshift walls of sharpened sticks.  The 
  camp rests just a short distance from a larger 
  fortress on a nearby hill.
  This camp lies only a short distance from the 
  stockade of the Amazon Fortress (see Area #110).  
  The camp is garrisoned by a large group of Broken 
  One warriors, sent here by Klaww the Beastmaster 
  to besiege the fortress and ensure that none of the 
  “insolent slaves” that now occupy it escape.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The current commander of 
  the camp is a veteran general, one of only a few on 
  Klaww’s list of favorites, known both to his lord and 
  the common people as Zakhar Torn-Flesh.  Zakhar 
  fought alongside the infamous emperor during the 
  years it took to create the Broken Ones’ empire, and 
  he is a leader in the newly-emerging Raging Claws 
  caste.  Like others of this militaristic movement, 
  Zakhar Torn-Flesh is more beast than man, throwing 
  away any humanity he may have once had and 
  relishing in the wild, bestial, and violent nature that is 
  at his heart’s core.
  Zakhar is a brutal and vicious master who doesn’t 
  hesitate to kill his own men when they are unwilling 
  or unable to follow his orders.  He is even more 
  savage to his enemies, and has been known to tear 
  enemy soldiers apart with his bare hands, devouring 
  them while they still gurgle and scream.  His 
  wolverine form is a grotesque patchwork of deep and 
  ugly scars earned in pitched close combat, which he 
  openly displays as trophies of his past glories.
  Zakhar Torn-Flesh (Wolverine Genotype Tough 
  Hero 6/Raging Claw 5 [REW]):  CR 11; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 6d10+18 plus 5d12+ plus 3; HP 
  101; Mas 18; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 17, touch 
  17, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +6 class); BAB 
  +9; Grap +12; Atk +13 melee (1d10+5, claw), or 
  +10 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; 
  SQ medical incompatibility, adrenaline surge, claws, 
  carnivore, reptile brain; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort 
  +8, Ref +3, Will +4; AP 5; Rep +4; Str 16, Dex 12, 
  Con 17, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Resentful (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Adrenaline Control, 
  Bestial Genotype, Claws, Carnivore, Reptile Brain.
  Skills:  Climb +8, Intimidate +9, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +2, Knowledge (Tactics) +2, Spot 
  
  137
  +4, Survival +5, Tumble +6.
  Feats:  Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved 
  Bull Rush, Intimidating Strength*, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Ritual Scariﬁcation [B&L], 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, War Chant 
  [B&L], Weapon Focus (claws).
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Remain Conscious, 
  Damage Reduction 1/—, Damage Reduction 2/—.
  Talents (Raging Claw):  Natural Weapon 
  Specialization, Natural Weapon Familiarity, Natural 
  Weapon Advancement x2, Rally The Rage.
  Possessions:  None.
  The small camp consists of a barracks and smithy 
  that support the 20 Broken One warriors and 2 
  giant mutant beastmen stationed here.  There is a 
  single Broken One common present (the smith), and 
  2 slaves (his assistants).
  Zakhar Torn-Flesh:  HP 101.
  Broken One Warriors (20):  HP 40.
  Giant Mutant Beastmen (2):  HP 92.
  Broken One Common (1):  HP 29.
  Slaves (2):  HP 10.
  Development:  Zakhar’s strategy has thus far 
  involved watching and waiting, sending periodic 
  punitive raids against the Amazon Fortress to taunt 
  them, test their patience, and erode their morale.  He 
  senses that the amazons are growing tired, fearful, 
  and pessimistic, and his main preoccupation now 
  is controlling the temptation to devour all of them 
  for their stubborn resistance when the time comes.  
  Though his rational mind is often lost to more 
  animalistic urges, he knows he faces a difﬁcult 
  struggle to prevent himself from going berserk if 
  and when his troops ﬁnally wear down the amazons’ 
  resistance.
  110. AMAZON FORTRESS (EL VARIES)
  Tendrils of smoke rise from a hill dominating 
  this area.  Dwarﬁng the ruins around it is a 
  huge fortress of wood and stone, with spindly 
  watch towers and walls surmounted by covered 
  battlements.  A deep moat surrounds it all, dry 
  but littered with sharp stakes.  It’s obvious that 
  some kind of fortress lies ahead.
  A large fortiﬁed compound sits in this hex, built-up 
  only in recent years.  Hidden among the ruins of what 
  was once Loyola Marymount University, this fortress 
  is the home of a large concentration of escaped slaves 
  from the Broken Ones empire, much to the chagrin 
  (and fury) of their former masters.
  The “Amazon Fortress” gets its name from a core 
  of intelligent and capable human women who came 
  to the fortress a few years ago, just months after 
  the people of the Purist Enclave (see the chapter on 
  the Enclave of the Lost Children of Man) emerged 
  and began investigating the surface.  These women 
  scientists were part of a research and study team sent 
  out by the Purists to scout the northern frontier of 
  their self-imagined territory.  But as rumors began 
  to ﬁlter back that ghouls and beastmen were thriving 
  like parasites throughout the city, the Purists closed 
  their doors, fearing the diseases these creatures 
  might carry.  The women ― who had ventured 
  out with little protection other than a few weapons 
  ― attempted to return, but to their horror were turned 
  back.
  Refused admittance back into the Purist enclave, 
  the women got over their brutal abandonment rather 
  quickly.  Facing the city alone, the women came 
  here, hoping to make a refuge of their own in what 
  they expected to be an abandoned site.  Instead 
  they found a small community of escaped slaves, 
  mostly concubines, dwelling in fear and squalor, 
  living each day on the run from sporadic Broken 
  One patrols sent to “reclaim” them.  Though their 
  ﬁrst meeting was strained, the exiled Purist scientists 
  were able to earn the trust of the slaves, and even 
  gain their admiration.  Realizing that their fates 
  were now intertwined (for surely the Broken Ones 
  would take them all as concubines if they could), the 
  Purists worked feverishly to build up the defenses 
  of the sheltered village so as to repel attacks from a 
  numerically-superior force.  Using books found in 
  the old university buildings, they have recreated a 
  respectable likeness of a working medieval fortress, 
  as well as an arsenal of high-quality weapons with 
  which to arm their community’s warriors.
  Today the old university is a real sanctuary, with 
  wooden and stone walls, fortiﬁed watch towers, 
  and three gatehouses with drawbridges and an all-
  encircling moat.  The old university buildings still 
  serve as shelters for the amazon community, which 
  has grown to include other escaped slaves that came 
  from near and far upon hearing of the fortress.  A 
  village of thatched huts has also sprung up inside the 
  fortress to accommodate the growing population and 
  provide workplaces for the more skilled members of 
  the tribe.
  GM’s Note:  When Emperor Klaww learned of 
  the amazons’ presence, the idea of an all-female 
  enclave got his blood boiling.  He sent an emissary 
  challenging the leader of the amazons, Queen 
  Corinne, to a personal combat to determine the fate 
  of her people; if Klaww won, her people would lay 
  down their arms and surrender the fortress intact.  If 
  she won, Klaww would vow not to take the fortress.
  After much deliberation Queen Corinne sent 
  her sister, Elaine, to ﬁght for her.  Insulted that the 
  amazon leader did not show up in person, Klaww 
  nonetheless sent his own champion, Fang, to ﬁght.  
  Elaine (now “Alana”) killed Fang after a grueling 
  
  138
  trial by combat.  Though embarrassed by his 
  champion’s defeat, Klaww let the amazons return to 
  their enclave.  He now keeps the fortress under siege; 
  though he won’t allow his men to lay their hands on 
  the amazons (as he vowed), they will kill anyone 
  who tries to get through their lines and to the fortress.  
  In effect, Klaww has found a way around their 
  agreement by starving the amazons out.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The handful of Purist women 
  who effectively lead the amazon community no 
  longer resemble civilized women; practicality, and a 
  need to appear “approachable” by their people, has 
  forced them to adopt savage dress and mannerisms.  
  Still, these women are highly intelligent and capable.
  The leader of the amazons is Dr. Corinne Harris 
  (now known to her people as Queen Corinne), 
  formerly a senior scientist in the Purist enclave.  
  Corinne is assisted by her younger sister, Elaine 
  (a.k.a. “Alana, Mistress of Blades”), a talented 
  biologist who was also part of the ill-fated expedition.  
  Both sisters dress and act the part of savage warriors, 
  so apart from their un-mutated looks they can easily 
  be mistaken for former slaves.  In reality Corinne’s 
  intelligence, efﬁcient manner, and ability to think 
  clearly under pressure have kept the community 
  alive; her former focus on bacterial research is of 
  little use to her now.  Elaine assists her sister as 
  an advisor and general, and has slowly learned to 
  replace her book-sense with a surprising aptitude for 
  tactical planning, battleﬁeld leadership, and hand-to-
  hand combat (particularly as a two-weapon wielder).
  Queen Corinne (Dedicated Hero 3/Field Scientist 
  6):  CR 9; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6 plus 
  6d8; HP 37; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 15, 
  touch 15, ﬂatfooted 14 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +4 class); 
  BAB +5; Grap +4; Atk +7 melee (1d8-1, spear), or 
  +6 ranged (2d6, black powder pistol); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Amazons; SV Fort +5, Ref 
  +5, Will +9; AP 4; Rep +6; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 
  14, Wis 16, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Knowledge [Earth 
  and Life Sciences], Research).
  Background:  Resurrector (Craft [chemical]).
  Skills:  Computer Use +7, Craft (chemical) +9, 
  Craft (pharmaceutical) +5, Diplomacy +7, Gather 
  Information +4, Investigate +4, Knowledge (Ancient 
  Lore) +4, Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) 
  +7, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) +17, 
  Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +16, Knowledge 
  (Technology) +17, Research +15, Search +8, Sense 
  Motive +5.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Educated 
  (Knowledge [Earth and Life Sciences], Knowledge 
  [Technology]), Iron Will, Leadership, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Rallying Leader [F/MG], 
  Renown, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Trustworthy.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Empathy, Intuition.
  Talents (Field Scientist):  Smart Defense*, 
  Scientiﬁc Improvisation, Skill Mastery, Minor 
  Breakthrough.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft spear +3, black powder 
  pistol, 10 rounds of shot, robes, PDA, technical 
  scanner [F/MG], two power cells.
  Alana, Mistress of Blades (Smart Hero 3/Field 
  Scientist 4/Guardian 2):  CR 9; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d6+3 plus 4d8+4 plus 2d10+2; 
  HP 48; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 20 ft; Defense 18, 
  touch 15, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +3 class, 
  +3 equipment); BAB +5; Grap +7; Atk +11 melee 
  (1d8+2, mastercraft longsword), or +7 ranged (by 
  weapon); Full Atk +9 melee (1d8+2, mastercraft 
  longsword) and +8 melee (1d6+2, mastercraft combat 
  knife); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL 
  Amazons; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2; AP 4; Rep 
  +2; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Knowledge [Earth 
  and Life Sciences], Research).
  Background:  Resurrector (Craft [chemical]).
  Skills:  Computer Use +8, Craft (chemical) +9, 
  Craft (pharmaceutical) +8, Craft (structural) +8, 
  Demolitions +4, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +4, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) 
  +9, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +8, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +14, Knowledge (Technology) +8, Listen 
  +1, Repair +8, Research +9, Ride +4, Sense Motive 
  +2, Spot +1, Survival +1, Treat Injury +1, Tumble +4.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Arms 
  Pupil [F/MG], Combat Expertise, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Power Attack, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Sunder, Two-Weapon 
  Fighting.
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]), Exploit Weakness.
  Talents (Field Scientist):  Smart Defense*, 
  Scientiﬁc Improvisation, Skill Mastery.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (longsword).
  Possessions:  Mastercraft longsword +3, 
  mastercraft combat knife +3, plate mail, helmet 
  plumed with vulture feathers.
  The tribe is still largely dominated by females, 
  since the original villagers were mostly escaped 
  concubines.  Now, however, men, children, and even 
  a few elderly who managed to survive the arduous 
  journey through the Broken Ones’ lines have begun 
  to ﬁll out the ranks.  Despite the inﬂux of new blood, 
  there is a palpable unease in the fortress.  Each day 
  the holdouts wonder how long they can withstand the 
  siege, and pray that Emperor Klaww will eventually 
  give up on the idea of recapturing them.
  
  139
  In addition to these two leaders, the inhabitants 
  of the Amazon Fortress include another 5 Purist 
  scientists (though their possessions are more akin 
  to those of tribal warrior elites), 87 slaves, and 13 
  tribal warriors.  There are an additional 11 slaves, 
  but these are elderly and children and are thus non-
  combatants.  These latter busy themselves hand-
  crafting black powder pistols and riﬂes night and day, 
  using knowledge brought by the Purist exiles, which 
  will hopefully replace the swords and spears that the 
  majority of the slaves now wield.
  Queen Corinne:  HP 37.
  Alana, Mistress of Blades:  HP 48.
  Purist Scientists (5):  HP 31.
  Slaves (87):  HP 10.
  Tribal Warriors (13):  HP 22.
  Treasure:  The amazons keep some artifacts 
  brought with them from the Ark, but the supply is 
  dwindling.  Their few remaining precious items 
  include a Geiger counter, a power beltpack (down 
  to 2 charges), 1d6 light rods, a chemical kit, an 
  autograpnel (with full power cell), and 10,000 cp 
  worth of books.
  Development:  The amazons are unlikely to give 
  PCs approaching their compound the beneﬁt of 
  the doubt ― unless, of course, the PCs have been 
  observed ﬁghting (or ﬂeeing from) the Broken Ones 
  (for example, at the camp at Area #109).  Even if 
  this is the case, the amazons demand a show of 
  good intentions before they let the party into their 
  fortiﬁed compound; surrendering their weapons, for 
  example, or giving one of their number over as a 
  hostage.  Once inside, the PCs will ﬁnd a community 
  starved for information, supplies, and hope.  Though 
  the villagers are eager to trade for fresh supplies 
  (anything from food and water for the slaves, to 
  luxuries and technological comforts sorely missed 
  by the former Purists), the two amazon leaders, at 
  least, are pessimistic and skeptical of false promises 
  and offers of help.  But if the PCs earn their trust 
  (perhaps by donating fresh water, food, and medicine 
  ― and behaving themselves while in the company 
  of females) they may learn much about the area, 
  including detailed information about the Broken Ones 
  and the terrible emperor who leads them.
  Whatever happens during their stay, the majority 
  of the amazons will ultimately choose to remain here, 
  even if the party offers to take them safely out of the 
  city.  But if during their stay the PCs should develop 
  romantic relationships with individual amazons, 
  the leadership will not stand in the way of the party 
  taking their new-found companions with them.  In 
  such a case, the amazons will contribute a spear, a 
  suit of leather armor, a juju kit, and two weeks of 
  food and water for their departing sister, but little 
  else.
  111. THE OLD UNIVERSITY (EL 0)
  A dismal gloom hangs over this place, made 
  manifest by blackened ruins and rusted cars put 
  to the torch long ago.  Underfoot lie crumpled 
  and scorched signs and banners, most of which 
  are no longer legible.
  Vultures congregate atop nearby ruins, 
  watching your movement with keen black eyes.  
  Towering over the scenery are a dozen rotting 
  wooden structures ― gallows, from which hang 
  the skeletal remains of long-dead, grotesquely-
  mutated creatures.
  This hex contains the sprawling campus of what is 
  now known only as the Old University.  Once the 
  campus of USC, this world-famous institution of 
  higher learning was the scene of great chaos in the 
  months and days preceding the Fall.
  Long a liberal stronghold, the campus of USC 
  became home to a large population of sit-in protesters 
  during the months before the Final War.  Protesting 
  what they saw as growing American hegemony 
  enacted through a Machiavellian web of clandestine 
  control and coercion, these mostly-young college 
  students staged a prolonged gathering here on the 
  campus grounds to draw attention to their cause.  
  They demanded that the president step down in 
  the face of increasing hostility against the United 
  States on the world stage (the result, many claimed, 
  of his diplomatic blundering), and called for a total 
  national switchover from fossil fuels to replenishable 
  and recyclable resources.  Their intent was to show 
  solidarity with the impoverished and alienated 
  nations of the world by spurning the regime of 
  America’s last president.
  Whatever happened to these souls, none can say; 
  the campus was forgotten in the war and the nuclear 
  holocaust.  Hundreds of years later the old university 
  grounds were rediscovered when scouts from the 
  rising Broken Ones empire came here just a few 
  years past.
  When the Broken Ones ﬁrst uncovered the old 
  university, what occurred was an atrocity.  The 
  scouts ― little more than a band of armed rabble 
  ― scoured the campus, trampling the protest grounds 
  and crushing rotting signs underfoot and sacking 
  the old buildings.  Searching for food and other bare 
  necessities, they were disappointed to ﬁnd only books 
  and ancient lab equipment.  In a stroke of remarkable 
  stupidity, the leader of the expedition ― disgusted 
  by what he perceived to be wasted effort ― ordered 
  the buildings and their contents burned.  The damage 
  inﬂicted was total; the ﬁres raged out of control and 
  the entire campus was burned to its foundations.
  When Emperor Klaww the Beastmaster learned 
  what his scouts had done, he was incensed.  He had 
  
  140
  long hoped that his people would ﬁnd just such a 
  storehouse of ancient knowledge, with which they 
  would recover much of the lost lore of the city and 
  the story of their origins.  So enraged was he that he 
  had every last scout in the expedition rounded up and 
  brought back here to be executed, leaving them to 
  hang from tall pillories until all that remained were 
  their bones.
  GM’s Note:  The ruins of USC were completely 
  destroyed by the foolhardy Broken One scouts.  What 
  little wasn’t destroyed (which amounted to very little 
  of consequence) Emperor Klaww ordered removed 
  and taken back to their capital.  Now the campus is 
  merely a gutted wreck, marked by the rotting pillories 
  erected to execute the scouts.
  112. COLISEUM OF THE WILD MEN (EL 
  20)
  The crumbling facade of a great sports arena 
  rises above the disintegrating ruins here.  A 
  terrible smell drifts through the air, causing you 
  to nearly choke whenever the wind shifts in your 
  direction.  As you approach the daunting ruin, a 
  strange, guttural cry echoes through the sky like 
  a siren before falling abruptly silent.  You are at 
  a loss to identify what it was or where it comes 
  from.
  A nauseating stench ﬁlls the air around this ancient 
  coliseum, so strong that anyone coming within a 
  quarter-mile must make a Fortitude save at DC 12 
  or be sickened.  (This effect only wears off if they 
  leave the area.)  The smell comes from the vast 
  “sea” of feces, discarded meals, and general odor 
  of the inhabitants of this hex ― the wild men of the 
  Necropolis’ greatest coliseum.
  Wild men have lived in the Necropolis since 
  the ﬁrst few years after the Fall.  Descended from 
  humans who were psychologically destroyed by the 
  devastation of the war, they degenerated into almost 
  mindless animals.  In their transformation, they lost 
  sight of their ancestry and technical skills and quickly 
  descended into savagery.  Sharing the city with rats, 
  wild dogs, and other scavengers, these scattered 
  survivors managed to thrive for many years… until 
  the rise of powerful Necropolis factions like the 
  Broken Ones and the Hive.
  Though they once effectively ruled the Necropolis 
  by virtue of their numbers, the wild men were never 
  able to organize and rise above their simple barbarism 
  ― and this meant their inevitable downfall.  Now 
  they are a shattered presence, dwelling like shadows 
  on the edges of other communities, driven off and 
  hunted for sport.  Forced into the most devastated 
  parts of the city, they nevertheless manage to survive 
  in the shadow of the predators and factions seeking to 
  conquer the city.
  Here in the coliseum the largest concentration 
  of wild men has made a temporary home, though 
  they view the coliseum as merely a convenient 
  shelter where they gather to eat, mate, and shelter 
  through the worst sandstorms.  But they do not 
  have any strong attachment to the place, and should 
  a determined attacker make a move against the 
  coliseum (which is situated in a contested region 
  between the Purist enclave and the Broken One 
  frontier) they will certainly abandon the mighty ruin.
  GM’s Note:  When the PCs arrive, they are certain 
  to be spotted by at least one wild man on the outskirts 
  of the coliseum. The wild man that spots them will 
  sound a general alarm, warning the others inside the 
  coliseum to be wary ― intruders are near.  The sentry 
  won’t attack, but will rather slip away.  At the same 
  time, inside the coliseum the rest of the wild men 
  population begin to take cover, hide, or ﬂee through 
  hundreds of tunnels and passages riddling the old 
  structure both above and below ground.
  There are roughly 500 wild men living in the 
  old coliseum, though most of these are dispersed 
  throughout the city day and night, foraging for food 
  and getting into general mischief wherever they 
  wander.  Most of these roving groups are gone for 
  several days at a time, so the actual numbers the PCs 
  will encounter if they enter the coliseum will vary.  In 
  addition, many of the wild men are meek-willed, and 
  when the alarm is raised roughly 25% will ﬂee the 
  area to wait out any possible ﬁghting.
  The stench surrounding the coliseum comes 
  from the ocean of detritus littering the coliseum 
  ﬂoor.  Dung, the remains of wild men dead, and the 
  discarded scraps of old meals (including thousands 
  of bones) make up this charnel pool.  The wild 
  men have grown accustomed to the stench and are 
  unaffected by it.
  Wild Men (500):  HP 18.
  Treasure:  Though wild men seldom manage to 
  best a more powerful opponent (and thus aren’t likely 
  to have interesting treasure), they do manage to get 
  into long-lost and forgotten places throughout the 
  city.  The wild men may have unusual bits of treasure 
  mixed in with their waste; anything from gold 
  wristwatches purloined from abandoned downtown 
  boutiques, to bits of armor and even advanced gizmos 
  toyed with and discarded when their ﬁnders grew 
  tired of them.  Use your discretion when determining 
  what treasures are found here; it should certainly take 
  a long time to pick them out!
  
  141
  113. PLACE OF ANCIENT GHOSTS (EL 7)
  This hex marks the site of a ruined region where 
  fungus appears in abundance.  During the day, the 
  streets and buildings merely appear to be covered in 
  strange man-shaped patches of colorless moss, but 
  by night the entire area lights up with a dim blue 
  radiance that emanates from the fungus.  Because 
  of this strange ghostly light, most inhabitants of 
  the Necropolis who have been here give it a wide 
  berth.  The wild men in particular avoid this spot; 
  they believe that each individual fungus patch marks 
  the spot where an Ancient perished during the Fall, 
  and indicates a place where the borders between the 
  world of the living and the world of the dead become 
  insubstantial.
  PCs visiting this hex ﬁnd the moss (known as 
  corpsemoss) virtually everywhere.  Corpsemoss is a 
  type of toxin (described in The Broken & the Lost:  
  Primitive Characters) which can be harvested by 
  someone with the right know-how.  A few canny wild 
  men (perhaps one out of every hundred) have learned 
  to harvest the stuff as poison, rendering it into a paste 
  with which they coat the tips of their javelins.
  Development:  There is a 1 in 10 chance that 
  a small group of 5 wild men are in the area when 
  the PCs travel through this hex.  The wild men are 
  unusually skittish, believing the PCs to be the ghosts 
  of the Ancients come back from the dead to walk the 
  earth!  They ﬂee from the PCs in a mindless panic if 
  their presence is discovered.
  Wild Men (5):  HP 18.
  Treasure:  PCs thinking to collect the corpsemoss 
  here can harvest roughly 2d10 doses of the poison per 
  24 hours spent at this site, assuming they perform no 
  other tasks while they forage.  The moss can be used 
  as poison if properly manufactured; otherwise it is 
  useful only as a dim light source, shedding shadowy 
  light out to 5 feet.
  114. SAVAGE VILLAGE (EL 10)
  The hollow echoes of bongo drums ﬁll the air 
  of this particularly built-up stretch of ruins.
  This hex on the fringes of the Broken Ones empire 
  is the site of a village of ex-slaves.  The inhabitants 
  of this primitive village escaped from their former 
  masters only a few years ago, and have banded 
  together for mutual protection against the terrors of 
  the Necropolis.
  The village is a simple tribal settlement, with 
  huts cobbled together from wood and scrap and a 
  smattering of tents stitched together from the skins 
  of animals killed by the tribe’s hunters.  The villagers 
  are a motley group of mutants and former Purists 
  who manage to survive by living in general secrecy.  
  (The Purists, like the amazons at Area #110, have 
  given up the hope of going home.)  Though they fear 
  outsiders ― who might reveal the location of their 
  refuge ― they absolutely hate the Broken Ones, and 
  will attack any group that has even one beastman 
  among its ranks (even if they don’t hail from the 
  Broken Ones empire).
  If the party contains no beastmen among them, 
  they may fare better.  Though the inhabitants have 
  learned to survive in the Necropolis, many dream of 
  a better, easier life.  Strangers who show a desire to 
  trade or be friendly may be welcomed into the tribal 
  village, where they will ﬁnd people eager for news 
  ― and for hope.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Unfortunately for the PCs the 
  village is ruled by a mutant chieftain, also a former 
  slave, who may see the party’s arrival as a threat to 
  his rule.  The chief, Cadan, wishes only the best for 
  his people, but at the same time he is very proud of 
  what together they have accomplished and built: a 
  safe haven from the Broken Ones.  The PCs’ arrival 
  will stir up quite a commotion, and soon handfuls 
  of men, women, and children will be begging the 
  party to take them out of the Necropolis and to 
  “freedom.”  In his mind, this constitutes a challenge 
  to Cadan’s competence as a ruler, and unless the PCs 
  take the hint and leave immediately (without taking 
  the villagers with them), Cadan assumes the party is 
  trying to tear the village apart.
  Though he greets them hospitably at ﬁrst, Cadan 
  eventually challenges the leader of the PCs to ritual 
  combat.  Though his people may disagree with him, 
  they respect their chief enough to recognize his right 
  to challenge outsiders.  Cadan calls the party leader to 
  ﬁght in a no-holds-barred match to the death for the 
  right to decide whether the villagers remain or leave.
  Cadan (Mutant Strong Hero 3/Guardian 7):  
  CR 10; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+12 plus 
  7d10+28 plus 3; HP 96; Mas 18; Init +2; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 23, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 21 (+0 size, +2 
  Dex, +6 class, +5 equipment); BAB +10; Grap +13; 
  Atk +14 melee (1d12+7, greataxe), or +12 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, DR 1/- vs. bludgeoning; AL Savage 
  Village; SV Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +6; AP 5; Rep +2; 
  Str 17, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Slave (Craft [structural], Survival).
  Background:  Tribal (Intimidate).
  Mutations and Defects:  Skeletal Fortiﬁcation, 
  Negative Chemical Reaction.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Craft (structural) +4, Handle 
  Animal +5, Intimidate +9, Jump +6, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +3, Knowledge (Mutant Lore) +3, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Listen +6, Sense Motive +4, 
  Spot +6, Survival +5.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency 
  (medium), Combat Reﬂexes, Gladiator, Iron Will, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Simple 
  
  142
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, Withstand.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (greataxe), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (greataxe), Defender +4.
  Possessions:  Greataxe, chainmail shirt.
  The village is home to 56 tribal warriors (actually 
  ex-slaves), including women and children, and 8 
  tribal warrior elites.  At any given time the former 
  population is evenly dispersed among the huts of the 
  village, working in the central meeting area on meals, 
  skinning hides, working bones into useable tools, 
  stitching tents, and performing other domestic duties.  
  The elite slaves serve as guards, and are dispersed 
  around the edges of the village watching for the 
  approach of outsiders.
  Cadan:  HP 96.
  Tribal Warriors (56):  HP 22.
  Tribal Warrior Elites (8):  HP 35.
  115. COAST OF SKELETON SHIPS (EL 8)
  The sound of crashing surf reaches your 
  ears as you emerge from the ruins onto a huge 
  expanse of natural beach.  The cool sea breeze 
  tugs at you, and a few unidentiﬁable birds linger 
  overhead, hovering on the wind.
  Littering the beach like discarded toys, and 
  emerging from the crashing waves where their 
  tops rise out of the water, are the rusted black 
  husks of countless low-hulled boats.  They still 
  bear faded military stenciling that identiﬁes each 
  as a landing craft of the great Enemy.  Many 
  bones and pieces of ancient military equipment 
  lie half-buried in the sand.
  This hex, and the two hexes north and south of it, are 
  barren except for the wreckage of over 100 landing 
  craft used in the Enemy’s amphibious invasion of Los 
  Angeles during the Final War.  These landing craft 
  were abandoned as the ﬁghting moved inland, and 
  many remain exactly where they were left, strewn 
  across the beach seemingly at random.
  None of these landing craft are currently operable; 
  most are rusted and disintegrating, their metal parts 
  so badly corroded that they couldn’t even be salvaged 
  for scrap.  Any armaments they once had were 
  stripped long ago by scavengers, leaving them little 
  more than useless reminders of the terrible ﬁghting 
  than once occurred here.
  Most of the hulls are exposed during low tide and 
  are ﬁrmly embedded in the sand.  By night, however, 
  many are covered by the ocean waters, and it is at 
  this time that a small group of Skaels swims in from 
  deeper waters to prowl among the submerged hulls, 
  watching the shoreline by the light of the moon.  
  The Skaels of this small colony were driven off by 
  the more powerful Skaels ﬁghting for control of 
  the Harbor region; they are timid hunters, and only 
  shamble up onto the beach if they spy no one there.  
  Once ashore, they are content to comb the beach for 
  bones to gnaw on.
  The Skaels only attack the PCs if they outnumber 
  them at least 2:1.  Though they never emerge from 
  the water by day, anywhere from 3 to 12 Skaels are 
  present in the party’s vicinity if they stumble onto the 
  beach at night.
  Skaels (12):  HP 9.
  Treasure:  One of the Skaels has a single random 
  item from Table 9: “Magic” Items in its possession.
  116. FIELDS OF FIRE (EL 17)
  The cityscape thins ahead.  A broad expanse 
  of collapsed buildings forms a wide valley amid 
  the wreckage, and seems to have been created 
  by natural forces, not by man.  Here the sky is 
  heavy with soot, and the faces of every exposed 
  stone and signpost are caked in a thick layer of 
  choking gray ash.
  In the center of this broad valley are a number 
  of radiant ponds of red-hot lava, glowing 
  brilliantly in this otherwise colorless plain.  
  Meandering rivulets connect many of these 
  ponds, snaking across the upturned and ruptured 
  ﬂoor of the valley, while sulfurous geysers 
  periodically erupt, sending cascades of molten 
  rock into the sky.
  A number of enormous lizards, several stories 
  tall, are hissing at one another in the shadow of 
  these geysers.  Two of the biggest stride forward 
  and attack each another, their roars echoing over 
  the valley like living relics of the prehistoric past.
  This area (once the La Brea Tar Pits) marks a hotspot 
  of volcanic activity.  Partly due to the weapons used 
  in the Fall, magma has managed to ﬁnd its way to 
  the surface in this hex, turning the area into an active 
  lava bed.
  The enormous lizards are mutagons, come here to 
  battle over territory.  Preoccupied with ﬁghting one 
  another, the creatures are entirely oblivious to the 
  party; unless the PCs somehow get involved in the 
  battle they can bypass the mutagons without being 
  noticed.
  Moving through this area is not so easy, however.  
  The rivers and pools of lava present lethal dangers 
  to any PCs who falls in, and erupting geysers send 
  globules of molten rock across the plain every few 
  minutes.  In addition, poisonous vapors cloaking the 
  
  143
  entire area require those passing through to make a 
  Fortitude save at DC 17 or become nauseated; 10 
  minutes later a second save must be made to avoid 
  falling unconscious.
  With all of these dangers, it is easiest if the 
  PCs simply go around the entire hex, leaving the 
  mutagons and the lava behind.
  Mutagons (5):  HP 168.
  117. SLAVE QUARRIES (EL 18)
  The built-up ruins here give way to a deep, 
  man-made canyon that has split open the urban 
  landscape.  Ramshackle wooden scaffolds ring 
  the walls of the canyon; on them are hundreds 
  of malnourished men and women working to 
  pry rock from the canyon walls.  Monstrous 
  creatures, each a hybrid of man and beast, 
  walk the scaffolds with whips and axes in hand, 
  lashing at their victims with savagery.  Here and 
  there you spot more of the beastmen in large 
  packs ― soldiers, perhaps ― watching these 
  activities with sadistic glee.
  This large pit was created with the blood and tears 
  of many hundreds of slaves kept by the Broken 
  Ones.  The empire employs countless slaves to work 
  the area’s quarries at this monumental site.   Slaves 
  dig into the earth with picks, shovels, and even bare 
  hands to extract stone for use in the never-ending 
  building projects near the Broken Ones capital (see 
  Area #093).
  With such a large population of slaves on site, this 
  area is perpetually under guard.  Most slaves live in 
  the pit day and night, huddled together for warmth 
  and protection.  When they die (which is often), the 
  Beastmen throw their bodies deeper into the pit, 
  where they are buried by loose soil cascading down 
  from the work above.  There are 400 slaves here at 
  any given time, most bred from captives taken over 
  the years by the Broken Ones armies.  Few, if any, 
  have ever known freedom.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  To outsiders, individual Broken 
  Ones seem barbaric and bloodthirsty.  Exemplifying 
  this savagery is the commander of the quarries, 
  a powerful Broken One known as Nubis.  Nubis 
  served for many years as a general under Klaww the 
  Beastmaster and was instrumental in many conﬂicts, 
  with a particular specialty in leading slave armies on 
  suicidal wave attacks against the enemy.  A merciless 
  taskmaster, Nubis’ ability to keep slaves under 
  control did not go unnoticed.  Richly rewarded, he 
  rose in Klaww’s esteem until he became what he is 
  now ― one of only a handful of generals who truly 
  have Emperor Klaww’s trust.
  Because the quarries are vital to the expansion 
  and maintenance of the empire, Nubis has been sent 
  to oversee the operation and ensure the slaves are 
  employed with maximum efﬁciency.  Nubis recently 
  replaced a less competent commander, and his new 
  methods have proven brilliantly successful.  With 
  years of experience handling companies of slave 
  soldiers, Nubis, though certainly unsympathetic to 
  their plight, knows the strengths and weaknesses of 
  slaves and is keenly aware of their limits.  Though 
  many slaves continue to die under his oversight, 
  the quarries’ output has almost doubled since his 
  assignment.
  Nubis (Shrew Genotype Fast Hero 3/Charismatic 
  Hero 2/Guardian 4):  CR 9; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 2d6+2 plus 4d10+4; 
  HP 52; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 25, 
  touch 19, ﬂatfooted 23 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +7 class, 
  +6 equipment); BAB +7; Grap +8; Atk +9 melee 
  (1d6+1, shortsword), or +9 ranged (2d8, black 
  powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, muzzle, reptile brain; AL 
  Broken Ones; SV Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +1; AP 4; 
  Rep +4; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 
  16.
  Occupation:  Slaver (Gather Information, 
  Intimidate).
  DUST
  The Necropolis is known for a strange dust that accumulates everywhere ― a clingy gray substance quite 
  similar to ash.  Legends say this ash, which can be found everywhere in the city, is all that remains of the 
  Ancients burned alive here when the bombs fell.
  Such speculation aside, it is more likely that the dust results from volcanic activity in the city.  This 
  theory is supported by the high quantity of dust at the Fields of Fire (see Area #116).
  In addition to making the landscape seem alien and desolate, the Necropolis’ near-constant blanket of 
  dust also has a beneﬁcial side effect: tracking is far easier here than in most city ruins.  The dust often has 
  the consistency of snow, and creatures moving along through the Necropolis’ maze of streets leave clearly 
  visible trails.
  For up to a month following a dust storm, surface conditions in the city are considered to be Soft to Very 
  Soft for the purposes of using the Track feat.
  
  144
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance, 
  Bestial Genotype, Hyper Olfactory, Muzzle, Reptile 
  Brain.
  Skills:  Bluff +5, Disguise -2, Gather Information 
  +13, Handle Animal +5, Hide +4, Intimidate +16, 
  Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) +3, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +14, Move 
  Silently +5, Profession +1, Ride +6, Sense Motive 
  +2, Sleight of Hand +6, Spot +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Filthy, Frightful Presence, Infested Fur [REW], 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Twist The Blade [B&L].
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed, Improved 
  Increased Speed.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (shortsword), Tactical Aid.
  Possessions:  Shortsword, black powder riﬂe, 
  20 rounds of shot, legionnaire’s armor, juju potion 
  (1d4+2), whistle.
  Guarding the army of slaves are 20 Broken One 
  warriors and 2 giant mutant beastmen.  There 
  are an additional 16 Broken One commons on the 
  site providing support for the operation (as masons, 
  stone-polishers, engineers, etc.), along with 30 
  Lashers.  The Broken Ones maintain an on-site 
  barracks, a few supply buildings, a caravan house 
  (where worked stone is stored until caravans arrive 
  for it), and even a small inﬁrmary set up for the 
  recovery of slaves that haven’t yet outlived their 
  usefulness.
  Nubis:  HP 52.
  Broken One Warriors (20):  HP 40.
  Giant Mutant Beastmen (2):  HP 92.
  Broken One Commons (16):  HP 29.
  Slaves (400):  HP 10.
  Lashers (30):  HP 29.
  Treasure:  The work at the quarries has uncovered 
  a few unusual ﬁnds buried in the earth, not unlike 
  an archaeological dig.  Nubis and the other Broken 
  Ones have carelessly discarded these items, which 
  can be found washed downstream just out of sight 
  (and sound) of the main quarry camp.  A search of 
  the stream’s bank will uncover a minifusion cell (full 
  charge) plus 1d2+1 rolls on the Junk table, 1 roll on 
  the “Magic” Items table, and 1d2 rolls on the Lost 
  Knowledge table.
  118. JUNKFIELDS (EL VARIES)
  It looks as though the trash and junk of 
  the entire city has been piled up here over 
  the centuries.  Entire roadways, streets and 
  intersections are clogged with thousands of 
  tons of garbage.  Uneven piles of debris rise 
  like dunes, burying nearby buildings up to four 
  stories in rubbish.
  Movement here is difﬁcult, and the smell of 
  decay is nearly indescribable.
  Though the PCs aren’t likely to realize it, this entire 
  region is the established breeding ground of a small 
  colony of heap turtles living in the ruins of the 
  Necropolis.  These enormous shelled beasts live 
  underneath garbage, bursting out from the debris to 
  surprise unwitting prey by bursting (not unlike many 
  desert-dwelling predators).  They come to this area 
  once every few years to mate; over the ages, they 
  have built up the garbage to such an extent that the 
  entire quarter is now clogged with trash.
  This whole hex is ﬁlled with garbage ― every 
  street, avenue, and parking lot.  Movement here is 
  treacherous and slow; all characters moving more 
  than their base speed each round must make a Reﬂex 
  save at DC 15 to avoid taking a point of damage.
  Though the PCs may come under attack by a heap 
  turtle in the ruins, it is more likely that they stumble 
  upon a group of the colossal beasts engaging in 
  courtship (involving the bashing of heads and the 
  hurling of automobile wrecks overhead), or a solitary 
  pair mating.  By and large these animals will ignore 
  the party unless the PCs get too close, at which point 
  they will plod after them to scare them off before 
  returning to more important business.
  Heap Turtles (6):  HP 152.
  Advanced Heap Turtles (2):  HP 276.
  119. CRASHED AIRPLANE (EL 2)
  The area here has been damaged by some kind 
  of airplane crash.
  At the center of the wreckage here is the burned 
  and broken hull of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, which 
  was “jacked” by a civilian aviator during the ﬁght 
  for the city.  Loading up friends and family (and 
  some valuables), the aviator attempted to escape the 
  invading enemy by air.  The airborne fugitives almost 
  got away, but nuclear detonations fried the plane’s 
  electrical systems, causing it to crash.
  GM’s Note:  A snofﬂe hog has wandered into the 
  ruins from the deserts to the north and is currently 
  picking through the rubble around the crashed 
  airplane.  The PCs must ﬁght it (or scare it off 
  by reducing it to 6 hit points or less) to get at the 
  wreckage.
  Snofﬂe Hog (1):  HP 28.
  
  145
  Treasure:  A search of the wreckage uncovers six 
  skeletons (ﬁve adults, one child), each still wearing 
  burnt tatters of clothing.  Artifacts recoverable from 
  the charred remnants include 1d3 gold watches 
  (all have drained power cells), a locked briefcase 
  (Disable Device DC 20 needed to open) containing 
  $50,000 dollars in cash plus 1d6 gold necklaces 
  (worth 10 cp each) and 2d4 diamond earrings (worth 
  25 cp each), a suitcase ﬁlled with 25 packets of 
  cocaine (rendered worthless by exposure to high 
  heat), a stolen stage IIIC identity card, and a survival 
  kit.
  120. CYRUS’ CRIB (EL 0)
  A cobblestone drive runs from the street here 
  into a patch of dry forest.  A tall fence surrounds 
  the property, its iron bars collecting rust.  
  High up on a bluff nearby, a lavish mansion 
  overlooks the city.  Two gates bar the driveway, 
  the metalwork on each sculpted to resemble the 
  letter “C.”
  Though the security system at this mansion was once 
  impressive, it has long been inactive, and PCs can 
  safely scale the fences, pry open the bars, or smash 
  through the front gates with a vehicle.
  The mansion is situated on a lavish, heavily-
  wooded property in what was once one of the most 
  expensive neighborhoods in Los Angeles.  The trees 
  still stand, though their foliage is gone, presenting 
  an almost autumnal scene ― if it weren’t for the 
  glaring sun overhead.  A gecko or two can be spotted 
  skittering across the pavement of the driveway, or 
  scampering up the walls of the main building, but 
  otherwise the place seems empty.
  GM’s Note:  An outside garage ﬁrst greets visitors.  
  It is locked (stage IC identity card to enter), but 
  inside the PCs will ﬁnd an impressive collection of 
  cars, including a Bentley (treat as a Jaguar XJS), a 
  Lincoln Sky King [LP], a classic restored Cadillac 
  El Dorado with enhanced hydraulics (treat as Ford 
  Crown Victoria), and an empty space large enough to 
  accommodate a limousine (though none is present).  
  All of these vehicles are in good condition and 
  require only a single Repair check at DC 20 (but no 
  spare part expenditure) to get up and running again.  
  Unfortunately, none have any fuel in their tanks or air 
  in their tires.
  The entrance to the mansion itself stands open; the 
  lock appears to have been blown off by a close-range 
  shotgun blast.  Spray-painted on the door in sinister 
  red paint are the numbers “1” and “3.”  Beyond, the 
  PCs ﬁnd the once-luxurious mansion ransacked, 
  with rotting furniture overturned, pinball machines 
  and arcade games smashed, and thick carpets and 
  translucent crystal walls vandalized with wild grafﬁti.  
  The only thing spared this wanton destruction is a 
  large mural in the central living room.
  The image portrayed in the mural is striking.  It 
  depicts the Devil, red-skinned and scaly with forked 
  tail and horns, standing at the center of an apocalyptic 
  scene.  While throngs of humans ﬁght and die all 
  around, oblivious to his presence, the Devil extends 
  his hand to what appears to be a group of homeless 
  and poor who are hiding from the warfare raging all 
  around them.  One of these steps forward, a jackal-
  headed cane in one hand, accepting the Devil’s 
  gesture.  This man’s shadow, created by the ﬁres of 
  the burning cities that glow on the horizon, is twisted 
  into many different shapes wherever it is cast.  The 
  shadows suggest the shapes of cars, motorcycles, and 
  armies of shadow warriors whose amorphous forms 
  are bristling with guns, spears, and even more savage 
  weapons.
  Apparently the custom-painted mural was 
  important to more than just the owner of the house, 
  because for some reason whoever ransacked the 
  mansion left it alone and untouched.
  Treasure:  A thorough search, requiring 1d2 hours 
  (but no Search check), uncovers 2d3 rolls on each 
  of the Junk and Clothing tables.  Disregard any rolls 
  that seem inappropriate for an upscale mansion.  
  Hidden behind a false panel in the basement rec-
  room (Search check DC 38 to ﬁnd) are 1d3+2 rolls 
  on the Civilian Weapons table.  A Search check at 
  DC 38 also uncovers a small safe in the ransacked 
  bedroom, which if opened (Disable Device DC 25) is 
  found to hold a fully-loaded S&W M29, a box of 94 
  .44 magnum rounds, a spare stage IC identity card, 
  three packets of cocaine (worth 1,000 cp each), and 
  $500,000 in cash (worthless).
  121. MUTAGON LAIR (EL 16)
  A large, badly damaged building looms ahead.  
  One whole outer wall has collapsed, revealing a 
  gaping hole in the side facing the street.  From 
  the darkness comes a reptilian odor that can be 
  sensed even from your position over a hundred 
  yards away.
  Covering the streets leading to the building is 
  a sea of bones, most scorched black and charred.  
  This doesn’t look good….
  The ruins in this hex have been claimed as the 
  territory of a particularly large mutagon, a powerful 
  dinosaur-like reptile that is feared by virtually all 
  inhabitants of the Necropolis.  Though creatures of its 
  kind once roamed in large numbers in the city, in time 
  they have slowly dwindled.  This specimen is one of 
  the last, and guards its domain ﬁercely.
  The mutagon spends most of its time brooding in 
  the shadows inside the badly-damaged building.  It 
  
  146
  lingers near enough to the gaping hole to look out and 
  spot intruders, but most of the time it is concealed by 
  shadows.
  Advanced Mutagon:  CR 16; Huge Mutant Beast; 
  HD 20d10+100; HP 210; Mas 21; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 30, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 29 (-2 size, +1 Dex, 
  +21 natural); BAB +16; Grap +32; Atk +23 melee 
  (5d6+12, bite); Full Atk +23 melee (5d6+12, bite); 
  FS 15 ft by 15 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ breath weapon, 
  improved grab, swallow hole, burst of speed, night 
  blindness; AL none; SV Fort +17, Ref +13, Will +8; 
  AP 0; Rep +0; Str 26, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 15, 
  Cha 10.
  Skills:  Listen +10, Spot +10.
  Feats:  Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Power 
  Attack, Weapon Focus (bite).
  If the mutagon senses the PCs, it emerges from its 
  hiding place with a terrible roar of anger, plodding 
  towards them in a thundering charge.  When it 
  gets close enough it breathes ﬁre, then attempts to 
  swallow them whole!
  Advanced Mutagon (1):  HP 210.
  Treasure:  A search of the remains littering the 
  streets takes hours, but if the task is undertaken the 
  PCs will ﬁnd two rolls from each of the following 
  artifact tables: Useful Stuff, Scav Attire, and Military 
  Weapons.  In addition to these random ﬁnds there is a 
  single minifusion backpack [F/MG] in the mutagon’s 
  lair.
  122. WATERING HOLE (EL 11)
  The sunlight here ﬁlters down through 
  towering ruins on either side of the street to 
  illuminate a massive bomb crater carving a huge 
  hole in the city intersection.  Lampposts, bent at 
  awkward angles from the blast, are draped with 
  moss and strange vegetation bearing enormous 
  ﬂowers whose unfurled petals give off a rainbow 
  of colors.
  Years of rainfall have ﬁlled the crater with 
  water, and a small herd of mutated beasts lounge 
  by the watering hole.  A few drink, a few others 
  are partly immersed, and more stand outside, 
  enjoying the shade of the giant plants.  They 
  seem uninterested in your approach.
  This watering hole is part of the territory of a semi-
  nomadic group of 13 gronts, which are currently 
  drinking and bathing in the waters.  Because there 
  are so many gronts, the animals do not initially feel 
  threatened by the approach of the party, but if the PCs 
  get too close or attack the animals (including ﬁring 
  off a warning shot), the animals will attack.
  Gronts (13):  HP 50.
  Treasure:  Assuming the PCs manage to defeat 
  the gronts, they can use the water here to completely 
  reﬁll their canteens.  A Search (DC 30) also uncovers 
  the remains of a scav who tried unsuccessfully to slip 
  past the gronts and ﬁll his canteens.  His gear consists 
  of a suit of leather armor, a compass, a canteen, a pair 
  of ﬂash goggles, and a 5.56mm pipe riﬂe (2d4 rounds 
  lie scattered around his skeleton).
  123. BIODIVERSITY STUDIES (EL 0)
  An enormous corporate campus spreads out 
  before you.  Its lawns are overgrown with tall 
  grass and the windows of the imposing buildings 
  are all smashed, with shards of sharp glass 
  littering the ﬁeld surrounding the facility.  A 
  few rusted portable animal cages are scattered 
  randomly throughout the grass, their doors 
  
  147
  hanging open.
  A few white, corporate-style vehicles sit 
  abandoned in the lot.
  This building complex was one of several impressive 
  properties owned and operated by the Zoogenic 
  Corporation.  This complex in particular was 
  dedicated to the corporation’s “Beneﬁting the Earth 
  through Biodiversity Studies” project.  The world-
  renowned research project was publicly dedicated 
  to traveling to the far corners of the world and 
  cataloguing the planet’s diverse animal species, both 
  for conservation and for the exploration of their 
  potential beneﬁts to medicine and the “betterment of 
  the world.”  The PCs can ﬁnd evidence of this public 
  mission statement in the facility’s waiting rooms 
  and in magazine articles featured in arcanum found 
  elsewhere.
  In reality, the project undertaken here went far 
  beyond merely cataloguing animals.  It involved 
  extracting genome information from countless 
  species of animals ― a scheme that was at the heart 
  of Ronald Bernard’s bizarre doomsday vision for the 
  world.  It was in this complex that experiments were 
  conducted on live animals to combine the genes of 
  man and beast, creating the ﬁrst crude progenitors 
  of what would become the race of Broken Ones.  
  Similar experiments were conducted on other species 
  in different Zoogenic Corp facilities throughout the 
  city (such as Areas #042 and #067).
  An enormous portrait of the eerie-looking Ronald 
  Bernard ﬁlls an entire wall of the main building’s 
  entrance lobby, overlooking a rusting bronze globe 
  depicting the planet Earth.  But other than this 
  curious piece of art, most of the buildings are now 
  empty or have been vandalized over the years.  
  Identity cards (level stage IIC) are required for 
  entrance into the secure lab block located on the 
  second and third stories; there is a 1 in 10 chance 
  that the PCs ﬁnd one or more of these labs already 
  broken into.  Express elevators connect a number of 
  sub-basement laboratories.  These also appear to have 
  been abandoned after an unknown catastrophe left 
  them in ruins, but even with so much damage there 
  is clear evidence that these labs were used for animal 
  experimentation, not just observation.
  GM’s Note:  A thorough search of all of the old lab 
  buildings coupled with an Investigate check at DC 
  30 will uncover evidence suggesting that the chaos 
  and destruction evident in the labs resulted not from 
  an accident, but from the deliberate release of every 
  animal specimen in the facility.
  In addition, a Search check at DC 28 uncovers a 
  secret tunnel at the bottom level of the facility (inside 
  a crematorium used to burn failed experiments).  It 
  is blocked by an enormous, vault-like door labeled 
  “To Crematorium Generator.”  This door requires a 
  stage IIC identity card to open; beyond it, there is no 
  generator room on the other side, but rather a huge 
  concrete tunnel that leads off into cold darkness.  
  The tunnel proves to be a secret service passage that 
  stretches almost a half-mile to Area #124.
  Because the animal subjects used here ranged from 
  small creatures to the largest pachyderms, a separate 
  facility had to be maintained to house these creatures 
  away from the labs.  It was through this underground 
  passage that the animals were smuggled in and out 
  under the nose of the authorities, allowing the facility 
  to appear “clean” during regular visiting hours.
  Treasure:  Though the labs were badly damaged, 
  patient and thorough searchers can nonetheless dig up 
  some valuable supplies from the wreckage.  Typical 
  ﬁnds include portable video cameras (for recording 
  experiments), PDAs, chemical kits, ﬁrst aid kits, 
  medical kits, pharmacist kits, surgery kits, and ﬁre 
  extinguishers.
  124. CHANG’S IMPORTED FRUITS (EL 0)
  A decrepit warehouse sits at the end of this 
  alley, its tin roof rusted and vines of thick ivy 
  growing everywhere.  Barely visible under this 
  vegetation is an old sign depicting bundles of 
  bananas [if the PCs read Ancient, they can 
  also make out the building’s name, “Chang’s 
  Imported Fruits”].  A number of abandoned 
  forklifts sit here and there in the lot outside.  The 
  doors to the warehouse stand open, but instead 
  of seeing crates inside you see the gleaming 
  metal of… animal cages?
  A few other cages, some small and others 
  large, lie strewn about the lot, their doors all 
  hanging open.
  Though disguised to look like a fruit market 
  warehouse, this building was actually part of the 
  Zoogenic Corporation’s network of properties in the 
  city.  The warehouse was used as an animal storage 
  facility, containing a wide range of rare and mundane 
  species hand-picked to become the progenitors of the 
  Broken Ones, and to fulﬁll Ronald Bernard’s vision 
  of a world ruled by animals.  Species here included 
  dogs, cats, wolves, rats, bats, lions, tigers, tapirs, 
  camels, bears, gorillas, zebra, and even elephants, 
  giraffes, and other large beasts.  These creatures 
  were kept in terrible conditions (a concession Ronald 
  Bernard had to make for the sake of maintaining 
  secrecy, though he considered their short-term misery 
  a fair trade for the “wondrous” new world he was 
  making for them), either in cages on the upper level 
  or in larger cells in the warehouse’s secret basement 
  levels.
  This place is a wreck inside, but it is immediately 
  obvious it is not a fruit market, but something far 
  different.  Characters able to read Ancient will note 
  
  148
  tags on individual cells and cages that read like an 
  encyclopedia of zoological species.  If the PCs are 
  familiar with the Broken Ones, a character with at 
  least 10 ranks in Knowledge (earth & life sciences) 
  may make an Intelligence check at DC 23 to notice 
  that the traits of many species mentioned here are 
  also found among many Broken Ones ― evidence 
  (for those who don’t realize it already) that the 
  mighty Broken Ones originated as captive animals 
  kept in this building.
  Beneath the basement cells at the bottom of a 
  gradual ramp is a large vault-like door kept secure by 
  an electronic keycard lock.  This door requires a stage 
  IIC identity card to open; beyond it a long tunnel that 
  stretches into darkness.  This tunnel connects to the 
  basement labs at Area #123.
  125. FORT LOX (EL VARIES)
  This part of the ruins has been painstakingly 
  cleared, the rubble carted off to create a few 
  hundred yards of workable cropland.  At the 
  center of the ﬁelds stands a small fort of wood, 
  stone, and rusted metal sheet scavenged from the 
  ruins of the city.  In the fort’s shadow is a small 
  ramshackle village, from which the sounds of 
  domestic life drift across the farmland.
  Whoever the occupants of this citadel are, 
  they are certain to have a clear view of anyone 
  approaching their position.
  This area is just one of several Broken One border 
  forts, positioned along their frontier to guard against 
  the intrusion of other Necropolis factions.  The fort 
  was constructed from scratch with rubble cleared 
  from the surrounding area, and its relative security 
  has allowed a small village to spring up nearby.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Unlike many of the border 
  forts run by Broken One leaders, this fort is run 
  not by a petty tyrant, but by a rather benevolent 
  member of their faction named Lox.  An aging 
  elephant Beastman, the venerable Lox was once 
  a great commander in the Broken One armies, 
  but his distaste for the ever-increasing cruelty of 
  Klaww’s regime soon turned his passion for war 
  into desperation to get away.  Though he was once a 
  favored general of Klaww, Lox was virtually exiled 
  to this border command for his frequent questioning 
  of Klaww’s policies.
  Despite the backwater assignment, Lox ﬁnds his 
  loss of prestige and position more than welcome.  Out 
  here he does not have to contend with the venomous 
  politics of the city and its laughable “Senate,” and 
  left much to his own, he has the ability to govern 
  his part of the frontier as he sees ﬁt.  Over time he 
  has used the fort’s isolation to quietly attract other 
  members of Broken One society who share his dislike 
  of the current regime, and like-minded warriors and 
  peasants have ﬂocked to his settlement in steady 
  numbers.  Lox also brought his own household 
  of slaves, many of them humans and mutants 
  which were given to him by Klaww as rewards for 
  victories in battle.  Though still slaves (for their own 
  protection), they are protected and treated far better 
  here than in most other places in the Broken One 
  empire.
  Lox (Elephant Genotype Tough Hero 4/Guardian 
  6):  CR 10; Large humanoid; HD 4d10+12 plus 
  6d10+18 plus 3; HP 88; Mas 17; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; 
  Defense 21, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 21 (-1 size, +0 Dex, 
  +6 class, +6 equipment); BAB +9; Grap +18; Atk 
  +14 melee (1d10+7, greatclub), or +8 ranged (by 
  weapon); FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, quadruped, social animal; AL 
  Broken Ones; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +5; AP 5; 
  Rep +3; Str 21, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 
  13.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, 
  Gigantism, Hyper Olfactory, Quadruped, Social 
  Animal.
  Skills:  Craft (structural) +3, Intimidate +9, 
  Knowledge (Current Events) +7, Knowledge (Mutant 
  Lore) +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +10, Knowledge 
  (Technology) +5, Listen +10, Sense Motive +6, Spot 
  +8, Survival +6.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, 
  Intimidating Strength*, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Stomp [REW], Toughness.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Second Wind, Damage 
  Reduction 1/—.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (greatclub), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (greatclub).
  Possessions:  Greatclub, legionnaire’s armor, four 
  juju potions (1d4+4).
  The fort is also home to 50 Broken One warriors, 
  with another 15 Broken One commons serving as 
  support, messengers, and specialty craftsmen for the 
  garrison.  Of the warriors, 10 are generally on guard 
  duty at any given time, 5 on watch, another 5 on 
  patrol in the surrounding ruins, and the other thirty 
  either in their barracks or else training in the yard.  
  The village outside houses an additional 200 Broken 
  One commons, including women and children, and 
  another 30 slaves of various races drawn from other 
  
  149
  factions in the city.  Equal percentages of both groups 
  are divided among domestic tasks in the village and 
  work the ﬁelds.
  Lox has made provisions so that if the alarm is 
  sounded, the villagers can be quickly moved from the 
  village to the protection of the fort.
  Lox:  HP 88.
  Broken One Warriors (50):  HP 40.
  Broken One Commons (215):  HP 29.
  Slaves (30):  HP 10.
  126. FORT KISHAR (EL VARIES)
  A ﬁeld of rough broken stone lies ahead, 
  spreading for almost a quarter of a mile in 
  diameter.  Wooden poles stick out of the ground 
  at the ﬁeld’s edge, atop of which sit the rotted 
  remnants of human and humanoid skulls.
  At the center of this great ﬁeld stands a fort 
  with low stone towers and wooden walls with 
  hoarding.  Thin plumes of smoke rise from 
  beyond, evidence that the fort is inhabited.  
  Hanging from the battlements are numerous 
  skeletons, bone fetishes, and clusters of skulls.
  This fort is home to Kishar the “Spotted Death,” a 
  Broken One who resembles a large cheetah walking 
  on its hind legs and brandishing a gun.  Ferocious 
  and murderous, Kishar stood among the favorites of 
  Klaww the Beastmaster until his unbridled ambition 
  caught his master’s attention.  Though he served for 
  a time as Klaww’s champion, Kishar was sent away 
  to garrison this fort, supposedly as a test to prove his 
  patience and loyalty to the emperor.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  While Kishar’s rivals rejoiced 
  at his exile, Kishar has turned the sentence into an 
  opportunity to prove himself, even if the emperor’s 
  eye only rarely falls on this part of the Broken Ones’ 
  domain.  A great warrior despite his youthful age, 
  Kishar has attracted many aspiring warriors in the 
  empire to his command.  While other fort garrisons 
  resent guard duty and the mundane task of watching 
  over serfs as they work the ﬁelds, Kishar keeps his 
  men entertained through regular hunts in the nearby 
  ruins.  In these hunts Kishar has the best humanoid 
  slaves rounded up and released into the wilds, with 
  the promise that if they manage to avoid capture for 
  three days and nights he and his warriors will let 
  them go free.  Though at ﬁrst many slaves leapt at the 
  chance to get away from their cruel overlords, none 
  have ever escaped, their heads always brought back 
  as trophies to adorn Kishar’s hall before the end of 
  the three days.
  In addition to being a ﬁghter, Kishar is a wily 
  planner and strategist.  He loathes Lox (see Area 
  #125), whom he considers to be a weakling setting 
  a bad example for such a respected warrior.  He 
  secretly plots against Lox, and has been wooing 
  Mogo Tusked-Fury (see Area #127) in the hopes of 
  creating a secret alliance that, someday, may come in 
  handy.
  Kishar the Spotted Death (Cheetah Genotype 
  Fast Hero 4/Guardian 5):  CR 9; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 4d8+8 plus 5d10+10; HP 64; Mas 14; 
  Init +6; Spd 30 ft; Defense 25, touch 19, ﬂatfooted 
  24 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +8 class, +6 equipment); BAB 
  +8; Grap +10; Atk +11 melee (1d6+4, claw), or +12 
  ranged (2d8, M4 Carbine); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 
  ft; SQ medical incompatibility, burst of speed, claws, 
  carnivore, muzzle; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +6, Ref 
  +9, Will +2; AP 4; Rep +2; Str 15, Dex 18, Con 14, 
  Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 17.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Current Events]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Burst 
  of Speed, Claws, Carnivore, Muzzle.
  Skills:  Balance +11, Climb +3, Diplomacy 
  +1, Disguise -8, Gather Information +1, Hide +8, 
  Intimidate +6, Jump +5, Knowledge (Current Events) 
  +8, Knowledge (Tactics) +8, Listen +3, Move 
  Silently +8, Navigate +2, Sense Motive +3, Spot +3, 
  Survival +2, Tumble +10.
  Feats:  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor 
  Proﬁciency (medium), Defensive Martial Arts, 
  Elusive Target, Guide, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Track.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed, Improved 
  Increased Speed.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (claws), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization (claws).
  Possessions:  M4 Carbine, two boxes of 5.56mm 
  ammunition (60), legionnaire’s armor, two juju 
  potions (1d4+4).
  Kishar’s fort is also home to 80 Broken One 
  warriors and 2 giant mutant beastmen, with 
  another 25 Broken One commons serving as his 
  court and support staff.  Of the warriors, 20 are 
  on guard duty at any given time, 10 on watch, and 
  another 10 to 20 on patrol (in ﬁve-man patrols) in the 
  surrounding ruins.  The others are in the fort proper 
  engaging in various domestic pursuits.  In addition to 
  these forces there are 20 Broken One commons here 
  and an equal number of humanoid slaves, who spend 
  every waking hour breaking down rocks to be sent 
  back to the capital as building material.
  Kishar the Spotted Death:  HP 64.
  Broken One Warriors (80): HP 40.
  
  150
  Giant Mutant Beastmen (2):  HP 92.
  Broken One Commons (45):  HP 29.
  Slaves (20):  HP 10.
  127. FORT MOGO (EL VARIES)
  Rising over the rolling hills is a towering 
  fortress made of wooden logs and stone.  Huge 
  towers rise over the corners of the fort; bestial 
  sentries can be seen scanning the horizon 
  from within.  Behind the walls can be seen the 
  curious arches of thatched halls and barrack 
  houses, reminiscent of an ancient Viking outpost; 
  this image is further bolstered by the sound of 
  hammering steel and barking dogs.
  This impressive Broken Ones border fort, the one 
  closest to the Acropolis of the Serpent Gods, stands 
  as a gateway between the more built-up parts of the 
  Necropolis and the unknown.  Needless to say the 
  fort is not just for show; it is a rugged, defensible 
  citadel with a large garrison of some of the empire’s 
  best soldiers.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The commander of the fort’s 
  garrison is a beast named Mogo.  A corpulent warrior-
  general with many years of experience under his belt, 
  Mogo Tusked-Fury is a boar genotype beastman who 
  seems oblivious to his own advancing age.  Mogo 
  spends his days partly drunk, enjoying the abundant 
  luxuries of his powerful station and the fruits earned 
  by the Broken One armies in the ﬁeld.  Though he 
  was once involved in the Broken Ones politics, Mogo 
  now cares only for his own domain and ensuring 
  that no enemy attacks the frontier.  Having grown 
  complacent with high walls and companies of guards 
  to protect his hold, he suffers from tunnel vision, 
  naively believing that the only threats to the Broken 
  Ones lie outside its borders.
  As a leader, Mogo tends to overlook corruption 
  and brutality, believing they are merely trademarks 
  of the current generation (who are “just trying to 
  prove themselves”), not tell-tale signs of a cruel 
  and degenerate culture.  As for himself, though he 
  generally spends his days drinking in his feasthall 
  with his personal housecarl of boar genotype warriors 
  (all of whom are ﬁercely loyal to the old general), he 
  still considers himself a warrior.  Whenever danger 
  threatens the fort he rises dizzily from his ornate 
  throne, commands his underlings to fetch his axe and 
  armor, and delivers a half-drunk speech intended to 
  inspire his men to bravery.  Remarkably, it usually 
  works.
  In battle Mogo prefers to lead from the front, 
  surrounded by his most loyal and ferocious 
  companions.  He has grown almost too large for his 
  armor, which buckles and stretches to ﬁt around his 
  bulbous form.  Despite his less-than-ideal condition 
  he is a giant, and years of warfare have made him a 
  remarkably resilient and stubborn opponent.
  Mogo Tusked-Fury (Boar Genotype Strong Hero 
  3/Guardian 7):  CR 10; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+18 plus 7d10+42 plus 3; HP 116; Mas 22; Init 
  +2; Spd 20 ft; Defense 23, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 22 
  (+0 size, +1 Dex, +6 class, +6 equipment); BAB +10; 
  Grap +14; Atk +16 melee (1d12+8, greataxe), or +12 
  ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility, scent, muzzle; AL Broken 
  Ones; SV Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +3; AP 5; Rep +2; 
  Str 18, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Current Events]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Hyper 
  Olfactory, Serrated Dental Development, Loner, 
  Muzzle.
  Skills:  Bluff +0, Climb +7, Craft (structural) +4, 
  Diplomacy -3, Disguise -6, Gather Information -2, 
  Intimidate +14, Knowledge (Current Events) +5, 
  Knowledge (Mutant Lore) +2, Knowledge (Tactics) 
  +12, Listen +7, Spot +7.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Cleave, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Post-
  Apocalyptic Technology, Power Attack, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (greataxe), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (greataxe), Defender +4.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft +1 greataxe, 
  legionnaire’s armor, two juju potions (1d4+4).
  Mogo’s command includes 90 Broken One 
  warriors and 20 Broken One elites, with another 
  25 Broken One commons as in-house servants, 
  craftsmen, smiths, and general caretakers.  Twenty of 
  Mogo’s warriors are on guard duty at any given time, 
  15-20 are on watch, while 10 more are on patrol (in 
  ﬁve-man patrols) in the surrounding ruins, keeping an 
  eye out for strange activity or intruders.
  In addition to these there are 40 Broken One 
  commons living in the small village protected inside 
  the fort’s walls, with 50 humanoid slaves drawn from 
  other factions of the Necropolis as captives of war.  
  Most of these slaves are employed for general labor, 
  but some are reserved as sacriﬁces to the Serpent 
  Gods.  As ordered by Klaww the Beastmaster, Mogo 
  routinely sends individual slaves to be sacriﬁced at 
  the Temple to the Serpent Gods (see Area #129).
  Mogo Tusked-Fury:  HP 116.
  Broken One Warriors (90):  HP 40.
  
  151
  Broken One Elites (20):  HP 68.
  Broken One Commons (65):  HP 29.
  Slaves (50):  HP 10.
  128. FORT JUGAL (EL VARIES)
  An old hillside mansion looks out over this 
  part of the ruins ― what must have once been 
  a luxurious neighborhood.  The mansion is 
  overgrown with lichen and ivy, and hangs out 
  over a cliff edge with a panoramic view of the 
  area.
  The mansion here was a multi-million-dollar hillside 
  villa constructed during the 1970s, when advances in 
  building technology allowed for some unconventional 
  designs.  Built half on the cliff edge and half in 
  mid-air, the entire mansion is supported by graceful 
  columns of stone more than 40 feet high.
  What was a mansion during the time of the 
  Ancients is now a ramshackle Broken Ones fort, its 
  strategic setting on a hillside allowing it an unrivaled 
  view of the area.  The Broken Ones were quick to 
  recognize the building’s intrinsic value, and have 
  since built it up to make it more defensible.  Though 
  it once had a rooftop pool, this has long been clogged 
  with marshy reeds, and the lavish rooms and parlors 
  have been converted into barracks and maze-like 
  corridors through which men can move rapidly from 
  one side of the complex to another.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  This fort is commanded by 
  Jugal “the Conniver,” the least experienced of the 
  frontier warlords.  Years ago the simpering Jugal was 
  banished to the frontier for trying to usurp power 
  from his own commander; since Klaww was planning 
  on executing his commander anyway, Jugal’s life 
  was spared, but his disloyalty deserved punishment 
  ― thus his exile to this far-away post.
  Jugal is a nervous, hyper-active monkey genotype 
  beastman.  With black fur and a silver face, 
  reminiscent of a howler monkey, he leads a troupe 
  of loyal monkey beastmen (and a few other breeds) 
  from his well-fortiﬁed citadel in the north of the city.
  Though he maintains and commands the fort as he 
  was charged to do, Jugal is the weakest link in the 
  frontier defenses.  A coward at heart, he thinks only 
  to maintain appearances to avoid the further wrath of 
  the emperor, and cares little for actually defending 
  the empire.  To this end he tends to keep his troops 
  in reserve and away from battle, only investigating 
  disturbances or suspected sightings of enemy 
  movements once it is already established there’s no 
  danger to him or his men.  For instance, if his men 
  see movement in the ruins, he will order them to wait 
  at least a day before sending them out to investigate.  
  By then the enemy is sure to be gone, though from 
  their tracks (or whatever else they left behind) he can 
  gather enough information to send a report back to 
  Klaww that makes it look like he took appropriate 
  action.
  The PCs would be lucky to wander into Jugal’s 
  realm, for he rarely sends out patrols, and rarely 
  investigates sights or sounds beyond the walls of 
  the mansion.  If the PCs attack the fort Jugal and his 
  garrison will defend the citadel, but in the end Jugal 
  is likely to ﬂee (using his men to screen his retreat) if 
  things go poorly for his forces.
  Jugal the Conniver (Monkey Genotype Fast 
  Hero 4/Guardian 4):  CR 8; Small humanoid; HD 
  4d8+4 plus 4d10+4; HP 48; Mas 13; Init +5; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 21, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 20 (+1 size, +1 
  Dex, +7 class, +3 equipment); BAB +7; Grap +4; 
  Atk +10 melee (1d6+1, cleaver), or +13 ranged (2d6, 
  TEC-9); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, herbivore, social animal; AL Broken 
  Ones; SV Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +1; AP 4; Rep +2; Str 
  13, Dex 21, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Hide).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Current Events]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, 
  Dwarﬁsm, Simian Deformity, Herbivore, Social 
  Animal.
  Skills:  Balance +11, Bluff +3, Climb +17, 
  Escape Artist +11, Hide +18, Intimidate +6, Jump 
  +5, Knowledge (Current Events) +9, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +5, Move Silently +13, Sense Motive +3, 
  Tumble +9.
  Feats:  Combat Reﬂexes, Dodge, Far Shot, 
  Mobility, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-
  Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Spring Attack, Stealthy.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Uncanny Dodge 1.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (cleaver), Tactical Aid.
  Possessions:  TEC-9, two boxes of 9mm 
  ammunition (64), cleaver, legionnaire’s armor, one 
  juju potion (1d4+4).
  Despite his cowardice Jugal manages to maintain 
  a garrison of 40 Broken One warriors, with another 
  10 Broken One commons serving in various menial 
  positions around the compound.  All are relatively 
  loyal.  Of the warriors, generally 5 are on guard duty 
  at any given time, and another 10 to 15 on watch on 
  the mansion’s three tiered roofs.  The rest are in the 
  fort itself, either in barracks or in the company of 
  their paranoid lord.
  Jugal the Conniver:  HP 48.
  Broken One Warriors (40):  HP 40.
  Broken One Commons (10):  HP 29.
  
  152
  129. TEMPLE TO THE SERPENT GODS 
  (EL 0)
  A great temple stands up ahead, with four 
  towering pillars freshly painted in striking 
  magenta.  The pillars uphold a teal roof far 
  overhead.  The temple otherwise looks empty.  
  The wind blowing through the pillars creates a 
  low and menacing moan.
  This temple was built by the Broken Ones in tribute 
  to the powerful Serpent People living at the heart of 
  the Necropolis.  The ﬁrst scouts they sent into the 
  heart of the city never returned, and the armed parties 
  they sent afterwards to investigate were also never 
  heard from again.  Fearing the unknown, the Broken 
  Ones erected this enormous temple on their 
  frontier, hoping to placate the invisible 
  “Serpent Gods” through regular sacriﬁces.
  The temple is a large airy structure, nothing 
  more than four enormous stone pillars 
  supporting a towering roof.  Beneath this roof 
  is a raised, bloodstained marble dais on which 
  stand two eight-foot posts.  Here sacriﬁces 
  from the Broken Ones empire are brought, 
  bound and chained, and left for the Serpent 
  Gods to claim.  A large bronze gong is rung 
  with a huge clapper by four Broken Ones to 
  signal a sacriﬁce has been left.
  Once a sacriﬁce has been left, the Broken 
  Ones never stay to watch, for fear of angering 
  the Serpent Gods ― who seem quite intent 
  on remaining unseen.  However, something 
  certainly does come to claim the sacriﬁces, as 
  is made clear each morning by the absence of 
  the victim ― and the tremendous amounts of 
  blood.
  130. THE HOUSE OF SATAN (EL 0)
  An old white mansion sits here, its placement 
  among the dry grassy hills giving it a full 
  panoramic view of the Necropolis basin and the 
  distant ocean beyond.  An aging cobblestone 
  drive winds its way to the mansion from a rusted 
  gate and terminates at the foot of a towering 
  fountain made of cracked limestone.  Statues 
  depicting strange satyr-like creatures with bat 
  wings crown the fountain, and seem to beckon 
  your approach with open hands and sly grins.
  Thirteen ancient automobiles are parked near 
  this fountain ― rusted husks of old limousines 
  and fancy sports cars.
  Several acres of sprawling hedge maze, now 
  overgrown in some places and withered in 
  others, surround the impressive mansion itself 
  from all sides.  To get at the house you’ll have 
  to ﬁnd your way through.  This must have been 
  some eccentric Ancients’ idea of a joke....
  It is unclear who once owned this mansion, but it is 
  an elaborate affair.  To reach the building the PCs 
  must navigate the old maze (see accompanying map) 
  or hack their way through it; either way, once they 
  reach the center they ﬁnd the building’s entrances and 
  windows locked (though breaking in shouldn’t be a 
  problem).
  Apparently no one has stumbled upon this great 
  house in the 200+ years since the Fall.  The place 
  is entirely abandoned; and the lavish interior (with 
  wooden ﬂoors, paneled rooms, crystal 
  chandeliers, etc.) is quite sparsely decorated.  
  Entire rooms are empty, white sheets have 
  been draped over a few remaining articles (a 
  grand piano and a handful of 18th century 
  European furniture), and nothing of any 
  real value to the PCs is to be found.  It even 
  seems that the large kitchen and dual pantries 
  were never used before the Fall.
  Though it’s empty, the three-story mansion 
  might make an ideal hideout, since it is 
  located far from the heart of the city and 
  provides an excellent view of the entire 
  city area (with exceptions, at the GM’s 
  discretion).  From here, individuals equipped 
  with a telescope could conceivably spy 
  on a number of sites from a safe distance, 
  giving them valuable intelligence about 
  what is going on where before they venture 
  into the ruins.  Of course, the PCs will need 
  to acquire a telescope to beneﬁt from the 
  mansion’s impressive view.
  
  153
  GM’s Note:  Any time the PCs visit the mansion 
  and search, roll a secret Search check for each 
  against a DC of 30.  Don’t let the players know you 
  are rolling, because they may come to suspect the 
  mansion has more to reveal than they realize.  Should 
  any of the PCs make this check, he or she unwittingly 
  discovers a hidden latch in one of the mansion’s 
  underground wine cellars that, when pulled, opens 
  a secret door.  This secret door leads down a narrow 
  corridor, still ﬁtted with iron torch sconces.
  Eventually this passage leads to a much larger 
  chamber deep beneath the mansion, which when 
  entered proves to be a startling contrast to the house 
  above.  This chamber built in the shape of a large 
  pentagon; its walls are made of black marble streaked 
  with red veins of porphyry and its domed roof is 
  held up by thin wooden pillars gilt with sheets of 
  hammered gold.  The roof is painted to look like 
  the night sky (it is astronomically correct, depicting 
  the sky over Los Angeles), with small garnets for 
  stars and a sliver of actual silver hammered into the 
  stone to depict the crescent moon.  The vague shapes 
  of bat-winged creatures hovering in the shadows 
  between the stars can barely be picked out from the 
  dark marble background.
  Worked into the highly-polished marble ﬂoor is 
  a large pentagram design decorated with strange 
  Kabbalistic sigils and the enormous depiction of a 
  goat’s head at its center.
  Dominating this chamber is an altar made from 
  a roughly-hewn black stone that seems out of place 
  (it was secretly shipped here from an ancient pagan 
  temple unearthed in Rome that had been dedicated 
  to animal worship; but of course there is no way for 
  the PCs to discern this).  A golden chalice sits atop of 
  the stone, along with a slip of black cloth on which 
  ﬁgures a curious symbol (a version of the Seal of 
  Solomon, with the number “13” at its center) and a 
  large and beautifully-ornate athame (a dagger with a 
  wavy blade, a treated handle fashioned from a black 
  cat’s spinal column, and a pommel made from a 
  singularly large cat’s eye agate).
  More striking, however, are the bodies arranged 
  throughout the room.  Thirteen corpses dressed 
  in the rotting tatters of long black robes are laid 
  around the pentagram, their placement radiating 
  outward like the points of a sunburst.  Each corpse 
  is now a mere skeleton, but each lies with hands 
  folded over its chest and feet together as if they 
  had laid down together to die here ― deliberately.  
  A search of their clothing reveals a few pieces 
  of pre-Fall identiﬁcation; the roster of names is 
  impressive.  One appears to have been a powerful 
  senator, another a famous movie star (renowned 
  for her love of animals), the next a man of apparent 
  European origin identiﬁed by his papers as 
  “Count Francois Villaneuve,” another the CEO of 
  Zoogenic Corporation (Ronald Bernard himself), 
  and perhaps even more shockingly, the chairman of 
  the U.S. federal reserve board and a high-ranking 
  military liaison assigned to the research projects 
  at a place called “Center, CO.”  The others remain 
  unidentiﬁable.
  An Investigation or Treat Injury check (DC 28 
  and DC 23 respectively) will reveal that all of these 
  ﬁgures ritually poisoned themselves with a cyanide-
  laced substance in the chalice on the altar.
  This strange room, though eerie and morbid, could 
  prove to be a safe refuge inside the mansion due to its 
  secretive location.  Other than the chalice, the dagger, 
  and the bizarre death scene, there is nothing else of 
  interest within.  If the PCs take the time to check 
  the identiﬁcation of the bodies, however, they will 
  uncover the following identity cards: a stage IVC, a 
  stage VC, a stage VIM, and a special stage IIIC card 
  that will also unlock all keycard locks in Zoogenic 
  Corporation facilities across the globe.
  Treasure:  Though the house is empty, there are 
  more than a few salvageable spare parts from the 
  thirteen vehicles parked outside (the equivalent of 
  120 cp from each).
  
  154
  ENCLAVE OF THE LOST CHILDREN 
  OF MAN
  During the time of the Ancients, as the city - and the whole 
  world - became embroiled in rumors of impending war, a 
  small and insular group living in the Los Angeles area was preparing for the 
  prophesized Biblical “Armageddon”.  To these individuals, the portents of the 
  coming apocalypse were everywhere, in the failing diplomacy of the nation’s 
  leaders, the over-liberalization of American society, the destruction of the family 
  unit, the creation of artiﬁcial life (“robots” and “clones”), rampant drug-use and 
  violence, the sudden rise of super-powerful gangs, the withering of the planet’s 
  climate, and of course, the strange and seemingly inexplicable rise of Satanism 
  and cults across the country.
  This group, composed almost exclusively of men and women retired from the 
  military (many due to having their jobs replaced by more “efﬁcient” android 
  surrogates), had lived in the city for several years before this doomsday buildup.  
  Forming an underground “club”, their members had variously served what they 
  perceived to be the greater good by joining the neighborhood watch, and even 
  patrolling the streets in an unofﬁcial capacity in neighborhoods where the police 
  force was shamefully negligent.  Though they fought to preserve the America 
  they idealized, in time they grew bitter, especially as gang youths began to 
  turn on them.  After several members of their group were murdered in drive-by 
  shootings, they withdrew from the public entirely.
  But these deep-seated conservatives simply moved on to the next stage of 
  their plan.  Their leader, a former colonel in the Marines, hatched a plan.  Using 
  communal resources to buy up an old, condemned tenement in Redondo Beach, 
  they began building a deep shelter they nicknamed the “Ark”.  The colonel and 
  his followers planned to create a shelter (along the lines of the government-built 
  “vault program” which was creating long-term shelters for important citizens 
  in the event of a cataclysmic conﬂict), and through a network of contacts were 
  actually able to complete their plan.
  The colonel and his followers were smart, long-term thinkers.  Experienced 
  soldiers and survivalists (many had spent years in places like Idaho and Montana 
  as members of the local “militias”, before their land had been bought up by the 
  corporations to turn them into domed farms), they knew what to take and what to 
  leave behind.  Arms, ammunition, and supplies were bought at military surplus 
  
  155
  stores and stashed secretly in the Ark.  Hydroponic 
  farms were brought in by sympathetic “dust farmers”, 
  who’d lost everything by the big corporations and 
  eagerly joined the Ark project.  The last step was to 
  acquire and install a working pocket reactor, which 
  they did after a beautifully-orchestrated heist of an 
  experimental plant in San Diego.
  As things began to wind down, and the world 
  seemed on the brink, the colonel and his followers 
  sealed themselves in.  They wouldn’t be there for 
  the city ﬁghting, or the chaos, or to see the multiple 
  mushroom clouds rise over the city.  Safely sealed 
  and cryogenically frozen in the Ark, they would only 
  awaken years later to ﬁnd a new Necropolis waiting 
  for them - and a world utterly changed for the worse.
  RECENTLY
  Since their emergence onto the surface the Purists 
  have encountered mostly ghouls, pressing westwards 
  as the Hive rolled over the ghoul enclave in 
  Compton.  Though the ghouls had always ranged this 
  far west in their hunts, their migrations were now 
  a desperate exodus to escape destruction.  Rightly 
  fearing the appearance of so many ghouls, the Purists 
  set up an artiﬁcial area around their compound that 
  proved mercilessly effective in keeping the ghouls 
  away.  Setting up booby traps, mines, and prowling 
  sentries, as well as trapping entire streets with 
  explosives, the Purists were successful in stopping 
  the ghouls drive west.
  In the end the ghouls were annihilated by the Hive, 
  their own “enclave” scattered.  But ghoul tribes still 
  exist east of the Purist Enclave.  Small bands manage 
  to survive despite Hive domination of the city, 
  sticking the darkness and the sewers.  The Purists 
  have found ghoul sightings to have fallen off, but 
  they still do occur.  As a result, the Purists continue to 
  maintain their formidable ring of traps.
  Recently the Purists have also encountered the 
  Broken Ones, ﬁghting a decisive battle with the 
  savage beastmen when Emperor Klaww’s armies 
  attempted to expand 
  into the Purist Enclave.  
  Using expert tactics, 
  ambushes, sniper ﬁre, 
  and traps, the Purists 
  were able to defeat 
  a sizeable Broken 
  One army with few 
  losses.  The Broken 
  Ones recoiled from this 
  discovery (a new and 
  capable faction to their 
  south), and retreated, 
  ending their efforts to 
  expand south - for the 
  time being.  Currently 
  embroiled against the 
  Hive, the Broken Ones have been forced to deal with 
  the Purists at a later date.
  From what they’ve seen, heard, and experienced, 
  the Purists feel even more isolated now than ever 
  before.  Encircled by scattered ghoul tribes to the 
  east, the “empire” of the Broken Ones to the north, 
  and the ocean everywhere else, they feel cornered, 
  surrounded.  But as the old saying goes, nothing 
  ﬁghts as ﬁercely as a cornered rat.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  The Purists have turned their “enclave” into a virtual 
  deathtrap for those who dare intrude on what they 
  have staked as “their” territory.  Traps, mines, and 
  hidden machinegun nests riddle the old ruins, making 
  transgression a dangerous risk.  The ghouls to the 
  east have learned to stay away, but some do skirt the 
  frontier of the Purist Enclave, hoping to feast off of 
  other victims of the Purists’ defenses...
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that isn’t 
  detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 6.  
  Roll on the table below to determine the nature of a 
  random encounter.  Individual encounters are detailed 
  in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2-3
  Screamers
  4-5
  Weapon Animatron
  6-7
  Mineﬁeld
  8-9
  Ghoul Trap
  10-11
  Random Noises (Surface)
  12-13
  Xeno Scout
  14-15
  Purist Patrol
  16-17
  Purist Field Team
  18
  Corpses
  19
  Rope Worm
  20
  Weird Weather
  DEALING WITH THE PURISTS
  As most inhabitants of the city have found, dealing with the Purists is next to 
  impossible.  Believing themselves surrounded by monsters, the Purists have 
  adopted a strict policy of shooting ﬁrst, and asking questions later.  Parties 
  wandering into Purist territory will always be ﬁred upon, and even if they don’t 
  immediately die, their attackers will simply blend back into the shadows and try 
  again later.  Unwilling to risk discovery, even if PCs try diplomacy (or raising a 
  white ﬂag) the Purists will always assume it’s a trick - and attack again.
  The Purists suffer from a radical form of racism and extreme paranoia.  
  Xenophobes, they only trust members of their own community.  Even if they 
  were presented with purebloods from outside there is no telling they’d want 
  peace, at least not on realistic terms.  The Purists might demand surrender, 
  subject the pureblood to interrogation, and ultimately try and track down where 
  she came from to do the same to her people.
  
  156
  131. NO MAN’S LAND (EL 0)
  You have moved into an area marked by the 
  skulls of mutant animals - and creatures that 
  eerily resemble humanoids - left in the blistering 
  sun to rot and wither away, leaving only 
  bleached carcasses stuck on spears and poles.  
  The entire region appears desolate of life, and 
  totally stripped of anything of interest.
  See the nearby inset.  Any time the PCs pass through 
  one of the hexes indicated on the map, they encounter 
  the scene described above.
  The signs were set up by the Purists to mark the 
  beginnings of their “enclave” - and to warn off 
  ghouls and other intruders (including the Broken 
  Ones).  Though the edge of this “no man’s land” 
  isn’t trapped, the region beyond is (see Random 
  Encounters above).  Those who choose to ignore 
  these warnings do so at their own risk.
  132. HERMIT’S TOWER (EL 5)
  The ocean wind blows through the tall grasses 
  that run right up to the edge of the cliffs in this 
  area.  From this elevation you are treated to an 
  amazing view of the ocean, and the city to the 
  north, spread out like an ugly grey blanket in the 
  area between the sea and the mountains.
  Up ahead you see a dilapidated old compound, 
  surrounded by a wall made from corrugated 
  iron sheets, old compacted automobiles stacked 
  one on top of the other, and towers of rubber 
  tires bound together with barbed wire.  Beyond 
  are a series of low cinderblock buildings, their 
  windows boarded or plastered over.  From 
  beyond the walls rises a rusty and rickety radio 
  tower, dwarﬁng the compound itself.  From the 
  highest point on the tower the tattered remnants 
  of an American ﬂag ﬂap in the crisp ocean 
  breeze.
  Sitting here, high up in the hills overlooking the city, 
  is an old dilapidated radio broadcast station.  One of 
  more than a dozen radio station in the Los Angeles 
  area before the Fall, it is currently the last one still in 
  working condition.
  Though it looks in a terrible state of repair, the 
  radio station has in fact been occupied by a lone 
  hermit for at least 50 years.  A crazy old man, the 
  Hermit found the old station high up on this wind-
  swept bluff years ago and instantly recognized 
  its strategic location (far from the city but with a 
  commanding view) and importance.  Something of 
  a tinker, over the years he learned how to repair the 
  old electronics and get the radio broadcast equipment 
  up and running, and ever since has been broadcasting 
  across the city’s dead airwaves on an almost weekly 
  basis (see Radio Messages).
  Though the Hermit’s tower is formidable, its real 
  
  157
  defense lies in the fact that no one even knows where 
  it is.  Though some ruin inhabitants have heard 
  his broadcasts and realize a radio tower must exist 
  somewhere in the city, they simply have never found 
  its location.  An outline of the tower’s defenses is 
  given below:
  • 
  Landmines have been buried in the grassy ﬁelds 
  surrounding the compound.  The ﬁeld goes all 
  around the compound, making any approach 
  dangerous.  Of course the Hermit knows the way 
  through, and has a map (a grim realist, he’s made 
  himself ready for the day he eventually goes 
  senile).
  • 
  A roadblock blocks the old service road leading 
  through the ﬁeld to the radio station.  The 
  roadblock is made of concrete and is actually 
  half-buried in the ground, so that any vehicle 
  striking it will likely crash.
  • 
  A ring of cameras and motion sensors, 
  scavenged from throughout the south part of the 
  city, have been rigged up to provide a full 360 
  degree of the compound.  These are hooked up 
  to several recorders inside the compound, so that 
  after a night’s rest the Hermit can play back the 
  tapes and see if anything tried to get in the night 
  before.
  • 
  Barbed wire coils top every stretch of wall, and 
  form irregular barriers outside as well so that 
  large groups will be channeled into convenient 
  packs (easily taken out by a grenade launcher...) 
  if they try to rush the walls.
  • 
  Bricks and mortar close off every window in 
  the old buildings, except in secret places where 
  he deliberately leaves peepholes or sniper holes 
  to see outside.  These holes can of course be 
  blocked up and/or shuttered from inside.
  • 
  False doors have been either built into the 
  exterior of certain outbuildings, or simply 
  painted on.  When potential enemies surmount 
  the wall they’ll see lots of potential ways into the 
  main building complex, but a full 70% of these 
  are fake, and rigged to detonate claymore mines 
  if tampered with.
  • 
  A few of the outbuildings are in fact fake 
  buildings, and anyone stumbling inside will 
  set off complex traps involving clusters of 
  fragmentation grenades.
  • 
  Tunnels connect all of the important buildings, 
  so that the Hermit can move from one to another 
  without attackers even knowing what’s going 
  on.  By doing this he makes it appear there are 
  more defenders than there really are; also, if an 
  enemy sets ﬁre to the main building, he can ﬂee 
  to another without tipping off the arsonists.
  • 
  Sally ports lead to some of these tunnels (but 
  not all), and are hidden or partly-buried so that 
  they won’t be detected by casual searchers.  All 
  of these ports have steel hatches that are locked 
  from within, and trapped with more claymore 
  mines.
  If the PCs come here when the Hermit is present he 
  remains hidden, letting his traps deal with potential 
  intruders.  But if the PCs announce themselves and 
  he comes to believe they mean him no harm, he may 
  let them in.
  If they come when he’s absent (such as when he’s 
  out looking for food in the abandoned grocery stores 
  in town), his traps will all be set and ready to kill...
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The Hermit has lived in 
  the Necropolis so long even he doesn’t remember 
  where he originally came from, or why he’s never 
  encountered anyone other than ghouls - creatures 
  which he absolutely abhors.  Having almost lost 
  his life to the ghoul tribes of the city on numerous 
  occasions (such as when he sneaks out to forage for 
  needed supplies), he hates those cannibal creatures 
  with a passion rivaled by few.
  Considering himself to be the only “sane man” left 
  in the city, he contents himself with residing in his 
  “fortress-abode”, which he has built up over the years 
  into a considerable stronghold.  A man with endless 
  patience, he scavenged, scrounged, and stole virtually 
  everything he needed to build the walls and defenses 
  that now protect his private sanctuary from intruders.  
  From here he spies the city with a powerful rooftop 
  telescope, keeping track of the ghouls by night 
  (seeing their bonﬁres), or the gradual building of 
  the Hive’s enormous “bughills” in the east.  He has 
  tracked the various colonies of varo bats as they ﬂy 
  over the city so that by now he can predict every 
  migration, and witnessed the movement of bug ﬂyers 
  busily going about scavenging supplies so many 
  times that he can generally predict how far the insects 
  have spread.  He has heard the wars rage between 
  the Hive and the Broken Ones, and heard explosions 
  in the Enclave that makes him think another faction 
  might be there too, fending off the ghouls...
  The Hermit (Post-Apocalyptic Hero 5/Scav 4/
  Tinker 1):  CR 10; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  5d8+10 plus 4d8+8 plus 1d6+2; HP 65; Mas 14; Init 
  +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 22, touch 19, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 
  size, +2 Dex, +7 class, +3 equipment); BAB +6; Grap 
  +6; Atk +6 melee (1d6, cleaver), or +8 ranged (2d12, 
  Barrett Light Fifty); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  none; AL none; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +6; AP 5; 
  Rep +2; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 
  8.
  Occupation:  Repairmen (Knowledge 
  [Technology], Repair).
  Background:  Feral (Hide, Move Silently, 
  Survival).
  
  158
  Skills:  Computer Use +3, Craft (electronic) +5, 
  Craft (structural) +5, Demolitions +9, Disable Device 
  +9, Drive +4, Hide +9, Knowledge (Current Events) 
  +3, Knowledge (Technology) +10, Listen +8, Move 
  Silently +9, Navigate +5, Repair +12, Search +9, 
  Spot +8, Survival +15.
  Feats:  Alertness, Armor Proﬁciency (light), 
  Builder (Craft [electronic], Craft [structural]), 
  Cautious, Far Shot, Gearhead, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Radiation Sense, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Track.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore, Conserve, Salvage Expert.
  Talents (Scav):  Scav Scan, Sneak Attack +1d6, 
  Scav Survival.
  Talents (Tinker):  Jury-rig +2.
  Possessions:  Barrett Light Fifty, two boxes of .50 
  ammunition (22), undercover vest, cleaver, smoke 
  grenade, binoculars, light-wave cloak (see nearby 
  sidebar), 1d2 minifusion cells, multipurpose tool, tool 
  belt, handmade map (detailing compound’s defenses).
  Though he’s relatively secure in his tower, the 
  Hermit is at heart a lonely, sentimental man.  While 
  sane men might think him deranged, he longs for 
  human company and has in the past used his radio to 
  try and contact other potential holdouts in the city.  
  Arranging pre-arranged meeting sites, he sneaks out 
  at night to hopefully make contact, but he always 
  watches the meeting site for hours before actually 
  emerging to see who - if anyone - has shown up.
  The Hermit:  HP 65.
  Development:  It is possible that the PCs make 
  friendly contact with the Hermit, and if this is 
  the case he may be inclined to take PCs back to 
  his hideout.  Here he will share supplies (food, 
  water, shelter, and even medicine) in exchange for 
  conversation and company.  However, he is an old 
  man and will not leave his compound even if the 
  PCs promise a better life elsewhere.  After all, the 
  Necropolis has become his home.  If an individual PC 
  really strikes his fancy (for example, if there’s a kind-
  hearted, attractive woman among them), he may offer 
  to let her stay with him indeﬁnitely - perhaps as his 
  “wife” (or in the case of a male, as his “son”).
  Treasure:  In addition to his traps the Hermit keeps 
  a surprisingly vast amount of supplies and artifacts 
  inside his compound, including a full year’s supply 
  of C-rations, 1d100 ready meals (he likes to treat 
  himself to something nice on Christmas), 300 gallons 
  of drinking water, several sets of antique silverware, 
  fancy plates and implements, artwork scavenged 
  from abandoned museums, 2d20 clocks of all sizes 
  and shapes, two water puriﬁers (one currently 
  needing repair), a portable petrol generator (and two 
  weeks worth of fuel), a small garden (with vegetables 
  - to ﬁght off scurvy), a supply of 1d3+2 doses of 
  every single medicine in Darwin’s World 2nd Edition, 
  a surgery kit, ten ﬁrst aid kits, yards and yards of 
  bandages, bottled antibiotics, antiseptics, vitamins, 
  survival kit, shampoo, soap, detergent, spare sets of 
  clothing in every style imaginable, spare shoes and 
  boots, night vision goggles, binoculars, telescope, 
  3d4 walkie-talkies, hundreds of batteries and power 
  cells, a crate of 200 light rods, 2d4 oil lanterns 
  (plus fuel), blankets, sleeping bags, hammocks, 
  arctic weather gear, a collection of sunglasses and 
  corrective eyeglasses, hearing aids, tents, backpacks, 
  hiking gear, climbing kits, rollerskates, ﬁreworks, 
  ﬁre extinguishers, coils of barbed wire, det cord, 
  2d6 blocks of C4, 2d4 claymore mines, a crate of 24 
  fragmentation grenades, and a crate of 10 concussion 
  grenades.  He also has a workshop in the main 
  building with the equivalent of a deluxe mechanical 
  toolkit, a deluxe electrical toolkit, numerous 
  multipurpose tools and other specialist tools, and over 
  50,000 cp in spare parts for his half-dozen unﬁnished 
  tinkering projects!
  133. WASHED ASHORE (EL 0)
  You walk along the grey sands of the ocean 
  beach, listening to the sound of the crashing surf.  
  But the salty odor of the sea is overwhelmed by 
  the stench of decay.
  A Search check by the party, at DC 16, will track 
  down the source of the smell.  Lying high up on 
  LIGHT-WAVE CLOAK
  Perhaps inspired by science-ﬁction, this cutting edge device was created during the twilight of the 
  Ancients, and only ever saw service among elite Special Forces units.  The light-wave cloak, when 
  inactive, resembles a shimmering clear plastic “cape”, but when the power source it is attached to is 
  activated, the cloak itself generates a light-distortion ﬁeld that effectively renders the wearer invisible.
  For every round that the wearer of a light-wave cloak remains invisible, one charge is drained from the 
  power source.  Activating and deactivating a light-wave cloak is a standard action.  Unlike most sources of 
  invisibility, the wearer of a light-wave cloak does not become visible after attacking.  A light-wave cloak is 
  a Medium object, weighs 3 lb., costs 100,000 cp, and requires a Craft check at DC 39 to create.
  Power Source:  Minifusion cell.
  
  159
  the beach, half-buried by sand, is the vaguely 
  humanoid corpse of some unidentiﬁable creature.  
  An examination proves it to be some kind of mutant 
  marine humanoid, with gills and vestigial ﬁns, but so 
  much has decayed that a clear idea of what it looked 
  like alive is hard to discern.
  The creature’s webbed hand clings to a crude 
  harpoon made of whalebone - evidence that whatever 
  it was, it used tools.  Also near to the corpse is a 
  small bundle of netting (roughly the size of a small 
  sack), in which can be found a number of shiny bottle 
  caps, shards of colored glass, and sea shells - the 
  creature’s bag of loot.
  GM’s Note:  The corpse is that of a Skael, killed in 
  the ﬁghting between Slagurrl’s tribe (see Area #053) 
  and the renegades led by Blugorl (see Area #054).  
  The creature’s body was washed ashore several nights 
  ago, and is now badly decomposed.  Though the PCs 
  can’t get a good idea of what the creature looked like, 
  this is simply more evidence that a race of aquatic 
  creatures do, in fact, live out to sea...
  Treasure:  Mixed in with the odd items in the net 
  bag are 1d2 rolls on the Junk table.
  134. LOST CORIUM MINE (EL 0)
  The ruins here are black and grey.  Up ahead, 
  through the ruins, you see a hole literally sunk 
  into the earth, from which an unearthly blue 
  glow emanates...
  This site marks the location of the Necropolis’ “lost 
  corium mine”.  Long ago the city was provided 
  with power from numerous sources, not the last of 
  which was a large, state-of-the-art ﬁssion reactor 
  constructed beneath the streets of this district.  This 
  nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown 
  after the EMP pulses over the port shorted out many 
  of its automated safeguards.  
  No longer accessible from 
  underground (the passages 
  collapsed during the meltdown 
  and ensuing ﬁres), the facility’s 
  existence was forgotten for many, 
  many years.
  In recent years, however, 
  heat building up inside the 
  subterranean complex caused 
  the metal dome of the reactor 
  to literally melt.  This caused a 
  structural collapse with the end 
  result of the formation of a small 
  “sinkhole” leading straight up to 
  the surface - in this hex.
  The old complex, while once 
  extremely large and featuring 
  numerous levels for technicians 
  and engineers, as well as waste 
  storage and disposal, has caved-
  in in most places, and ﬂooded 
  completely with white-hot 
  corium in others.  The reactor 
  core itself lies relatively close 
  to the surface (see the nearby 
  diagram), and the heat produced 
  by the still-liquid corium at its 
  bottom rises into the sky from 
  the open gulf in the earth.  On 
  cold days this heat sometimes turns to steam, a rare 
  instance that gives away the lost corium mine’s 
  location among the ruins.
  GM’s Note:  The people of Den have long 
  searched for this legendary site; though they’ve never 
  found it, they suspect it exists somewhere in the ruins 
  and dedicate their efforts to ﬁnding it.  Unfortunately, 
  since the entire complex was located underground, 
  and its precise location was largely kept classiﬁed for 
  security reasons, they’ve never found it (though its 
  steam venting, and possibly the glow coming from 
  deep within, might be visible from the air).
  The heat near the surface gulf (or “vent”) is 
  intense, whether or not there is steam present.  
  Anyone coming within 15 feet of the vent must 
  make a Fortitude save at DC 15 or take 1d6 points of 
  lethal damage each round.  In addition, the vent itself 
  
  160
  radiates as a Mild source of radiation.  However, 
  if one braves the heat and radiation and goes to 
  the edge, one can look down and see the brightly-
  glowing reactor in its subterranean core chamber, 
  some 50 feet below.  Of course, this cavern is ﬁlled 
  with corium “sludge” (with the consistency of hot 
  mud), and stalactites of solidiﬁed corium bristle from 
  collapsed scaffolds and metal supports all around.  
  To anyone from the wasteland, there appears to be a 
  fortune in corium here!
  Mining the corium from this site should be a long-
  term consideration, not merely a “snatch-and-run” 
  effort by the PCs.  Though a quick foray (perhaps by 
  suiting up in a heat-resistant suit and descending by 
  rope into the chamber with a pick and sack) might 
  net several hundred corium pieces at a time, the risk 
  from heat and radiation is probably too great to risk.  
  While the vent itself only radiates a Mild level, as 
  one descends deeper into the actual core chamber this 
  spikes (increasing in severity by one step for every 
  ﬁfteen feet descended, starting at surface level).  In 
  addition, anyone accidentally slipping or falling in 
  will certainly plunge into the liquid corium pools 
  below, and be instantly consumed by the metal-
  melting heat.
  A large-scale operation could be started here by the 
  PCs for vast proﬁts, assuming they have the resources 
  and talents to make it happen.  Currying relations 
  with the seedy people of Den might get them a 
  willing population of corium miners to do the dirty 
  work, but then there are the complications of pay, and 
  of course keeping the Den miners loyal.  These are 
  considerations you as GM will have to work out with 
  your players; there simply isn’t enough space here to 
  cover such a complex side endeavor.
  135. CHEMICAL CRATER (EL 1)
  A deep crater sits here, perhaps 50 yards 
  wide, its impact having blasted down the nearby 
  tenement buildings leaving a ﬁeld strewn with 
  broken brick and rusted metal pipes.  A pool of 
  ugly greenish water has collected in the crater, 
  creating a small “lake”.
  This crater was crated by a chemical warhead striking 
  the city during the Fall.  The chemical vapor released 
  by the weapon killed hundreds of people in the area 
  in a matter of hours, before returning to a liquid 
  state.  Most of the chemical soaked into the ground 
  and pollutes the local water table (consider all water 
  sources - natural or otherwise - in this hex, and in 
  each surrounding hex, to be poisoned as described 
  below); some of it has also collected in the crater 
  itself, creating a violently toxic “oasis”.
  GM’s Note:  The water here is contaminated with 
  an agent whose properties are remarkably similar 
  to Paris green (ingested, DC 14, initial damage 1d4 
  Con, secondary damage 1d4 Con).  It is also mildly 
  corrosive, so PCs trying to bottle up some of the stuff 
  may be burned (or the vessel she tries to contain it 
  in might be eaten away) - a single dose inﬂicts 1d6 
  points of acid damage each round on contact.
  136. SWEAT SHOP (EL 0)
  A small warehouse sits at the end of this alley, 
  its windows completely boarded over.
  This place was an illegal sweat shop worked by 
  Asian immigrants during the twilight of the Ancients.  
  Working in abhorrent conditions for up to eighteen 
  hours each day, these women and children both 
  slaved here and slept at their work stations, seldom 
  seeing the light of day for months at a time.
  Treasure:  The sweat shop is empty now, but a lot 
  of materials used to create pirated products - in this 
  case, electronics - are still present, in old shipping 
  containers and at the various workstations.  There are 
  no assembled electronic devices present, though there 
  is the equivalent of 10,000 cp in spare parts, possibly 
  useful for the construction of other artifacts (in the 
  hands of PCs with the right skills and feats).
  137. RUINS OF LAX (EL VARIES)
  The rubble here gives way to a broad open 
  area of cracked concrete  that burns hot under 
  the sun.  No animals or vegetation can be 
  spotted for as far as you can see.  The stripped, 
  blackened frames of old jet liners, and other 
  aircraft sit scattered all around this huge basin, 
  as if dashed like toys.
  The ruins of Los Angeles International Airport are 
  highly radiated, having been the target of a powerful 
  nuclear strike during the Fall.  After the city came 
  under attack many civilians tried to ﬂee by air, only 
  to become prisoners of the Great Enemy when the 
  airport was overrun.  The invaders quickly turned 
  part of the airport into a concentration camp for 
  their civilian captives, at least until more permanent 
  interment camps could be constructed once the city 
  was secured.
  When the enemy began using the airport as a 
  base for their strike aircraft, as well as to ferry in 
  supplies by air, the U.S. military decided the airport 
  had to be hit.  Despite the presence of thousands of 
  civilians, the order was given to hit the airport with 
  a tactical nuclear weapon, denying the enemy its use 
  permanently.
  
  161
  GM’s Note:  Anyone entering this hex is 
  immediately subject to Severe radiation; in any of 
  the nearby hexes (see inset, indicated in violet) the 
  radiation level is High.
  The ruins of LAX are largely lifeless, since no 
  one dares come here due to the radiation (the region 
  is said to “glow” at night, making it an obvious 
  deathtrap).  Encounters with sporadic groups of 
  screamers may occur if the party tries to pass through 
  the area; a typical encounter will involve 2d3+2 
  screamers, who will move to attack the PCs as soon 
  as they are detected.
  Screamers (4-8):  HP 26.
  138. OVERRUN POSITION (EL VARIES)
  The streets here are ﬁlled with rubble, from 
  where bombs blew off the tops of nearby 
  buildings.  The wreckage of several armored 
  vehicles lie strewn about on the sidewalk, as if 
  kicked clear of the roadway by some giant.
  This area marks a position 
  stubbornly defended by 
  the U.S. Army during the 
  ﬁghting for L.A., but which 
  was eventually overrun 
  by a concerted assault by 
  enemy forces.  The remains 
  of three M1A2s sit here, 
  charred and destroyed, 
  and down the street is an 
  overturned Hummer (with 
  a TOW II missile launcher, 
  now destroyed).
  A small pack of wall 
  crawlers lives nearby, 
  and often come here to 
  investigate the sound of 
  wild men passing through 
  the area - which the large lizards eat.  If the PCs 
  make any considerable noise here, 1d2 minutes later 
  1d4+3 wall crawlers will arrive to check it out.  They 
  will only attack if the PCs appear weak or wounded, 
  however; otherwise they merely watch the PCs 
  before losing interest and scampering off.
  Wall Crawlers (4-7):  HP 22 (page 26, The Broken 
  & The Lost: New Terrors)
  Treasure:  The vehicles can be scavenged for 
  spare parts, but will never run again.  A Search 
  check at DC 16 will uncover a single TOW missile 
  (lying forgotten in the rubble after the Hummer was 
  overturned by a powerful blast), plus 1d2+1 Military 
  Weapons.
  139. RADIO TOWER (EL 12)
  A 100-ft. tall radio mast towers of this gray 
  and ugly neighborhood.
  Unbeknownst to the PCs they aren’t alone here.  The 
  Purists recently discovered this site and have been 
  trying to ﬁgure out a way of getting it up and running 
  again.  They hope to use the radio mast to triangulate 
  the location of the Hermit’s tower; they have heard 
  his transmissions, and desperately seek to ﬁnd him 
  and interrogate him about what he knows concerning 
  the ghouls.
  When the PCs arrive here they will ﬁnd 5 Purist 
  Soldiers (Patrol) on the scene.  Four of these will be 
  on guard, while the ﬁfth surveys the mast and makes 
  notes on its current state of repair (the tinker, Mickey, 
  is considered too valuable to send out an inspect the 
  site himself, so the soldiers have been instructed to 
  record everything they can about the radio tower).  
  The Purists will open ﬁre on the PCs as soon as they 
  are spotted.
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (5):  HP 50; one of the 
  soldiers is equipped with a PDA for recording data on 
  the tower.
  140. FALLOUT SHELTER (EL 12)
  Up ahead you see an old building with an 
  outside stairwell, presumably leading into the 
  building’s basement.  A large metal door sits 
  at the bottom of the stairs, with a faded trefoil 
  symbol on its exterior.
  This building has a fallout shelter, which a small 
  group of Purist soldiers is currently occupying.  
  Discovered years ago, the Purists often use the shelter 
  as a temporary rest stop during extended patrols.  
  Its relative security (out of sight of the street), and 
  underground location, allows the Purists a place to 
  put down their guard.
  When the PCs arrive there will be 5 Purist 
  Soldiers (Patrol) present; one Purist soldier will be 
  
  162
  on watch, peering through the peephole on the shelter 
  door every ﬁve or ten minutes.  In game terms, unless 
  it is pitch dark, the PCs will be spotted on a roll of 1 
  in 4 - and the Purists will be able to prepare for them.
  GM’s Note:  The fallout shelter is easily defended, 
  as it lies below ground, and there is only one 
  entrance.  PCs entering the shelter will come under 
  immediate ﬁre by the Purists inside, who will then 
  try to ﬁght the PCs back up the stairs and kill them as 
  they ﬂee.  Of course, because the shelter has only one 
  exit it is also easy to bottle-neck the Purists inside...
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (5):  HP 50.
  Treasure:  Inside the old shelter the Purists have 
  assembled a folding table, a few lawn chairs, and a 
  couple of sleeping bags.  A Geiger counter hangs on 
  the wall, as does a bioagent sensor (see the nearby 
  sidebar for a description of this item).  Both items 
  are turned on whenever Purists enter the shelter, to 
  allow them to check the current levels of radiation 
  and bacteria in the basement air before they remove 
  their NBC suits.  These two devices each have a half-
  charged power beltpack to power them.
  A deck of cards sits on the table, left behind by the 
  last patrol, as well as a few empty MRE packs and 
  empty C-ration cans.  A few items taken from dead 
  bodies found along the frontier were left here after 
  the Purists lost interest in them; this constitutes 1d3 
  rolls on the Dead Bodies table.
  141. SLAUGHTER SCENE (EL 0)
  The stench of decay is overpowering here.  Up ahead 
  you see almost 30 dead bodies, piled one on top of 
  the other, brutally massacred by unknown ambushers.
  If the PCs are bold enough to search the bodies, 
  they ﬁnd them to have been ruin-vagrants, each 
  bearing the sign of some debilitating disease or 
  subtle mutation (mongoloids).  They were apparently 
  massacred by a well-armed force (bullet wounds are 
  evident in all of them, man, woman, and child), who 
  stacked their bodies here to rot in the sun.
  GM’s Note:  These mutants were slaves of the 
  Broken Ones empire who wandered too far south 
  searching in vain for the rumored “Amazon” 
  sanctuary.  Stumbling into the territory of the Purists 
  they were set upon by a patrol, and duly massacred.
  Treasure:  The Purists didn’t bother searching the 
  dead bodies, afraid as they are of catching a disease.  
  If the PCs search the rotting corpses they ﬁnd a gold 
  ring on one body worth 15 cp.
  142. WATER TREATMENT PLANT (EL 
  14)
  A complex labyrinth of aging metal pipes and 
  soaring tubular structures rises from the ruins 
  in this blackened region.  Fungus grows in the 
  shaded patches beneath overhead catwalks and 
  walkways.  Rust covers virtually everything, and 
  your footsteps echo eerily down the artiﬁcial 
  corridors made by enormous pipes and towering 
  water tanks.
  This enormous water treatment plant served the 
  water needs of Torrence, Lomita, and Redondo 
  Beach up until the Fall.  Water brought here from the 
  waste recycling systems of the city was treated in 
  chemical baths, irradiated within the buildings (to kill 
  bacteria), left to sit in distilling ponds, and eventually 
  piped back through the system to be re-used.
  The water treatment plant has been dormant for 
  generations.  However, the Purists from the enclave 
  at Area #143 have rediscovered the plant and begun 
  assessing the old complex for the possibility of 
  reviving it.  The Purists are enthusiastic about this 
  tremendous ﬁnd, as it not only offers a chance to 
  purify drinkable water on a large scale, but recently 
  bacteriologists from the enclave have theorized the 
  old algae ponds could be used to literally “grow” 
  bacteria that could be used as a biological weapon 
  against their enemies, the Broken Ones.
  GM’s Note:  Currently the ruins of the plant are 
  guarded by a contingent from the Purist enclave 
  - one of a few exemptions to their paranoid rule 
  that limits their movements to their enclave.  The 
  contingent here includes 10 Purist Soldiers (Patrol) 
  and 5 Purist scientists, all outﬁtted in NBC suits 
  (in addition to regular gear).  Four soldiers will be 
  on guard duty at all times, hidden among towering 
  pipes, walking along catwalks, or nesting (and 
  prepared to snipe) atop a water tower.  The rest are 
  scattered throughout the complex, patrolling by foot 
  BIOAGENT SENSOR
  This type of advanced device is similar to a chemical sensor, but instead of monitoring for chemicals it has 
  an extensive database of bacteria and viruses.  With a probe-like sensor the device “sniffs” the surrounding 
  air, picking up traces of virtually all biological threats within 50 ft.  If a biological agent, disease, or germ 
  is detected, the sensor identiﬁes it and displays the information (including in which direction and giving an 
  estimated distance) on its electronic display.  A bioagent sensor is a Small object, weighs 1 lb., costs 10,000 
  cp, and requires a Craft check at DC 25 to create.
  Power Source:  Beltpack.
  
  163
  or accompanying the scientists and/or assisting them 
  in their experiments.
  The scientists are currently attempting to cultivate 
  bacterial cultures in two of the facility’s eight 
  algae ponds.  Initial experiments have shown that 
  the bacteria, when transferred to a host, causes 
  symptoms similar to necrotizing faciitis, but so far 
  the bacteriologists are unsatisﬁed with its general 
  instability.  See the nearby sidebar for details on this 
  new toxin.
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (10):  HP 50.
  Purist Scientists (5):  HP 31.
  143. THE ARK (EL VARIES)
  The ruins in this part of the city give way to 
  a cleared region up ahead.  Sitting in a massive 
  clearing is a fenced-off compound almost 100 
  yards wide, anchored at the corners by rickety 
  watchtowers.  Covered pillboxes can be seen 
  beyond this fence, facing the open ﬁeld, and 
  a few dug-in barrack houses cluster near the 
  compound’s center, protected by metal walls...
  Though the Purists have built a surface base above 
  their ancestral shelter, allowing them to expand 
  above ground, the “Ark” itself refers to the deep 
  subterranean bunker constructed by their ancestors 
  in the years before the Fall.  Stocked with all manner 
  of supplies and provisions to weather the apocalypse, 
  the Ark was intended to imitate the Biblical ship of 
  the same name and give the Purists a refuge from the 
  coming storm.
  Hundreds of years later the Ark is run down.  Its 
  walls are cracked, its metal innards rusting and 
  falling apart.  Water has leaked in from the bedrock, 
  threatening to ﬂood some sections.  And centuries-old 
  wiring - and an aging reactor - spell sporadic power 
  outages and brownouts.  But luckily for the Purists, 
  however, their ancestors’ construction held up.
  Today the Ark remains as the primary refuge for 
  the Purists, though due to its dilapidated condition 
  - and having spent many long years anticipating 
  a return to the surface - the Purists have begun 
  relocating above ground.  While the Ark is still 
  inhabited, the Purists have begun constructing a 
  surface base around the vault’s entrance, from which 
  they’ve begun their campaign of exploring the 
  Necropolis.
  A. FENCES (EL 1)
  The walls of the Purist surface compound are merely 
  15 ft high fences, bristling with razor wire at the top.  
  Climbing the fence requires a Climb check at DC 
  20; failing by more than 5 does not result in the PC 
  falling, however, but rather she becomes entangled 
  in the wire.  A character that becomes entangled 
  takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and a -4 penalty 
  to Dexterity, and cannot move.  She also takes 1d3 
  points of slashing damage upon becoming entangled, 
  and takes the same damage again each time she tries 
  to break free (Escape Artist check DC 20).
  B. WATCHTOWERS (EL 9)
  These simple constructions resemble “Stalag” towers 
  from the WWII-era.  Each is a sheltered platform 
  reached via ladder, from which snipers of an elite 
  Purist unit (known as “Sentry Team Vulcan”; these 
  soldiers should be treated as xeno scouts) survey the 
  surrounding terrain and approaches to the compound.  
  These veteran marksmen have orders to shoot anyone 
  not dressed in a Purist NBC suit (which are all white) 
  spotted in their ﬁeld of vision.
  Each watchtower platform is lightly armored, 
  providing protection from sandstorms (and 
  concealing the sentry within).  It thus provides nine-
  tenths cover (+10 cover bonus to Defense, +4 cover 
  bonus to Reﬂex saves) for the occupant.
  Xeno Scout (1 per tower):  HP 61; each also has a 
  walkie-talkie.
  C. TRENCH (EL VARIES)
  A man-made trench runs the length of the 
  compound, just inside the fence.  The trenches are 
  relatively deep, allowing Purist soldiers to move 
  under complete cover to various points along the 
  wall, allowing them to react to attacks against the 
  compound fence without exposing themselves as they 
  emerge from the barracks (Area F).
  At various points (marked on the map as small, 
  wedge-shaped bunkers) the Purists have set up 
  covered “pillboxes”, where they have placed M-60 
  PURIST PLAGUE
  The bacterial disease being cooked up by the Purists at the Water Treatment Plant (Area #142) is a 
  unique disease, a product of the radiated environment of the Necropolis.  So far the disease has only been 
  produced in small batches for testing and further puriﬁcation, but it is possible that the PCs might pick up 
  the bacteria if they enter the building unprotected (or even fall into the algae ponds during a ﬁght).  The 
  disease’s game statistics are shown here:
  Disease
  Type
  Incubation Period
  Initial Damage
  Secondary Damage
  Purist plague
  Ingested DC 12
  1d4 days
  1 Con
  1d3 Con*
  
  164
  machineguns (each with 100 rounds of ammunition).  
  In the event of an attack 2-3 Purist Soldiers 
  (Base) will man each of these locations to provide 
  overlapping MG ﬁre against attackers, but only if the 
  alarm is raised.
  D. VEHICLE YARD (EL 0)
  This open yard is used by the Purists to store operable 
  vehicles scavenged from the surface and brought 
  here for safety.  Currently there are ﬁve construction 
  vehicles (i.e. bulldozers) sheltered here, which 
  they’ve put to good use expanding the surface base 
  and clearing the ﬁeld surrounding it outside.
  Heavy wooden beams can be set up around the 
  yard’s perimeter, and a canvas top pulled over and 
  attached to each in relatively short order (taking 
  perhaps 15 minutes), providing a protective “roof” 
  for the vehicle lot in the event of a sandstorm.
  E. DECON (EL 0)
  This outbuilding 
  is used for 
  decontaminating 
  soldiers and scientists 
  coming back from 
  patrols or sample-
  gathering missions 
  in the ruins.  Acutely 
  aware of the germs 
  that infest the city 
  outside, the Purists 
  are adamant about 
  decontaminating all 
  personnel who come 
  back.
  The decon shack 
  has steam showers, a 
  chemical decon bath 
  (for cleaning NBC 
  suits suspected of being exposed to deadly germs), 
  and even an incinerator.
  F. FAST RESPONSE BARRACKS (EL VARIES)
  These buildings are insulated shacks where Purists 
  on prolonged duty are quartered, saving them the 
  need to travel back and forth from the underground 
  dormitories.  Xeno scouts, as well as regular patrols, 
  generally sleep here when they’re not out in the ﬁeld.  
  In addition, two units of 5 Purist Soldiers (Base) 
  each (“Sentry Teams Gamma and Epsilon”) are 
  quartered in one of the buildings at all times, ready to 
  suit up and defend the surface base in case of attack.
  Purist Soldiers (Base) (10):  HP 50.
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (2-4):  HP 50.
  Xeno Scouts (1-2):  HP 61.
  G. POTATO FARM (EL 7)
  This large plot, which takes up a sizeable part of the 
  surface base, is used by the Purists to grow a hardy, 
  bioengineered version of the common potato.  Made 
  resistant to radiation and chemical poison through 
  genetic tampering, the “super-potato” has become a 
  staple of the Purists’ spartan diet.
  A handful of Purist civilians will be tending this 
  ﬁeld at any given time.  If they spot the PCs they will 
  run to raise the alarm.
  Purist Civilians (3):  HP 26.
  H. GREENHOUSE (EL 14)
  The Purists erected this long, glass-walled structure 
  at the insistence of Dr. Sally Archer, their lead 
  nutritionist.  Concerned over the fact that the 
  hydroponics farms underground were failing, Dr. 
  Archer successfully made the case to begin a sizable 
  greenhouse operation on the surface.  Dr. Archer 
  operates this building with a handful of volunteers, 
  growing edible fruits and vegetables inside the 
  steamy building.  Though it was a hard sell to 
  convince the military leaders of its importance, the 
  greenhouse has substantially improved the health 
  of the Purists in the past few years, almost entirely 
  eliminating scurvy (which once ran rampant in the 
  bunker).
  Dr. Archer is likely to be here at any given time, 
  along with a small work team of Purist civilians, 
  helping here care for the crop.
  Dr. Sally Archer:  HP 46.
  Purist Civilians (4):  HP 26.
  I. WEATHER WATCHSTATION (EL 0)
  Though for a time the Purists were at the mercy 
  of the weather just like the other factions of the 
  city, their scientists were able to build a weather 
  watchstation to help in predicting storms.  The station 
  
  165
  is nothing more than an antennae-like tower rising 
  from the ground, atop which sits a crude but effective 
  collection of sensors (barometer, wind cups, etc.).
  J. SORTING SHACK (EL 15)
  This corrugated metal shack is a mess, its interior 
  resembling an indoor junkyard.  Everything the Purist 
  scouts and scroungers bring back to the community 
  is brought here and piled up on the tables or simply 
  piled into a corner, where Mickey eventually looks it 
  over with his keen, appraising eye.  Mickey is certain 
  to check everything out thoroughly (even if he has 
  to ﬁnd the item in one of his 2000 encyclopedias); 
  ascertaining its original purpose and determining any 
  potential value it might have to the Purist enclave.  
  Eventually the useful stuff is taken underground to 
  be stored away (in Storage), or else is put to use 
  right away.  Other items that are found irrelevant are 
  eventually thrown out to make room for the next load 
  of junk.
  Mickey will be present here 50% of the time 
  during the daylight hours.  Otherwise he will be in 
  the Repair Shop (Area N).  Either way he will be 
  accompanied by 2 Purist Soldiers (Base).
  Mickey:  HP 39.
  Purist Soldiers (Base) (2):  HP 50.
  Treasure:  The heaps of junk here contain the 
  equivalent of 1d10 Junk, 1d10 Useful Stuff, 1d2 
  Lost Knowledge, and 10% chance each of 1 Armor, 
  1 Military Weapon, and 1 Rare Military Weapon 
  (rolled individually).  Other items from the Darwin’s 
  World 2nd Edition rulebook may also be present 
  here, though most items (including the random 
  ﬁnds mentioned above) have a 50% chance of being 
  damaged, requiring a Repair check to ﬁx (DC varies).
  K.  ELEVATOR HOUSE (EL 0)
  Originally the Purist shelter’s sole means of entrance 
  lay at the bottom of an old condemned tenement 
  that their ancestors purchased before the Fall.  
  Since emerging onto the surface the Purists have 
  demolished this building, and constructed a simple 
  concrete “shack” around the old elevator room.
  This is the entrance to the bunker.  The building 
  is simply a machine room where the antiquated 
  machines that keep the elevators running are kept.  
  Though the two elevators - each large and strong 
  enough to lift a loaded truck - creak and groan, 
  maintenance workers from the bunker below visit 
  here frequently to keep the elevators in top operating 
  condition.
  L. DECON (SUB) (EL 0)
  This decontamination block was used when the 
  Purists ﬁrst reached the surface.  Since they expanded 
  their surface base they no longer use this, and have 
  relocated their decontamination facility above 
  ground.  The doors are generally kept locked.
  M. VEHICLE STORAGE (EL 0)
  These garages were once used to house a collection 
  of vehicles the Purists’ stockpiled for use after the 
  Fall.  Cunning planners, they sought ﬁt to include two 
  hummers (each capable of being ﬁtted with an M2HB 
  machinegun), two motorcycles with sidecars (for 
  scouting), a team of three snowmobiles (in case they 
  emerged to ﬁnd a world steeped in an eternal nuclear 
  winter - or one buried in sand), and a trusty old 2 1/2-
  ton army truck.
  Currently the Purists only use the hummers and 
  motorcycles; they store them here to keep from 
  the elements.  There has been little need for the 
  snowmobiles, so they also remain here, still covered 
  in canvas and periodically maintained by the 
  PURISTS AND THE AMAZONS
  The amazons of the Amazon Fortress (Area #110) originally hailed from the Purist Enclave, being former 
  members of the “Ark” population.  As stated under that area’s description the women - a collection of 
  bacteriologists and biologists - were turned back when they attempted to return home to the Enclave after a 
  pioneering expedition into the ruins.  Fearing disease, scientists like Dr. Archer (and others) argued that the 
  diseases the returning biologists might carry were too great a threat to gamble with.  Despite their protests, 
  the biologists (who were to become the future leaders of the “Amazon” community) were cast out, never to 
  return.
  It is unclear whether Dr. Archer and her associates were simply looking out for the community’s 
  best interests or not.  It is certainly in character, as the scientists of the enclave have a certain scientiﬁc 
  detachment to life - including former comrades.  The Amazons may even have left willingly, fearing Dr. 
  Archer was right and not wanting to put their people at risk.
  On the other hand, Dr. Archer may have acted that way for personal reasons.  Perhaps Drs. Corinne and 
  Elaine Harris knew something about Dr. Archer’s work that she didn’t want known.  Perhaps Corinne 
  Harris threatened Dr. Archer.  Or perhaps Dr. Archer was simply jealous that Corinne had been selected 
  to be a pioneer, while she had been forced to remain at base.  Professional rivalry at its worst?  The 
  possibilities are endless; it’s up to you to decide “why”.
  
  166
  enclave’s tinkers.  The 2 1/2-ton truck has proven to 
  be a bit ornery in recent months (failing to start up 1 
  out of 10 times), and as such it is normally not used 
  - which is probably for the better, as a vehicle its size 
  tends to make a lot of noise...
  N. REPAIR SHOP (EL VARIES)
  This lies just off the vehicle garages.  This is the 
  primary workplace of Mickey and his handful of 
  mechanics, who keep the Enclave’s vehicles in 
  operating condition.  
  The repair shop 
  is a fully-outﬁtted 
  operation, with 
  hydraulic lifts, 
  welding equipment, 
  and even a remotely-
  controlled overhead 
  crane capable of 
  lifting an entire 
  truck engine.
  During the 
  day and evening 
  a group of 3-8 
  Purist civilians 
  will be present 
  here, conducting 
  maintenance on 
  various mechanical 
  and electronic 
  artifacts used by 
  the Purists.  This 
  can range from 
  vehicles to weapons 
  to Geiger counters 
  to damaged military 
  combat suits.
  Development:  
  The Purist’s lead 
  technician, Mickey, spends most of his time here, and 
  has in fact had a cot brought in here so he can sleep.  
  During the day and early evening (and sometimes 
  well into the night) he can usually be found here, 
  working on repairing any number of objects and/or 
  vehicles that currently need ﬁxing.  If he is present, 
  his guards will be too (see Area J).
  Purist Civilians (3-8):  HP 26.
  Treasure:  There are supplies here equivalent 
  to 15,000 cp in spare parts for Craft projects.  In 
  addition, the vast collection of tools massed by 
  Mickey and the other Purists amounts to four deluxe 
  mechanical toolkits, and one deluxe electronic 
  toolkit.
  O. FUEL TANK (EL 0)
  The original construction of the Ark called for a 
  sunken fuel tank to store fuel for the community’s 
  vehicles.  About half of this fuel leaked over the 
  years, but another half remains.  Though the pipes 
  are rusted and leaking, the reserves here continue to 
  reliably supply the Purists with vehicle fuel.
  P. ARTIFICIAL SPRING (EL 0)
  This deep underground tank was originally stocked 
  with fresh drinking water, and continues to collect 
  runoff from the surrounding bedrock.  A battery 
  of advanced ﬁltration systems keep the water free 
  from radioactive particles, as well as chemical and 
  biological agents.  The entire tank can be stirred with 
  a hydraulic propeller to prevent algae buildup.
  Q. MESS AREA/KITCHENS (EL VARIES)
  This is simply a communal eating place, originally 
  designed with the spartan simplicity of a military 
  mess hall.  Over the years it has become highly 
  personalized by the inhabitants of the Ark, however, 
  with old pre-Fall pinups, posters of vintage 
  cigarette ads, dartboards, and pinball machines 
  scavenged in recent years from the surrounding 
  ruins.  A connecting kitchen block contains stoves, 
  dishwashing equipment, and other necessities.
  At any given time 1d6+9 Purist Soldiers (Base) 
  and 1d6+4 Purist Civilians will be present here, 
  partaking of meals or simply enjoying off-duty time.
  Purist Soldiers (Base) (10-15):  HP 50.
  Purist Civilians (5-10):  HP 26.
  
  167
  R. CABINS (EL VARIES)
  These are the primary living quarters of the Ark, 
  reserved for personnel not currently in stasis (see 
  Cryo).  Each of these resembles the cramped, spartan 
  quarters of a naval vessel, with bunks and a rigid 
  routine of hot-bedding.  There are usually three to 
  four men per cabin.  Ofﬁcers and scientiﬁc personnel 
  have their own separate cabins.
  If entered, each of these rooms will be found to be 
  occupied by a random Purist, determined by rolling 
  on the table below:
  D6
  Cabin Occupant
  1-2
  1d2 Purist Civilians
  3-4
  1d2 Purist Soldiers (Base)
  5
  1d2 Purist Scientists; unarmored
  6
  Random Purist NPC (see sidebar)
  S. HEAD BLOCK (EL 0)
  Situated off of the cabin area, this block contains 
  four “heads” (bathrooms) with communal shower 
  facilities, toilets, etc.  Though the pipes are rusty and 
  sometimes leak, and the odor of waste clings to the 
  walls in most of the heads, they still manage to meet 
  the needs of the community.
  T. FLAG ROOM (EL 9)
  To many of the Purists, this is the heart and soul 
  of the Ark, and the last place they will let fall if it 
  comes under attack.  It is here that the Purists have 
  maintained a full-sized, hand-sewn American ﬂag 
  since the time of the Fall (the Purists claim it is the 
  ﬂag one ﬂown on the Mighty Mo), covering one 
  entire wall of the room.
  The Flag Room serves as the brieﬁng and situation 
  room for the Purists, a place where the community’s 
  soldiers and scientists gather to share information and 
  discuss what’s currently going on.
  Two Purist Soldiers (Base) are stationed outside 
  this room at all times, even when the military leaders 
  aren’t present; these constitute the “color guard”.
  Purist Soldiers (Base) (2):  HP 50.
  U. WAR ROOM (A.K.A. “THE BRIDGE”) (EL 20)
  Situated right off of the Flag Room, this is the 
  planning center for the Purists’ efforts on the surface.  
  Recovered maps of the Necropolis (as well as maps 
  stored in the bunker before the Fall) cover every 
  wall, as well as the large central plotting table.  It 
  is here that the ranking commanders of the Purists 
  formulate tactical plans and strategies for maintaining 
  their fragile enclave in the city.  The room has been 
  nicknamed “the Bridge” by the rank-and-ﬁle.
  GM’s Note:  Unless the alarm has been raised it 
  can be assumed Colonel Westgate and Master Sgt. 
  Cole will be here with his top commanders (treat 
  these men as Purist Soldiers), planning some future 
  operation.
  Colonel Westgate:  HP 170.
  Master Sgt. Cole:  HP 114.
  Purist Soldiers (Base) (4):  HP 50.
  Treasure:  A search of this planning room will 
  uncover a lot of information regarding the Purists, 
  including a pre-Fall map of Los Angeles, with 
  markers showing the current position of xeno scout 
  patrols and other patrols, as well as mineﬁelds 
  and hidden weapon animatrons (i.e. a complete 
  map of their defenses).  There are also documents 
  detailing the effort to create a “plague” at the old 
  Water Puriﬁcation Plant (Area #142), with updates 
  detailing the Enclave’s current progress in this 
  endeavor (any character making a Knowledge [Earth 
  & Life Sciences] check at DC 31 will get a general 
  idea of how far this program has been advanced).
  V. SICK BAY (EL 12)
  The Ark’s “sick bay” is a relatively complete medical 
  facility.  Separate suites in the small complex include 
  two surgical theatres (with stolen Ancient-era hospital 
  machinery to treat a variety of traumas), a dental 
  surgery, a pharmacy (where stockpiles of medicines 
  are kept  and sometimes replenished with stocks 
  scavenged from the surface), a biochemical analysis 
  lab, and an X-ray booth.  There are also two separate 
  wards here, each ﬁlled with rickety old spring cots for 
  wounded personnel.  The latter, however, is isolated 
  behind a 200-year old security airlock, and is used for 
  the care and observation of personnel suffering from 
  diseases or other sicknesses.
  Dr. Greevi can be found here most of the time, 
  tending to the sick and injured (who will all be non-
  combatants due to their sicknesses).  He is assisted by 
  2 Purist Civilians, who act as orderlies and nurses.
  Dr. Greevi:  HP 54.
  Purist Civilians (2):  HP 26.
  Treasure:  The pharmacy contains the most 
  valuable “treasure”, in the form of medications 
  stockpiled by the Purists.  This stockpile is kept in 
  a locked case (Disable Device DC 20 to open) and 
  contains 1d2 bottles each of antitox, ﬁlter dose, K-
  O shot, rad-purge shot, stimshot A, stimshot B, and 
  truth serum.  Each bottle currently holds 1d10 doses 
  of a given drug.  There is also a supply of 1d100 
  ready syringes, two diagnostic scanners (each with a 
  power beltpack), and 1d2 rolls on the Juju table.
  W. LAUNDRY (EL 6)
  A small laundry occupies this area, and is used 
  to clean uniforms, socks, lab coats, and surgical 
  smocks, as well as beds, blankets, and pillows.  The 
  quartermaster has taken great pains to stock this 
  place with detergents and deodorants scavenged from 
  the surface - a welcome solution to a decades-old 
  
  168
  problem in the bunker, in which foot and body odor 
  permeated the tunnels!
  At any hour 2 Purist Civilians will be present 
  here, doing laundry.
  Purist Civilians (2):  HP 26.
  X. MAGAZINE (EL 0)
  A common theme in the Ark is the use of nautical 
  terminology for many rooms - either a playful 
  admission of the Ark’s Biblical counterpart (a ship), 
  or simply an extension of the fact that many of the 
  original builders were once Marines.  In any event 
  the magazine is a deep, isolated bunker reached only 
  by its own secure elevator.  The magazine is sheathed 
  in heat-resistant metal, and reinforced.  In this small 
  vault the Purists have long stored ammunition for 
  their community’s arsenal of weapons.
  In addition to vast stores of munitions stashed 
  here before the Fall, the Purists have added to these 
  stocks with ammo scavenged from the ruins on the 
  surface.  Note, however, that the magazine is quite 
  secure; keys are kept only by the Ark’s captain and 
  quartermaster.  In addition, a mechanical security 
  system causes the elevator to lock in place on this 
  level in the event of an explosion, preventing ﬁre 
  from spreading to other levels of the shelter.
  Treasure:  The magazine currently contains 30 
  fragmentation mines, 30 smoke grenades, 6 tear gas 
  grenades, 1 blood agent grenade, 2 plasma grenades, 
  and 30 ready-made Molotov cocktails (these have 
  come to replace fragmentation grenades, which have 
  slowly dwindled in supply).  There are also stocks of 
  ammunition here including 11,000 rounds of 7.62mm 
  ammo (linked or loose), 1,620 rounds of .50 caliber 
  ammo (linked), 5,000 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, and 
  700 rounds of 9mm ammo.
  Y. ARSENAL (EL 0)
  Security measures for this chamber as the same as 
  for the Magazine.  In this vault the Purists keep their 
  stockpiles of surplus weapons.  Do to its proximity 
  to the cabins; however, the arsenal can be broken 
  open in a relative hurry to arm the inhabitants in an 
  emergency.
  Treasure:  The arsenal contains weapons not 
  currently being ﬁelded by Purist soldiers and 
  civilians.  The stockpile is thus ﬂexible day by day, 
  and contains 3d6 Remington 700s, 2d10 M16A2s, 
  and 2d4 Beretta 92Fs.  The Purists also store other 
  weapons here that they don’t currently use, which 
  will consist of 8 separate rolls on the Civilian 
  Weapons table.
  Z. CRYO (EL 0)
  This room is ﬁlled with banks of cryogenic stasis 
  tubes.  Purchased by the builders of the Ark from an 
  unscrupulous hospital administrator, the cryo tubes 
  were originally intended only to keep patients alive 
  until advanced care could be had.  The Purists put 
  them to good use prolonging their community over 
  the years.
  GM’s Note:  At any given time roughly half the 
  50 tubes will be currently occupied by frozen Purist 
  soldiers and scientists.  Though they don’t sleep 
  for the extended periods they once did, the Purists 
  still alternate in and out of the tubes to save space 
  and cut down on the resource consumption of their 
  population (once inside a stasis tube a human requires 
  very little nutrition).
  AA. HYDROPONICS (EL VARIES)
  Once the backbone of the Ark’s survivability, these 
  hydroponic “chemical gardens” have begun to show 
  their age.  The UV bulbs have begun to burn out, the 
  humidiﬁers break down, and the nutrients no longer 
  seem to produce as bountiful a harvest as they once 
  did.  The hydro gardens still manage to squeeze out a 
  small amount of nutrients for the community, but not 
  enough; the Purists have had to rely on other sources 
  to meet their food needs.
  During the daytime 1d2+1 Purist civilians and 
  1d2 Purist scientists will be present here, seeing to 
  the hydro tanks and/or picking the fungus growing 
  within.
  Purist Civilians (2-3):  HP 26.
  Purist Scientists (1-2):  HP 31; unarmored.
  BB. STORAGE (EL 0)
  These small vaults contain all manner of 
  miscellaneous equipment and supplies stored before 
  the Fall, and continually stockpiled in the present.  
  This includes scrap metal, tools, building supplies, 
  spare pipe, hose, miles of wiring, spare chemical 
  supplies (used for any number of purposes, from 
  whipping up medicine to creating ﬁre-retardant 
  foam), etc.
  CC. POWER/AIR (EL 0)
  This isolated block contains an automated pocket 
  reactor that supplies the Ark with its power needs, 
  as well as a venerable air ﬁltration system that was 
  speciﬁcally designed to ﬁlter out radioactive particles 
  and other deadly agents.  Both systems remain in 
  operation despite their advanced age, in no small 
  part due to the constant tinkering of the Purists’ head 
  technician, Mickey.
  PURIST NPCS
  In addition to the sample Purists given later in this 
  sourcebook, there are a number of more important, 
  higher-level individuals in the Purist Enclave.  
  Among these are the current leader of the Purists, 
  
  169
  Colonel Westgate, his loyal but brutally scarred 
  bodyguard, his liaison to the civilians, the leading 
  scientist at the Enclave, the head technician and 
  mechanic, and the Ark’s remarkably talented medical 
  doctor.
  These individual NPCs are detailed below, and can 
  be used any way you see ﬁt.
  COLONEL ALVIN WESTGATE
  A practical leader, experienced organizer, and 
  respected commander, Colonel Westgate is like the 
  bedrock on which the Purist Enclave rests.  Having 
  led the current generation of Purists out of the “Ark” 
  in the recent past, he is still looked up to by the 
  civilians and military personnel alike as a powerful 
  hero.  Westgate was the man who paved the way 
  for the establishment of a surface base, put into 
  policy the creation of the “dead zone” of traps and 
  mineﬁelds, and came up with the strategies to keep 
  the Enclave’s frontier secure.  To most Purists he 
  is almost deiﬁed, a situation that while ﬂattering, is 
  something Westgate is uncomfortable with.
  Though in years past Col. Westgate risked his 
  life ﬁghting alongside his men against ghouls and 
  Broken Ones, in recent years he has found it more 
  expedient - and sensible - to command from the 
  safety of the bunker.  But being a born military man, 
  he has found it hard settling into his new, civilian 
  duties.  He brings a strict, martial air to everything 
  he undertakes; enforcing the community’s code of 
  laws in a tribunal over which he alone adjudicates, 
  for example, or administering strict punishment for 
  breaches in the chain of command.  But considering 
  the Purists already have a strong military mindset due 
  to their curious roots in the ancient past, Westgate 
  has found little problem instituting his harsh policies, 
  or exercising strict control over the expansion of 
  the Purist enclave on the surface.  With a population 
  almost “happy” to accept unwavering rules, Westgate 
  ﬁnds his reputation and respect have greased the way 
  for him to take almost total control of the Enclave.
  Westgate is a ﬁt, handsome man entering middle 
  age.  His blond hair is now gray, and crow’s feet are 
  beginning to show at the corner of his eyes.  Often 
  called “Old Eagle Eyes”, his cold, emotionless stare 
  often unnerves young recruits, but only enhances his 
  ability to instill calm, cooperation, and conﬁdence 
  among the ranks.  And though he has slowly assumed 
  the powers of a dictator, Westgate doesn’t lead for his 
  own beneﬁt, but rather for the beneﬁt of what he (and 
  most other Purists) believes to be the last hope for the 
  human race - the Ark.  He may seem strict and even 
  cruel, but Westgate simply knows that hard times call 
  for hard measures.  And so far the people agree with 
  him.
  Colonel Westgate (Strong Hero 3/Soldier 7/
  Guardian 2/Champion 7):  CR 19; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+9 plus 7d10+21 plus 2d10+6 
  plus 7d12+21 plus 3; HP 170; Mas 17; Init +5; Spd 
  25 ft; Defense 30, touch 24, ﬂatfooted 27 (+0 size, +3 
  Dex, +11 class, +6 equipment); BAB +17; Grap +19; 
  Atk +22 melee (1d6+4, mastercraft bayonet +2), or 
  +23 ranged (2d6+2, mastercraft M16A2 +2); FS 5 
  ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; SV Fort 
  +15, Ref +12, Will +11; AP 9; Rep +1; Str 15, Dex 
  17, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge [Current 
  Events]).
  Skills:  Climb +5, Drive +7, Intimidate +15, Jump 
  +5, Knowledge (Ancient Lore) +4, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +5, Knowledge (History) +8, 
  Knowledge (Mutant Lore) +3, Knowledge (Tactics) 
  +24, Listen +8, Navigate +5, Repair +4, Sense 
  Motive +8, Spot +8, Survival +10, Swim +5.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (heavy), Armor Proﬁciency (light), 
  Armor Proﬁciency (medium), Combat Martial Arts, 
  Double Tap, Iron Will, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Point Blank Shot, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Rallying Leader [F/MG], Rip a 
  Clip, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, Urban 
  Warfare [F/MG].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (M16A2), 
  Weapon Specialization (M16A2), Tactical Aid, 
  Improved Critical, Improved Reaction.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (bayonet).
  Talents (Champion):  Rallying Cry +2, Improved 
  Tactical Aid, Rallying Cry +3, Awesome Presence, 
  Challenge.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft M16A2 +2, two boxes 
  of 5.56mm ammunition (60), mastercraft bayonet 
  +2, military combat suit, magnetic shield B, power 
  beltpack, rad tab, pocket nurse (three doses of 
  stimshot B), bottle of peach brandy.
  MASTER SERGEANT BRUCE COLE
  Master Sgt. Cole is a true soldier, and perhaps 
  Colonel Westgate’s best friend.  Years ago a young 
  Sgt. Cole was a ﬁeld commander, who led one of 
  the ﬁrst ill-fated forays into the ruins, suffering 
  debilitating injury from exposure to radiation.  He 
  proved his inhuman resilience by returning alive, the 
  only survivor of an entire platoon sent to explore the 
  ruins of the Los Angeles airport.
  Today Master Sgt. Cole is an ugly sight; the 
  radiation did a great deal of damage to his tissues.  
  Though he might otherwise pass as a hugely muscled 
  poster boy for the Marines, his leathery gray skin 
  
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  and nerve-dead face make him seem hideous and 
  ghoulish.  With only a few sparse hairs sprouting 
  from his otherwise bald head, he looks far older 
  than he really is.  His teeth, yellow, rotten and 
  gap-toothed, sit on weeping gums.  One eye, now 
  blind, has whitened from a cancerous cyst, but he 
  nonetheless manages to muster a menacing stare for 
  those who face off with him in battle.
  Each year a few new graduates to the Purist 
  defense force jokingly call Master Sgt. Cole a 
  “mutant”, but these short-sighted individuals are 
  quick to ﬁnd that Master Sgt. Cole has not only the 
  admiration of the Enclave’s defense force, but also 
  Colonel Westgate himself.  In recent years Master 
  Sgt. Cole has even been assigned as Westgate’s 
  personal bodyguard, accompanying the legendary 
  commander wherever he goes.
  Master Sgt. Cole (Strong Hero 3/Tough Hero 
  2/Soldier 8/Bodyguard 2):  CR 15; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+6 plus 8d10+16 plus 2d10+4 
  plus 2d12+4 plus 3; HP 114; Mas 15; Init +4; Spd 
  25 ft; Defense 27, touch 21, ﬂatfooted 25 (+0 size, 
  +2 Dex, +9 class, +6 equipment); BAB +11; Grap 
  +13; Atk +15 melee (1d6+4, bayonet), or +16 ranged 
  (2d8+2/crit 19-20, mastercraft M16A2 +2); FS 5 ft 
  by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; SV Fort 
  +12, Ref +10, Will +4; AP 5; Rep +1; Str 15, Dex 14, 
  Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Climb +5, Concentration +8, Demolitions 
  +4, Drive +6, Intimidate +7, Jump +5, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +12, Knowledge (Technology) +3, Listen 
  +5, Navigate +4, Repair +3, Sense Motive +7, Spot 
  +5, Survival +5, Swim +5.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (heavy), Armor Proﬁciency (light), 
  Armor Proﬁciency (medium), Combat Martial 
  Arts, Intimidating Strength*, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, 
  Urban Warfare [F/MG].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Remain Conscious.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (M16A2), 
  Weapon Specialization (M16A2), Tactical Aid, 
  Improved Critical (M16A2), Improved Reaction, 
  Greater Weapon Specialization (M16A2).
  Talents (Bodyguard):  Harm’s Way, Combat 
  Sense +1.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft M16A2 +2, two boxes 
  of 5.56mm ammunition (60), mastercraft bayonet 
  +2, military combat suit, magnetic shield A, power 
  beltpack, blood agent grenade, rad tab, ﬁrst aid kit.
  PREACHER
  With a gravelly voice and “ﬁre-and-brimstone” 
  attitude towards the hereafter, the man known to 
  the Purists simply as “Preacher” strikes a singularly 
  striking countenance among his militaristic comrades.  
  The long-time spiritual leader of the community, to 
  the new generation Preacher has always been there, 
  someone they grew up with, and someone they hope 
  will say kind words about them once they’ve passed 
  on.
  Physically Preacher doesn’t seem outwardly 
  signiﬁcant; he’s rather plain-looking, perhaps a little 
  taller than most, and wears the simple gray overalls 
  shared by many of the Enclave civilians (especially 
  those who’ve never visited the surface).  It is a tribute 
  to his silver tongue that, being so non-descript, he 
  manages to make such an impression on the people of 
  the Enclave - and keep them ﬁlled with hope.
  Preacher (Charismatic Hero 7):  CR 7; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 7d6-7; HP 18; Mas 8; Init +2; 
  Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 12 (+0 
  size, +2 Dex, +2 class); BAB +3; Grap +3; Atk +3 
  melee (1d3 nonlethal, unarmed), or +7 ranged (by 
  weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL 
  Purists; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +6; AP 3; Rep +4; 
  Str 10, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Bluff, Diplomacy).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Bluff +15, Computer Use +3, Diplomacy 
  +15, Disable Device +3, Disguise +4, Forgery +3, 
  Gamble +4, Gather Information +14, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +6, Listen +4, Perform +12, 
  Profession +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot +4.
  Feats:  Alertness, Deceptive, Dodge, Iron Will, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Run, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Slippery Foe 
  [B&L], Trustworthy.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Fast-Talk, Dazzle, 
  Taunt, Charm.
  Possessions:  Grey coveralls, rad tab, Bible.
  DR. SALLY ARCHER
  Dr. Archer is the leading biologist at the Purist 
  Enclave, and perhaps most importantly, a competent 
  and educated nutritionist.  A scientist, like others 
  in the Purists’ small and sequestered scientiﬁc 
  community Dr. Archer concerns herself with her job 
  - seeing to the good of the whole.  Quick to overlook 
  some of the cruelties her people inﬂict (such as the 
  slaughter of defenseless mutants who wander too 
  near the Enclave), she sees these acts as a necessary 
  evil.
  To Dr. Archer - and virtually all of the scientists in 
  
  171
  the Enclave - the end justiﬁes the means.  While some 
  of her compatriots use this excuse to design cruel 
  traps to guard the frontier, or develop bioengineered 
  plagues to kill their enemies, in Dr. Archer’s case 
  this manifests as a single-minded drive to create a 
  viable food source to replace the dying hydroponics 
  labs in the Ark.  Though no one knows it, Dr. 
  Archer has begun using radioactive elements in her 
  greenhouse to create abundant harvests - but not 
  without at a cost.  Dr. Archer is perfectly aware her 
  vegetables, if continually consumed, may lead to the 
  ﬁrst mutant births in the Enclave in just a few short 
  years.  However, she doesn’t concern herself with the 
  thought; after all, these mutants can just be aborted.  
  She justiﬁes the risk to the community’s health with 
  the knowledge that larger harvests mean more people 
  will live in the long run...
  Dr. Archer (Smart Hero 10/Scientist 3):  CR 13; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 10d6 plus 3d6; HP 
  46; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 
  16, ﬂatfooted 15 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +5 class); BAB 
  +6; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d6, pistol butt), or +9 
  ranged (2d6, mastercraft Beretta 92F +2); FS 5 ft by 
  5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; SV Fort +4, 
  Ref +6, Will +11; AP 6; Rep +6; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 
  10, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 13.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Knowledge [Earth 
  and Life Sciences], Research).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Bluff +10, Computer Use +18, Craft 
  (chemical) +18, Craft (pharmaceutical) +18, 
  Decipher Script +4, Demolitions +4, Diplomacy 
  +2, Disable Device +20, Disguise +3, Forgery +4, 
  Intimidate +8, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) 
  +31, Knowledge (Technology) +18, Listen +10, 
  Research +31, Search +4, Sense Motive +8, Spot +4.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Alertness, Cautious, 
  Deceptive, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Educated 
  (Knowledge [Earth and Life Sciences], Knowledge 
  [Technology]), Iron Will, Meticulous, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Studious.
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Research), Trick, 
  Exploit Weakness, Plan, Savant (Knowledge [Earth 
  and Life Sciences]).
  Talents (Scientist):  Scientiﬁc Method, Scientiﬁc 
  Improvisation, Protected By The Code.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft Beretta 92F +2, one box 
  of ammunition (15), technician’s coveralls, rad tab, 
  PDA, power cell.
  MICKEY
  Mickey is the head mechanic of the Purist base, 
  though in spirit he is more like a true “tinker”.  
  Unlike many of his Purist brethren, Mickey is 
  relatively warm-natured (even if his view of outsiders 
  is a bit skewed by his people’s racial prejudice), 
  and perhaps the least likely to take arms against 
  defenseless folk - mutants included.  While his people 
  have become obsessed with creating a secure niche in 
  the city, safe from all ghouls and outsiders, Mickey 
  has a somewhat more “happy-go-lucky” attitude.
  But perhaps his position affords him that rare 
  luxury.  Considered a priceless commodity by Col. 
  Westgate (and even the stuck-up scientists, since 
  they rely on him to repair their complex machines 
  and equipment), Mickey is never allowed out of the 
  base.  He’s guarded at all times, and required to wear 
  a bulletproof vest even when he sleeps!  The people 
  of the Ark respect him for his seemingly endless 
  knowledge of all things mechanic and electronic, and 
  for the fact that his job is essential to their survival, 
  whether he’s upgrading their weapons to mastercraft 
  quality or maintaining the pocket fusion reactor at the 
  heart of the Ark.  He’s also quite literate, and seems 
  to almost have a streak of autism when it comes to 
  numbers and schematics of any kind.
  Mickey looks like a ruddy-faced Irishman, wearing 
  worn-out old gray coveralls.  Tools bristle from 
  virtually every pocket, and his calloused hands 
  are curled up like a monkey’s ﬁsts from years of 
  manipulating them.  The Purist tinker has a peculiar 
  habit of talking to machines just as he would people, 
  and considering his dour and militaristic comrades, 
  one understands why.
  Mickey (Smart Hero 3/Tinker 7/Mech 5):  CR 15; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6-3 plus 7d6-7 plus 
  5d6-5; HP 39; Mas 8; Init +2; Spd 25 ft; Defense 22, 
  touch 20, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +8 class, +2 
  equipment); BAB +6; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee (1d6+1, 
  pistol butt), or +10 ranged (2d6, mastercraft Beretta 
  92F +2); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL 
  Purists; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +11; AP 7; Rep +7; 
  Str 13, Dex 14, Con 8, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Repairmen (Disable Device, Repair).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Computer Use +17, Craft (electronic) 
  +20, Craft (mechanical) +20, Craft (structural) +20, 
  Demolitions +13, Disable Device +21, Drive +5, 
  Investigate +8, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +22, 
  Knowledge (Technology) +23, Repair +26, Research 
  +9, Spot +5.
  Feats:  Advanced Electronics Discipline, Advanced 
  Technology, Educated (Knowledge [Physical 
  Sciences], Knowledge [Technology]), Gearhead, 
  Junk Crafter [B&L], Master Artiﬁcer [F/MG], Master 
  Mechanic [F/MG], Modern Firearms Discipline, 
  Modern Vehicles Discipline, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, Post-Apocalyptic 
  
  172
  Technology, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Repair), Exploit 
  Weakness.
  Talents (Tinker):  Jury-rig +2, Tinkering, Tech 
  Weapon, Tinkercraft, Jury-rig +4.
  Talents (Mech):  Mastercraft +1, Quick Repairs, 
  Mastercraft +2, Improved Repairs.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft Beretta 92F +2, one box 
  of 9mm ammunition (15), concealable vest, grey 
  coveralls, rad tab, multipurpose tool, tech scanner 
  [F/MG], tool belt.
  DR. BOB GREEVI
  One of the more moderate Purists (like Mickey, the 
  technician); Dr. Greevi ﬁnds it expedient to concern 
  himself only with his delegated task - tending to the 
  sick and injured.  Though he’s a seasoned scientist 
  (with a background in medical science and disease 
  research), Dr. Greevi does not share the ruthless drive 
  that many of his peers in the scientiﬁc community 
  do.  He personally considers the efforts to create a 
  bioengineered plague to be a terrible mistake, one 
  that has the potential to backﬁre and wipe out the 
  entire Enclave.  Though he’s voiced his opinion 
  before, he was overruled by Dr. Archer and others 
  like her, and as a result mostly keeps his opinions to 
  himself these days.
  Dr. Greevi was a personal friend of Dr. Corinne 
  Harris, and considered her to be an expert in the 
  ﬁeld of microbiology, a scientist with few peers.  He 
  continues to quietly curse Colonel Westgate and the 
  other Purist citizens for exiling her and her party after 
  they were exposed during their ﬁrst expedition to the 
  surface.
  Dr. Greevi is a short, chubby, cross-eyed bald man 
  who is forced to wear ridiculous glasses that magnify 
  his eyes almost three times over.  He is almost never 
  seen without a surgeon’s smock.  He has developed 
  a nervous tick from the immense pressure of his job, 
  and from the increasingly radical attitudes of his 
  fellow Purists.
  Dr. Greevi (Dedicated Hero 10/Medicine Man 2):  
  CR 12; Medium-size humanoid; HD 10d6+10 plus 
  2d6+2; HP 54; Mas 13; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 
  17, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +6 
  class); BAB +8; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee (1d6-1, pistol 
  butt), or +11 ranged (2d6, mastercraft Beretta 92F 
  +2); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; 
  SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +12; AP 6; Rep +6; Str 8, 
  Dex 12, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 12.
  Occupation:  Healer (Craft [pharmaceutical], Treat 
  Injury).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge [Earth and 
  Life Sciences]).
  Skills:  Computer Use +10, Craft (pharmaceutical) 
  +20, Diplomacy +3, Knowledge (Ancient Lore) +6, 
  Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) +15, Knowledge 
  (Earth and Life Sciences) +18, Knowledge (Mutant 
  Lore) +8, Knowledge (Technology) +17, Listen +5, 
  Research +8, Spot +5, Treat Injury +26.
  Feats:  Alertness, Combat Medic [F/MG], 
  Educated (Knowledge [Earth and Life Sciences], 
  Knowledge [Technology]), Endurance, Heroic 
  Surge, Iron Will, Medical Expert, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Primitive Technology, Quick Treatment, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Surgery.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Healing Knack, 
  Healing Touch 1, Healing Touch 2, Skill Emphasis 
  (Treat Injury), Faith.
  Talents (Medicine Man):  Ancient Drugs, Minor 
  Medical Miracle.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft Beretta 92F +2, one 
  box of 9mm ammunition (15), white lab coat, grey 
  coveralls, rad tab, bioagent sensor, power beltpack, 
  ready syringe (stimshot A).
  144. REDONDO BEACH COMMUNITY 
  HOSPITAL (EL 2)
  An old medical complex sits here, its buildings 
  crumbling under the sun.  The remnants of an old 
  ﬂag, now just ragged tatters, ﬂap from a rusted 
  ﬂagpole on top of the structure.  Large holes 
  in the building seem to indicate it came under 
  heavy attack during the Fall.
  One of several large medical facilities in the Los 
  Angeles area, Redondo Beach Community Hospital 
  was quickly evacuated by law enforcement and 
  emergency services personnel when word of the 
  invasion spread through the city.  Located close to 
  what military authorities designated a “high risk” 
  area, most of the patients were removed before the 
  ﬁrst shelling of the city.
  When the enemy pushed inland, they took the 
  medical center and set up their own ﬁeld hospital 
  here, using the complex’s services, machinery, and 
  supply of medicines to treat their own wounded 
  coming in from the front.  The enemy continued 
  to use the hospital until it came under attack by 
  helicopter gunships, which were effective in blowing 
  large holes in the building, destroying the generator 
  providing power to the complex, and devastating the 
  medical center’s parking lot which was being put to 
  use as an ad hoc repair facility for enemy armored 
  vehicles.
  Outside of the building, in the lot, are the burned-
  out remains of two BMP-3s and two T-72 main battle 
  tanks.  All of these were destroyed by missile ﬁre and 
  cannot be salvaged.
  The interior of the building proves to have 
  
  173
  been taken over as a ﬁeld hospital.  Several dozen 
  stretchers litter the main lobby and cafeteria areas; 
  the upper levels were taken over for emergency 
  surgery.  A strange green mold covers much of 
  everything, and to get to the top levels one will have 
  to walk through corridors lined with the stuff.
  GM’s Note:  The mold is mildly toxic, letting off 
  spores if disturbed (or tread upon).  Any character 
  not protected from airborne contaminants (i.e. an 
  NBC suit or gas mask) must make a Fortitude save 
  at DC 21 or become afﬂicted with a terrible itch and 
  periodic wheezing ﬁts.  Until that character receives 
  treatment (Treat Injury DC 15) she suffers a -2 to all 
  attack rolls and skill checks.
  Treasure:  While the building suffered heavy 
  damage in the strike, a search of the upper levels 
  will nonetheless uncover some useful medical 
  supplies, including 1d2 diagnostic scanners, 2d10 
  doses of hemochem, 2d20 ready syringes, 2d10 
  doses of stimshot A, and a 20% chance of 1 healing 
  pack.  None of the medical devices have any power 
  sources, however.  There is also a suite of two regen 
  tanks in the building, but one of these was destroyed 
  in the attack on the hospital.  The other lacks the 
  considerable power required to operate it (PCs 
  somehow supplying power to the building could 
  potentially get the regen tank back online, however, 
  with adequate Repair checks).
  In the lot outside, a Search check at DC 31 will net 
  the PCs a multipurpose tool and a deluxe mechanical 
  tool kit.
  145. LOMITA POLICE STATION (EL 0)
  It looks like the ﬁghting for this ancient city 
  swept quickly through this particular area, as 
  up ahead you see an old police station, largely 
  intact.  You’d expect a structure like this to have 
  been ransacked, but it looks to be in relatively 
  good repair.
  This old police station - and the whole neighborhood 
  - was overrun by enemy forces during the ﬁghting 
  for the city, and subsequently forgotten.  It has never 
  been ransacked.
  This building features three entrances including 
  the normal public entrance in front (Main Entry), 
  the typical Jail Entry, and an underground garage.  
  All entrances to this station are locked, requiring a 
  stage IIIC identity card to enter.  If the wrong card is 
  used on any of the three entrances, or the locks are 
  tampered with, an alarm is triggered in the building 
  (though this activates no other defenses).  Inside the 
  police station proves to be mostly empty, its interior 
  rooms (on two levels) gathering dust.
  GM’s Note:  Though abandoned, the police station 
  might make an ideal hideout or stronghold for the 
  party; the doors are easily secured and the windows 
  are heavily barred.  The most interesting features of 
  the building are indicated below:
  Garages:  This police station has an underground 
  garage.  There are 1d2+1 police cruisers here (treat 
  these as Ford Crown Victorias); their contents can be 
  determined by seeing the Looting Police Cars.
  Armory:  The police station has an armory on 
  the ﬁrst ﬂoor.  The door is locked with a special 
  mechanism that requires two separate stage IIIC 
  identity cards to be inserted before it will open.  The 
  door is armored, preventing easy entrance.  Inside, 
  the PCs will ﬁnd 1d10+2 Beretta 92F pistols, 1d3+2 
  Mossberg shotguns, 1d2 stun pistols, 1d10+2 stun 
  batons, and 2d4 light rods.  There will also be two 
  boxes (30) of 9mm ammo for each pistol, 30 rounds 
  of 12-gauge ammo for each shotgun, 2 power clips 
  for each stun pistol, and 1 power beltpack for each 
  stun baton, plus 2d6 tear gas grenades.  There are also 
  1d4+2 civil security suits stored in the armory.
  Police Robots:  Police stations before the Fall were 
  assigned a complement of police to complement their 
  human counterparts.  Kept in small “bays” where 
  they could be repaired, re-armed, and maintained, the 
  robots assigned to this station were destroyed in the 
  ﬁghting for the city, after being re-programmed to 
  ﬁght.  None remain.
  Ofﬁces:  It is obvious the personnel assigned to this 
  station were involved in a number of mundane cases 
  when the Fall swept the world.  Characters searching 
  these areas (and making a Search check at DC 28) 
  may uncover a total of 1d2 evidence kits.
  WC:  There are two of these areas in the building.  
  The area marked as the ﬁrst ﬂoor WC is remarkable 
  however.  If the PCs search (no check required) they 
  will ﬁnd what appears to be a man-sized “hole” in the 
  bathroom ﬂoor, surrounded by broken rock and loose 
  dirt.  This hole is actually part of the warrens dug by 
  the Sightless Stalkers at Area #092.  PCs foolishly 
  investigating the hole will unwittingly be entering the 
  tunnels of their domain (see Area #092 for details).
  146. NESTING CLIFFS (EL VARIES)
  The rolling hills south of the city gradually 
  turn into cliffs and boulder-strewn crags the 
  closer one gets to the ocean.  Here, where 
  the sound of the surf thunders in your ears, 
  is a broad open boulder ﬁeld.  Many birds 
  can be seen nesting on the rocks, with nearly 
  ten thousand nests sprinkled over the rocky 
  landscape.
  This area marks the nesting area of thousands of 
  sea birds, driven from the more built-up parts of the 
  Necropolis over the centuries.  As isolated as these 
  rocky cliffs are from the city proper, the birds have 
  
  174
  come to thrive here.
  There will be anywhere from 500 to 5,000 birds 
  here when the PCs ﬁrst intrude here.  All of these 
  creatures are mundane animals, and will generally 
  ﬂee at the party’s approach.  They face no danger 
  here.
  GM’s Note:  In particularly hard times wild men 
  from the city will venture here, having learned that 
  the nesting cliffs offer a ready supply of food for any 
  creature willing to make the long journey.  Every 
  now and again a wild man or two will be spotted 
  here, scaring a few birds with wild arm motions, and 
  moving quickly to steal eggs from their nests.  The 
  terriﬁed animals can do little but squawk and ﬂy 
  away, of course.
  In addition to wild men, the Purists have also 
  discovered this location, and also frequent it to gather 
  up eggs (once thoroughly tested for bacteria, these 
  eggs provide a rare luxury for the breakfast tables of 
  these xenophobic holdouts).
  If and when the PCs visit this site there is a 1 in 
  20 chance they encounter either 1d2 wild men, or 5 
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (but never both).
  Wild Men (1-2):  HP 18.
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (5):  HP 50.
  147. ENVIRO-COMMUNE (EL 0)
  The tall grass growing here ripples with a 
  strong ocean wind.  A hill overlooks this area, 
  giving a panoramic view of the ocean and 
  bluffs to the west and south.  Atop this broad 
  hill stands a strange walled compound; instead 
  of traditional ruined buildings, the wind-swept 
  complex has a collection of hemispherical 
  “domes”, each comprised of ﬁfty or more 
  hexagonal panes of translucent white glass.
  Crowning a commanding hill in what was once the 
  Rolling Hills Estates area, this bizarre compound 
  appears to pre-date the Fall, but it looks nothing like 
  the neighborhoods lying just a half mile down the 
  hill.
  The compound is surrounded by a tall wall 
  (designed to keep vandals and pranksters out), with a 
  front gate that still stands open.  Inside are a cluster 
  of hemispherical dome buildings, each designed to 
  make the most use of solar heating and subterranean 
  cooling - in effect, “greenhouses” ﬁt for habitation.
  GM’s Note:  In reality this site, including several 
  dozen acres of prime real estate surrounding it was 
  bought up by a small group of environmentally-
  minded activists a few years before the Fall.  
  Together they built this somewhat isolated 
  community to serve as a model of self-sufﬁciency 
  and energy efﬁciency, making use of the era’s 
  cutting-edge building and agricultural technology.  
  The founders (who also inhabited the commune 
  in self-imposed exile) hoped it would serve as an 
  example to others in their increasingly wasteful 
  society, but they were quick to be branded as 
  eccentrics and laughed into obscurity.
  The enviro-commune existed right up until the 
  Fall, and even now it stands almost exactly the way it 
  was when it was abandoned right before the nuclear 
  war.  If the PCs wander inside and search they will 
  ﬁnd silverware and plates still on the table, children’s 
  toys on the ﬂoor, books laid open in study areas, etc. 
  - as if the inhabitants of the commune got up and left 
  without a moment’s hesitation...
  Treasure:  A search of the old commune uncovers 
  lots of domestic tools and utensils, and even a few 
  more remarkable ﬁnds.  In the compound’s large 
  garage there is an intact electric-powered minivan 
  (treat this as a Dodge Caravan), though all of the 
  tires are ﬂat and the vehicle’s power cell is currently 
  uncharged.  Coils of heavily-insulated power cord 
  run wild on the ﬂoor; these hook up to a small 
  hydrogen power generator once used to recharge the 
  commune’s vehicles.  Sadly, the generator no longer 
  has any power stored in it (a Repair check, at DC 
  35, could get the generator running again, and with 
  the addition of ten gallons of puriﬁed water, would 
  produce enough power to charge the minivan to 
  capacity).
  The commune also has an old greenhouse garden 
  (comprising one of the larger domes), in which only a 
  few remnants of rotted vegetation remain of the once-
  abundant natural bounty.  A cupboard here contains 
  some 2d12 packets of assorted seeds, which are still 
  useable, and could be used to plant a considerable 
  ﬁeld of edible pre-Fall crops outside of the city.
  THE COMMUNE AND PALOS VERDE
  The industrious, long-sighted members of the unusual “enviro-commune” not only created that isolated 
  compound, but were also responsible for stocking the secret shelter at the Palos Verde Coves (see Area 
  #148).  Living in an increasingly chaotic world before the Fall, they were smart enough to realize that 
  a crisis of some kind was on the horizon.  When word came that an invasion of the United States was 
  imminent, they immediately ﬂed the compound, taking their families with them and ﬂeeing for their secret 
  cave shelter as the ﬁrst attacks erupted all over the West coast.  It is not readily clear what happened to the 
  inhabitants of the commune, as they apparently never made it to their shelter near the shores of the Paciﬁc.
  
  175
  The commune is also home to numerous strange 
  and bafﬂing gadgets and gizmos, which no longer 
  function and whose purpose can’t readily be 
  determined.  These include a handful of wind- and 
  solar-powered devices and recyclers, and a rusted 
  old composter used to create bricks of lam fuel out 
  of organic garbage.  A few of these could be repaired 
  at the GM’s discretion; you can use this as an 
  opportunity to introduce strange and unique gadgets 
  into the campaign.
  148. PALOS VERDE COVES (EL 3)
  You’ve come to what seems to be the edge of 
  the earth:  from the rocky precipice of these cliffs 
  the broad open ocean extends outwards in an 
  endless expanse of turbulent waters.  The sound 
  of the surf lashing ﬁercely against the rocks 
  at the foot of the cliffs is violent, thunderous, 
  sending an icy spray several dozen meters into 
  the air.
  The wind here hits you head-on, as if trying to 
  keep you away from the edge.
  The southern part of this peninsula is riddled with 
  ancient coves, many of which are totally inaccessible 
  except by boat or, for those who are properly 
  equipped, by rappelling.
  This hex marks the location of one such cove, 
  which in particular hides the entrance to a large 
  natural sea cave (see map).  Accessing the cave can 
  only be done by climbing down the almost vertical 
  cliff face (i.e. rappelling), as it stands more than ﬁfty 
  feet above the surface of the ocean.  This suggests 
  that it is almost certain to be uninhabited.
  A small outcropping of rock underscores the lip of 
  the cave, allowing climbers to drop down to it before 
  entering the cave proper.
  The cave is rough 
  and uneven, and gently 
  slopes upwards for about 
  twenty meters, where 
  it terminates in a large 
  cavern that echoes with 
  the sounds of the sea.  
  Inside this cool cavern 
  the lights of the PCs will 
  reveal an unexpected 
  sight:  huge stacks of 
  sealed crates that rise 
  all the way to the roof 
  (more than twenty-ﬁve 
  feet overhead), rusted 
  oil drums, and large 
  metal kegs, all covered 
  securely in tarpaulin and 
  plastic sheets to resist 
  the harsh elements.  A 
  quick examination proves that this strange cache has 
  never been discovered, though seagulls do nest in the 
  cavern (near the entrance) during the day.
  GM’s Note:  When the PCs enter they will disturb 
  the seagulls, which will panic and take to the air, 
  attempting to ﬂee the cavern.  All PCs in the cave 
  (including the cave tunnel) must make a Reﬂex save 
  at DC 21 or be pushed back 10 feet in the chaos, and 
  an additional Reﬂex save at DC 21 to avoid being 
  knocked prone.  This sudden movement itself causes 
  no real harm, but any character close to the edge of 
  the cave mouth may in fact be pushed off as a result 
  of being moved - whether or not she is knocked prone 
  - falling 50 ft to the rocks below (damage in this case 
  will be 5d6, with a DC 15 Reﬂex save for half).
  Treasure:  Assuming the PCs remain in the cave 
  after the ‘gulls ﬂy away they can freely loot the cache 
  to ﬁnd the following:  180,000 cans of high-protein 
  vegetarian rations, 400 ready-meals (all “vegan” 
  brands), and 80,000 gallons of water.  The crates also 
  contain six ﬁrst aid kits, three survival kits, ten rad 
  tabs, two autograpnels, ﬁve battery ﬂood ﬂashlights, 
  a box of 25 fully-charged power cells, two emergency 
  rafts, 700 halazone tablets, a portable petrol power 
  generator (plus a ten gallon tank of fuel, though it is 
  down to just one gallon due to leakage), ﬁfty sets of 
  camouﬂaged clothing, ﬁfty heavy parkas (suitable for 
  arctic weather), thirty light rods, and a small stash of 
  weapons including ﬁve Ruger Service-Sixes and ten 
  M16A2s, along with 500 rounds of .38S ammunition 
  and 900 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.  There is a 1 
  in 10 chance (rolled individually) that each of these 
  weapons is no longer functional due to rust.
  
  176
  DOWNTOWN
  Downtown is perhaps the most 
  dangerous place in the entire 
  Necropolis, graced by a haunted 
  reputation well known by all 
  other inhabitants of the ancient ruins.  Though the 
  Necropolis’ tallest skyscrapers are clustered in this 
  relatively small region, and would otherwise provide 
  a tempting target for lone scavengers as well as city 
  factions with dreams of conquest, stories abound 
  about the twisted, malevolent inhabitants that are said 
  to dwell here out of sight, hiding among the tallest 
  buildings and in the darkest alleys.
  Most communities in the city are in some fashion 
  aware of the stories of the “Serpent Gods”, a race 
  of arrogant and xenophobic super-mutants that, 
  according to tales, are serpentine in nature.  Unlike 
  the beastmen of the Broken Ones empire, however, 
  they do not seem to be quite as savage, and unlike the 
  insectoids of the Hive, they do not seem concerned 
  about conquering the city.  Since the ﬁrst creatures 
  of the Necropolis began to develop intelligence 
  there have always been stories of the Serpent Gods, 
  and their cool, dispassionate attitude towards the 
  other races of the city, living at the heart of the old 
  Downtown area and watching all with inhuman 
  neutrality.
  Over the years certain groups have tested the 
  boundaries of what most current factions label 
  “downtown”, only to vanish completely or, in rare 
  instances, return with terrible tales to tell.  These 
  reports tell of old ashen streets, the rusted remains of 
  thousands of cars, towering buildings that cast deep 
  shadows on the broad roads running in between, 
  and of strange and mysterious sightings.  Few of 
  these reports are accurate, but momentary glimpses 
  of “serpentine things”, or the momentary 
  spotting of a “scaled horror” just as it moves 
  out of sight, keep alive the legends that some 
  race of monsters does, in fact, occupy the old 
  heart of the Necropolis.
  In reality there are two different groups 
  living in the heart of the old city, though 
  neither of these has anything to do with the 
  other - especially if they don’t have to.  The 
  ﬁrst takes advantage of the “forbidden” 
  nature of the downtown area.  They 
  consist of a large “army” of hermavs, a 
  race of beings that have mutated into true 
  hermaphrodites.  Ashamed of their own 
  shapes and hateful of all creatures who don’t 
  share their particular deformities, they have 
  beneﬁted from the mystique surrounding the inner 
  city, living in the abandoned border regions where 
  no outsider dares trespass.  They are acutely aware 
  that the Serpent Gods do in fact exist, and strictly 
  keep outside of the Serpent Gods’ true territory, 
  living in the “no man’s land” in between theirs and 
  the frontiers of the outside factions (namely the 
  Broken Ones).  Here they have come to make a 
  home, striking out on motorcycle from their secret 
  stronghold to raid communities outside of the 
  downtown area, as well as to scavenge and loot the 
  many ancient buildings in their part of the city with 
  impunity.  Masters of their particular corner of the 
  Necropolis, they despise all transgressors and defend 
  their territory using violence, terror, and atrocity as 
  their weapons.
  The second are the true masters of the downtown 
  area, the so-called “Serpent Gods”.  Descended from 
  the animal experiments of the Zoogenic Corporation 
  released during the Fall, these lethargic yet truly 
  monstrous creatures came to make the cluttered and 
  built-up heart of the Necropolis their home early 
  on.  Comfortable among the shadows created by the 
  towering skyscrapers, and able to easily slip into 
  the sewers using old manholes and the escalators 
  at subway stations, they found this part of the city 
  more than suitable for their habitation.  They have 
  since guarded it jealously, using powerful weapons 
  scavenged from the ancient battleﬁelds throughout 
  the Downtown area to slay all who transgress, while 
  keeping to the darkness as suits their species.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  Though the Downtown area of the Necropolis is 
  essentially barren of the kind of life seen elsewhere, 
  encounters should occur to enforce in the PCs the 
  idea that this area is not a place here one can simply 
  walk freely about.
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that isn’t 
  detailed in the text, there is a chance of a random 
  encounter.  In this part of the city the chance is 1 in 6.  
  Roll on the table below to determine the nature of a 
  random encounter.  Individual encounters are detailed 
  in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  
  177
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1
  Quake!
  2-4
  Screamers
  5-6
  Serpent God
  7-8
  Corpses
  9-11
  Random Noises (Surface)
  12-13
  Drained Body
  14-16
  Bats!
  17-18
  Hermavs
  19
  Herd Animals
  20
  Weird Weather
  149. CHURCH OF THE QUEEN OF 
  ANGELS (EL 20)
  You walk among some of the tallest buildings 
  in the entire Necropolis, the titanic remnants of 
  skyscrapers and sprawling corporate complexes.  
  The streets are lifeless but certainly not barren; 
  the rusted and burned-out wrecks of hundreds 
  of cars and trucks block the streets for miles, 
  leaving only narrow corridors in between.  Junk, 
  rubble, and sand from the periodic sandstorms 
  that sweep the city has built up everywhere.
  Up ahead a massive structure dominates the 
  skyline, a great cathedral of dark foreboding 
  stone with two sharp spires that rise loftily into 
  the sky.
  The dominant feature of this hex is the Church of 
  the Queen of Angels.  This great cathedral, lying 
  close to the heart of the city, was constructed during 
  the heyday of the city to commemorate the 220th 
  anniversary of its founding.  Remarkably the Gothic 
  structure still stands, its twin pinnacles contesting 
  with the high-rises nearby for dominance of the 
  skyline.
  The Church of the Queen of Angels lies in a 
  precarious spot  sandwiched in some of the most 
  hotly-contested parts of the Necropolis.  Skirting 
  the edge of the forbidden territory of the legendary 
  “Serpent Gods”, the cathedral marks the small 
  but ﬁercely-defended domain of a large group of 
  exceptionally savage Hermavs.  These Hermavs have 
  survived despite the odds stacked against them:  the 
  encroachment of the Broken Ones empire, the vile 
  Serpent Gods in their jealously-guarded fortress at 
  the heart of the city, and the mindless rogue spawn of 
  that same race that prowls on the edges of the Pit of 
  Horrors.
  Despite being surrounded by potential conquerors, 
  the Hermavs have made this part of the city their 
  own, and few contest it.  Certainly no one in 
  their right mind wanders here knowingly, as the 
  depravations of their kind are legendary.  And as if 
  the stories of Hermav savagery weren’t enough, these 
  Hermavs are said to be even more brutal, stealthy, 
  and insane than most.
  For years the Hermavs have used the Church of the 
  Queen of Angels as their hideout; its placement in 
  the built-up and congested city center, and imposing 
  construction, appeal to their sense of isolation.  
  The streets nearby, being crowded with the wrecks 
  of countless vehicles, mean only men on foot (or 
  motorcycle, as they themselves travel) can reach their 
  
  178
  refuge with ease.
  The boundaries of the Hermavs’ territory is ringed 
  with poles, each mounting the head of some beast 
  the Hermavs have slain - ophidian creatures from 
  the Pit of Horrors, Broken One soldiers, rusted and 
  battered androids, and lone scavs who wandered 
  foolishly too close to the heart of the city.  These 
  stand as a warning of the fate of all who intrude on 
  their domain. 
  The cathedral itself has been deﬁled over time, 
  covered in lewd grafﬁti and spray paint.  The great 
  doors were knocked off long ago to let motorbikes 
  in, and the interior of the place is less of a church and 
  more the tribal gathering place of a pack of savages.
  Towering over the entire interior of the cathedral 
  is an impressive statue of the Virgin Mary, standing 
  nearly twenty feet tall and elevated on a platform 
  behind the altar.  At one time natural sunlight pouring 
  through the stained glass would give this immense 
  statue and aurora of color, but now the windows are 
  boarded up and the marble statue is only illuminated 
  by the torchlight of the church’s current Hermav 
  occupants.
  The statue has seen better days, and the Hermavs 
  live in total ignorance of its ancient symbolism.  
  They have mockingly “dressed it up”, using aerosol 
  cans to paint the lips red, the eyes a gaudy blue, 
  and decorating it with random splashes of color 
  and hanging it with strings of silver tinsel and bare-
  bulbed lights.  They’ve also put a handmade crown 
  on the statue’s head, and some kind of wooden 
  “scepter” has been balanced in its open right hand.
  A few of the Hermavs have come to revere 
  the statue, as it appears to be trampling a serpent 
  underfoot - which the Hermavs associate with some 
  kind of triumph over the Serpent Gods.  As such, 
  offerings of treasure (the glitteriest loot taken by the 
  Hermavs during their raids and scavenging forays) 
  have been laid out at the statue’s feet.
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  The leader of the clan of 
  Hermavs living in the Church of the Queen of Angels 
  is a particularly powerful member of their deformed 
  and degenerate kind, a master tracker and skilled 
  warrior-chief named by her followers “Diana the 
  Huntress”, after the beautiful but vengeful goddess 
  of the hunt from ancient Greek mythology (who, 
  according to legend, often killed men for merely 
  looking at her).  An emotionless killer, Diana has 
  risen to lead the gang through her own skill both as a 
  combatant as well as a commander.  She has mastered 
  the techniques of pack ﬁghting and psychological 
  warfare that have allowed her gang to carve a stable 
  niche from this most frightening part of the city.
  Diana is a terrible creature to behold, resembling 
  a staggeringly beautiful woman, breasts exposed 
  through her ornate armor, but having both sets of 
  male and female genitals.  She leads her men from 
  the back of a thundering ‘cycle, her deep, masculine 
  voice often mistaken for the growl of a lion.
  THE CANE OF CYRUS
  The Cane of Cyrus does in fact exist - it’s just been lost for over two centuries among the ruins of the 
  Necropolis.  Given as a gift to the legendary gangster Cyrus before the Fall, it was crafted at great expense 
  and was intended to show the ﬁnal supplication of all Cyrus’ rivals in the major cities of the American 
  West.  Though he still stood at odds with many of the insubordinate gangs of the East Coast, with the Cane 
  Cyrus became the ﬁrst real “leader” of America’s violent and reprehensible gang underworld.
  The Cane looks like a fashionable walking stick, adorned with a polished gold knob shaped like a 
  jackal’s head.  Obviously the Cane has no supernatural powers, but it is so recognized by raider types 
  that its very presence has an actual power over their kind.  The bearer of the Cane of Cyrus is essentially 
  believed to be the inheritor of Cyrus’ pre-Fall gang “empire”, and to many gangs such a bearer is to be 
  accorded respect and hospitality - if not outright worship.
  To the bearer of the Cane of Cyrus, it imparts the following beneﬁts:
  • 
  The bearer of the Cane of Cyrus receives a +6 conditional bonus to his Reputation when dealing 
  with raiders (including members of the Raider prestige class, as well as the Ganger prestige class 
  from Metropolis Rho: Urban Decay).
  • 
  If the character has the Leadership feat, his Leadership score is increased by +2 (though cohort and 
  followers must now be exclusively raiders or raider-type NPCs).
  • 
  In addition, the bearer of the Cane of Cyrus receives a +4 circumstance bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, 
  and Intimidate checks with raiders.
  • 
  The bearer may use the Intimidate skill with unique beneﬁts as well:  against raiders, any successful 
  Intimidate roll affects 10 raiders per point of Cha bonus (minimum 10).
  • 
  The Cane also has other beneﬁts not covered here, and are left to the GM's devices.  Foremost is the 
  fact that as a symbol of the Ancient gangs, the bearer of the Cane has a very real chance of getting 
  raiders to listen to his orders, obey his commands, and follow him as their new world "messiah".
  
  179
  Diana the Huntress (Mutant Fast Hero 3/
  Charismatic Hero 2/Horde Warrior 2 [B&L]/
  Raider 7):  CR 14; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+9 plus 2d6+6 plus 2d10+6 plus 7d10+21; HP 
  113; Mas 16; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; Defense 30, touch 
  23, ﬂatfooted 27 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +10 class, +7 
  equipment); BAB +12; Grap +14; Atk +16 melee 
  (1d8+2, mastercraft longsword +1), or +11 ranged 
  (2d12 plus special, sonic riﬂe (NLW)); FS 5 ft by 5 
  ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, adrenaline 
  surge; AL Queen of Angels Clan; SV Fort +12, Ref 
  +13, Will +6; AP 7; Rep +6; Str 14, Dex 17, Con 16, 
  Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 18.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Resentful (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Adrenaline Control, 
  Aberrant Deformity.
  Skills:  Balance +6, Bluff +8, Climb +6, Disguise 
  -2, Drive +11, Gather Information +8, Hide +8, 
  Intimidate +19, Jump +8, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +4, Knowledge (Tactics) +10, Listen +5, 
  Move Silently +8, Ride +5, Sense Motive +4, Spot 
  +5, Survival +10, Tumble +5.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Frightful Presence, Improved Initiative, Pack Tactics 
  [B&L], Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Point Blank 
  Shot, Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Quick 
  Draw, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Track, Weapon 
  Focus (longsword).
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Uncanny Dodge 1.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate.
  Talents (Horde Warrior [B&L]):  Flank Attack 
  +1d6, Shared Glory.
  Talents (Raider):  Chaps and Chains +1, 
  Bloodthirsty Cry, Chaps and Chains +2, Horrifying 
  Kill, No Survivors.
  Possessions:  Chainmail shirt, sonic riﬂe (NLW), 
  power backpack, mastercraft +1 longsword, two 
  doses of stimshot B, battle cycle.
  In addition to Diana, there are 42 hermavs in 
  the “gang” centered at the cathedral, all of them 
  dangerous warriors.  The hermavs live on the edge 
  of two great empires (the Broken Ones and Serpent 
  Gods), and are thus bloodthirsty ﬁghters; they are 
  equally deadly whether sneaking after an unwitting 
  opponent, ﬁghting with swords while mounted on 
  their motorcycles, or attacking in a large group where 
  their pack tactics can come into play.
  Diana the Huntress:  HP 113.
  Hermavs (42):  HP 55.
  Treasure:  The Hermavs keep their treasures 
  arrayed around the statue at the center of the 
  cathedral, as if laid out in some kind of “tribute”.  
  These treasures include two sonic riﬂe Bs, three 
  power backpacks, a power clip, a box of 2d4 scented 
  candles, an old boom box (broken), plus random rolls 
  on the following tables:  1d4 Junk, 1d2 Useful Stuff, 
  2d4 Consumables, 1 Juju, 1d2 Armor.
  Among the other treasures is a unique item 
  the Hermavs recovered in the recent past as they 
  scrounged through the ruins of the city.  This item 
  is currently being “held” by the statue of the Virgin 
  Mary, the “scepter” mentioned above.
  The scepter is in fact the Cane of Cyrus (see nearby 
  sidebar), an Ancient-era artifact and a potent symbol 
  to Cyrus’ raider descendants on the Twisted Earth.  
  Found by servants of the raider prince Kruel the 
  Conqueror (see the chapter on Dead City for more 
  on this once-great leader), the scepter was lost during 
  that community’s destruction by the Hive.  Several of 
  Kruel’s most trusted warriors were sent to whisk the 
  Cane away and hide it during the ﬁghting, but like the 
  rest of Kruel’s people, they vanished mysteriously, 
  apparently killed by unknown inhabitants of the 
  Necropolis.
  Remarkably the Hermavs have no idea of the 
  Cane’s real worth or history, and regard it as they 
  would any other treasure (albeit one that is quite 
  pretty and ﬁtting of their “queen”).  The Cane can be 
  removed easily from the statue’s hand, assuming the 
  PCs can reach it...
  150. PALACE OF ANCIENT KINGS (EL 
  VARIES)
  Rising above the dead silence of this area is a 
  monumental structure that must have once been 
  magniﬁcent against the Necropolis skyline.  A 
  skyscraper of brilliant white stone, tipped by a 
  unique pyramid top, this grand facade seems 
  to suggest a place of great importance to the 
  Ancients.
  Known today as the “Palace of Ancient Kings”, 
  this building was formerly Los Angeles City Hall.  
  Recognizable from many movies in the pulp era 
  of classic detective ﬁlms, City Hall’s distinctive 
  construction made it a landmark of L.A. right up until 
  the Fall.  Its grandiose architecture continues to give 
  it a majestic air that has not been lost on the city’s 
  inhabitants.
  Today City Hall is an abandoned ruin.  Spray-paint 
  and grafﬁti covers virtually every bare wall on the 
  exterior and interior of its lowest levels, both from 
  pre-Fall era vandals and from more recent inhabitants 
  of the Necropolis ruins.  Like most skyscrapers in the 
  city the windows were blown out by the detonations 
  over the city, and through these holes early vandals 
  were able to slip into the building and wreak a great 
  deal of havoc inside.  Badly damaged, it would be ﬁt 
  to be condemned in a more normal age.
  The interior of this “palace” is spacious and 
  
  180
  intimidating.  A vaulted Byzantine rotunda still awes 
  those who ﬁrst enter the place, drawing an intruder’s 
  attention away from the gang symbols scrawled on 
  walls to the golden dome overhead.  Natural sunlight 
  ﬁlters through cracks (and gaping holes) in the walls 
  and ceiling during the day; large swarms of varo bats 
  often nest in the mid- to upper-levels of the great 
  building when the sun is up, ﬂuttering out in great 
  packs as sun as the sun sets.
  The old palace is largely empty, having been 
  ransacked long ago.  However, hermavs from the 
  Church of The Queen of Angels (Area #149) come 
  here periodically, since the great building lies 
  close to their domain.  The hermavs come here on 
  motorcycles, driving into the building itself and 
  riding their cycles up the grand marble stairways 
  and into the old courtrooms.  Mostly they come here 
  merely to drink, shoot up, or add to the vandalism 
  already staining the place.  The hermavs have marked 
  the “palace” as part of their territory (anyone familiar 
  with the hermavs’ symbols will spot them here), and 
  will not take kindly to transgressors...
  GM’s Note:  If and when the PCs visit this place 
  there is a 1 in 6 chance a group of hermavs will 
  either already be in the building, or will show up 
  after the PCs go inside.  In either case the group 
  will consist of 1d8+3 hermavs, mounted on battle 
  cycles.  There is a 10% chance that each hermav will 
  be intoxicated (treat as shaken) when present, but 
  if they spot the PCs they will immediately attack, 
  ﬁghting to kill and/or capture the PCs.  Captives 
  will be taken back to the Church of The Queen of 
  Angels (Area #149).  If the hermavs lose one-third 
  their number they will ﬂee, hoping to return to Area 
  #149 for reinforcements.  They will return, with twice 
  their number, to hunt the PCs down and exact their 
  vengeance...
  The upper three or four stories of this towering 
  skyscraper are home to a huge colony of 1,000 varo 
  bats.  The hermavs never go high up in the building 
  for fear of disturbing these creatures who, while no 
  threat individually, can overwhelm a man when the 
  entire colony is stirred.
  Hermavs (4-11):  HP 55.
  Varo Bats (1000):  HP 1.
  Development:  Any hermavs killed here should 
  be deducted from the total number of warriors in the 
  community at Area #149.
  151. THE GREAT LIBRARY (EL 17)
  A massive ediﬁce stands here, casting its deep 
  shadow over dark streets littered with the rusted 
  remains of cars and buses.  Ornate statues of 
  bronze, covered in patches of verdigris, bear the 
  proud countenances of pureblood humans from 
  the ancient world, and stand like sentinels at 
  each of the buildings towering arched entrances.
  This location is something of a legend in the ruins 
  of Los Angeles, the so-called “Great Library of 
  the Necropolis”.  Once the city’s municipal public 
  library, this ancient building was all but lost in the 
  chaos of the Fall.  In later years, when the Serpent 
  Gods arose and made any transgression into the heart 
  of the city an idiotic prospect, the library - and its 
  contents - were forever snatched from the hands of 
  potential discoverers.
  Though no one has seen the ruins of the library in 
  hundreds of years (save for the individual described 
  below), stories persist among a few of the Necropolis’ 
  communities that the structure does in fact exist.  No 
  one exactly remembers where, and since the Serpent 
  Gods still seem to hold sway over the city’s heart, no 
  one has dared try to ﬁnd it in over a generation.
  GM’s Note:  Though it has effectively been 
  “lost”, the Great Library is still very much intact, 
  having only suffered cosmetic damage in the Fall, 
  and minor vandalizing in the few years afterwards 
  before the last inner city inhabitants ﬂed the rise of 
  the Serpent Gods.  The building, in all its foreboding 
  might, stands almost untouched since the last days of 
  humanity.
  Should the PCs discover this lost site they will 
  at ﬁrst ﬁnd it to be eerily abandoned.  None of the 
  factions lays claim to the surrounding area, so unless 
  the PCs have drawn the attention of the Serpent Gods 
  they may ﬁnd this place an ideal refuge - at least until 
  they meet the current resident (see below).  Three 
  stories tall, with an equal number of sub-basements, 
  the old library complex is one of the greatest archives 
  of human culture and knowledge left on the Twisted 
  Earth.  What’s most remarkable, however, is the fact 
  that almost everything remains undamaged inside.
  Entrance to the old library requires the use of a 
  stage IC identity card; the old doors were built to 
  withstand tampering, and thus will be difﬁcult to 
  batter down.  Though the lights inside no longer 
  work, an old alarm system still remains, dispensing 
  knockout gas grenades into the vestibules whenever 
  the inner entryways are tampered with.  Windows 
  do exist high up on the second and third stories, but 
  these are heavily barred (all of these are a testament 
  to the anarchy running rampant in the twilight era of 
  man).
  Signiﬁcant NPCs:  Unbeknownst to the other 
  creatures living Downtown, there is a real menace 
  living here, a man - or creature rather - named 
  Tobit 13:2.  Formerly the leader of the Brethren 
  expedition that came to the city (but was destroyed 
  by a strange illness; see the Cave of Eternal Life at 
  Area #072), Tobit 13:2 now lives in the complex of 
  
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  sub-basements and steam tunnels 
  beneath the monumental library.  
  During the day he rests in the cool 
  darkness underground, but at night, 
  when the varo bats from the Palace of 
  The Ancient Kings ﬂutter off into the 
  sky, he emerges secretly to walk the 
  streets of Downtown under the light 
  of the moon.
  Tobit is currently obsessed 
  with ascertaining the nature of his 
  “illness”, having seen what happened 
  to his comrades at the pool at Area 
  #072.  He too drank from the pool’s 
  waters, but before he changed he 
  used the mysterious syringe they 
  had found in an old attaché case (see 
  Area #072) out of desperation.  He 
  managed to survive and escape from 
  his comrades, but days later found 
  that something has changed him as 
  well, albeit in a different fashion.  He 
  has undergone a slow transformation, 
  though not into a zombie, but rather 
  into a kind of creature he had only 
  heard of in ancient legends:  Tobit 
  has slowly metamorphosized into a 
  vampire.
  Almost immediately burned by 
  the light of the sun, Tobit ﬂed to the 
  shadows to avoid his destruction.  He 
  eventually came to make his lair here, 
  in the darkness of the Great Library.  
  Here he has a large building in which 
  to hide during the day, access to the 
  surface to explore at night, and even 
  escape routes to the sewers beneath 
  the city (in fact he used the sewers to 
  enter the building without triggering its 
  alarms).
  Tobit has begun experimenting with 
  his own body in an attempt to discover 
  the extent of his transformation.  He 
  has already found himself vulnerable to 
  sunlight, and obsessed with acquiring 
  fresh blood to consume.  Despite being 
  a member of the Brethren he has a 
  logical, rational mind, and dispels any 
  notion of the supernatural; he believes 
  his afﬂiction is purely a byproduct 
  of the interaction of the algae in the 
  pool at Area #072 and the mysterious 
  chemical he injected himself with.  Not 
  one to believe in legends, he has so far 
  ignored the fact that he ﬁnds himself 
  repulsed by mirrors, exhibits the ability 
  to displace his weight to climb almost 
  sheer surfaces, and has a newfound 
  empathy with bats, rats, and other 
  nocturnal creatures.
  Already an albino (like many 
  Brethren), Tobit 13:2 has more reason 
  than ever to be afraid of the light.  
  Cloaked from head to toe in a tattered 
  black robe, Tobit sticks to the shadows 
  and seldom leaves the Great Library 
  except at night.  Only the sight of his 
  pale, slim-ﬁngered hands, tipped with 
  long yellowed ﬁngernails, prove he is 
  more than a shadow, as he keeps his 
  hood over his head at all times to cover 
  his bone white eyes and icy-pallored 
  face.  Tobit has become a peerless 
  hunter and explorer, and in his nightly 
  wanderings he has learned much of the 
  Downtown area, including the location 
  
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  of the Bernard Megaplex (Area #160), the location 
  of various Serpent God sentries, and of the large 
  gathering of Hermavs at the Church of The Queen of 
  Angels (Area #149).
  As a follower of the Brethren Tobit 13:2 was a man 
  of genius intellect, but one who’s cocky arrogance 
  got him into trouble.  Sent on this expedition as 
  punishment for agitating one of the Prophets who 
  lead the Brethren, Tobit found his exile to be an 
  amusing attempt at getting rid of him.  He had no 
  inclination of dying on the trip, or of being killed in 
  the Necropolis, and though he has faced a setback 
  with the deaths of his companions, he has gained so 
  much more from the experience!  He continues with 
  his plan to build up enough strength to make the trip 
  back to San Francisco, and hopes to one day leave the 
  Necropolis altogether and return to his Brethren.
  Tobit 13:2 is dangerous.  He no longer laments the 
  loss of his companions, or even cares for his original 
  mission.  He has become obsessed with his newfound 
  “powers”, and is beginning to concoct far-reaching 
  plans for his return to San Francisco...
  Tobit 13:2 (Vampire Mutant Dedicated Hero 
  4/Brethren Follower 10):  CR 16; Medium-size 
  Undead; HD 4d12 plus 10d12; HP 91; Mas 0; Init 
  +6; Spd 30 ft; Defense 26, touch 20, ﬂatfooted 24 
  (+0 size, +2 Dex, +8 class, +6 natural); BAB +13; 
  Grap +18; Atk +19 melee (1d10+5, claw), or +15 
  ranged (by weapon); Full Atk +17/+17/+12/+7 melee 
  (1d10+5, 2 claws); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility, blood drain, create spawn, 
  domination (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + cha mod), energy 
  drain, alternate form, children of the night, damage 
  reduction 15/+1, fast healing 5, gaseous form, cold 
  and electricity resistance 20, spider climb, +4 turn 
  resistance, darkvision 60 ft., weaknesses, albinism; 
  AL none; SV Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +9; AP 8; Rep 
  +7; Str 20, Dex 14, Con 0, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 19.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Knowledge 
  [History], Knowledge [Twisted Earth]).
  Background:  Resentful (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Claws x3, Albinism x3.
  Skills:  Bluff +12, Climb +13, Craft (structural) +9, 
  Craft (writing) +10, Hide +18, Intimidate +10, Jump 
  +11, Knowledge (Arcane Lore) +10, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +10, Knowledge (History) +11, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +10, Knowledge (Technology) 
  +10, Knowledge (Twisted Earth) +10, Listen +18, 
  Move Silently +18, Navigate +5, Search +17, Sense 
  Motive +10, Spot +18, Survival +21.
  Feats:  Alertness, Cleave, Combat Expertise, 
  Combat Reﬂexes, Deadly Trap-Maker [B&L], 
  Dodge, Great Fortitude, Guide, Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will, Lightning Reﬂexes, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Rend, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Sunder, Track, Two-Weapon 
  Fighting, Weapon Focus (claws).
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Skill Emphasis 
  (Survival), Empathy.
  Talents (Brethren Follower):  Trap Making 1d6, 
  Technology Prohibitions, Technology Destroyer +1, 
  Trap Making 2d6, Smite Technology, Technology 
  Destroyer +2, Trap Making 3d6, Technology Sunder, 
  Technology Destroyer +3, Trap Making 4d6, Divine 
  Damage.
  Possessions:  Filthy robes, stage IC identity card, 
  ready syringe (empty), maps of various Downtown 
  locations.
  Tobit recently visited the Palace of The 
  Ancient Kings and encountered a small group of 
  Hermavs vandalizing the place.  Using persuasion 
  (unknowingly bolstered by his Domination ability) he 
  managed to turn these Hermavs into mindless thralls, 
  who he has brought back with him to the Library.  He 
  uses these dominated creatures as his guardians (and 
  to feed from); if the PCs uncover his lair they will 
  likely meet these zombie-like individuals ﬁrst, buying 
  Tobit enough time to either prepare a defense, or 
  escape into the sewers.  If the PCs manage to pursue 
  Tobit underground, he is certain to attract a horde 
  of rats that will surge forth to tie the party down.  In 
  VAMPIRES?
  The Ruin At The End Of The World hints at the supernatural, but vampires?  Area #151 describes a 
  vampire, in the form of the afﬂicted Brethren leader Tobit 13:2.  However, if you feel the supernatural has 
  no place in your campaign, there are two quick and easy solutions.  First off you can merely assume his 
  transformation is a physical disease, not a supernatural afﬂiction.  In such a case he will maintain certain 
  aspects of the vampire template at your discretion, while you can do away completely with those abilities 
  or weaknesses that are too ﬁctitious for your tastes (such as a weakness for holy symbols, as well as the 
  ability to assume an alternate form, energy drain, etc.).  Alternately you can dispense with his vampirism 
  altogether, and instead assume that while his followers were turned into zombies by the pool at Area #072, 
  perhaps Tobit merely went insane as a result of drinking its poisoned waters.  Now merely believing 
  himself to be a vampire, he has convinced himself that he is vulnerable to sunlight, mirrors, garlic, etc.  In 
  such a case do away with his Hermav thralls, and simply play without the vampire traits shown in his stat 
  block.
  
  183
  addition, he has trapped the numerous sewer tunnels 
  leading towards the library (each of these traps 
  does 4d6+4 damage, and were created using his 
  Trap Making class ability and Deadly Trap-Maker 
  feat), making pursuit of him underground that much 
  deadlier.
  Tobit 13:2:  HP 91.
  Hermavs (3):  HP 55; these hermavs do not have 
  battle cycles.
  Treasure:  The interior of the Great Library is 
  massive, ﬁlled with books and other arcana of the 
  ancient world.  Literally tens of thousands of volumes 
  exist here, lining wall shelves and virtually every 
  space imaginable.
  How do you handle so much knowledge?  First off, 
  there’s a lot of junk in the library; worthless magazine 
  archives, children’s books, books that fall apart when 
  disturbed, etc.  As a result, for every six hours spent 
  in the Great Library, allow each character to make 
  just one roll on the Lost Knowledge table (dispense 
  with inappropriate results).  You can also substitute 
  individual roll results for a book, newspaper article, 
  microﬁlm cartridge, electronic disk, or any other 
  form of Arcanum you can think of.  Everything the 
  PCs ﬁnd should have some value (50 to 500 cp); in 
  rare cases more valuable Arcanum may be found, 
  such as technical manuals, books ﬁlled maps of 
  the city, medical texts, etc., which will have values 
  appropriate to their usefulness.
  Ultimately the question of treasure should boil 
  down to how much the PCs can carry.  The Great 
  Library has literally tons of books, and the PCs 
  can’t possibly hope to take it all.  And while the 
  markets outside of the city are starved for the kind 
  of knowledge that will help rediscover the secrets of 
  technology and even Ancient culture, not everything 
  in the library pertains to these lofty goals, or would 
  even prove interesting to these practical-minded 
  buyers.
  In the end, use your judgment when deciding how 
  much Arcanum the PCs will ﬁnd, and how much of 
  this will actually prove to be of worth to the potential 
  buyers beyond the city.
  152. RECORDING STUDIO (EL 0)
  The streets here are built up with tall buildings 
  on each side; billboards line the sides of 
  skyscrapers, their curious advertisements having 
  faded and their rainbow of colors bled away.  
  Trash lines the streets where it has collected over 
  the years in the gutters.
  A tall building nearby has one of the largest 
  signs of all, depicting an enormous gold record 
  that towers over the street like an ancient 
  monument.
  The building here is an old abandoned recording 
  studio, one of several producing some of the most 
  popular music in the years running up to the Fall.  
  An L.A. landmark, this particular recording studio 
  was host to some of the hottest names in the music 
  industry during its heyday, a heyday that ended with 
  the eruption of the Final War, and was consumed in 
  the worldwide chaos that followed.
  As the PCs approach this tall building they ﬁnd the 
  large tinted entryway to have been shattered in the 
  anarchy of the Ancients’ last few days; spray-paint 
  covers the exterior of the building, and other parts 
  appear to have been deliberately smashed or even 
  burned by poorly-aimed Molotov cocktails.  Some of 
  the grafﬁti seems eerie and foreboding in its message:  
  the numbers “666” and “13” are prominent, along 
  with barely-distinguished phrases like “the demons 
  come” and “the jackal”.
  Inside the PCs ﬁnd what must have once been a 
  multi-million dollar studio, complete with executive 
  ofﬁces on the lower levels, technician’s areas, sound 
  rooms, and the recording studios proper.  There is 
  even a subterranean parking garage for the VIPs that 
  came here to record their newest albums, reachable 
  by stairwells or elevator (no longer functioning), and 
  barred from the streets by electrically-operated ﬂoor-
  to-ceiling barriers.
  The entry area and reception appears to have been 
  overrun in the chaos of the streets, and bears much 
  of the same vandalism as the exterior of the studio:  
  black leather furniture overturned, slashed, and 
  smashed, ornate and futuristic pieces of sculpture 
  cracked and lewdly painted over.  Numerous framed 
  photos on the wall depict famous superstar musicians 
  of the time, including top-grossing rappers, though 
  many of these have been torn down, smashed, and 
  defaced.
  It is obvious the recording studio was thoroughly 
  ransacked prior to the Fall, and in the years since, but 
  a prolonged search of the old building will uncover 
  some strange - if ultimately worthless - ﬁnds.  In 
  one of the studios the PCs will ﬁnd a sound stage 
  and booth set up as if they were being used to mix 
  a record right up until the building was abandoned.  
  The mixer contains a new CD (or to be precise, a 
  CD that was being made at the time of the Fall), 
  which if played back contains a startling soundtrack, 
  a cooperative effort between several leading rappers 
  of the time and someone referred to on the track 
  by the single name “Cyrus”.  Remarkably the rap 
  doesn’t speak of violence, but instead appears to 
  be some kind of “plea” to the public at large for 
  “peace” and “brotherhood” in “these times of crisis”.  
  This “Cyrus”, whoever he is, joins in the rap with a 
  powerful, commanding voice, and at one point the 
  other musicians give him the microphone allowing 
  him to take over the song.  He speaks to a long-dead 
  
  184
  audience as if imploring them with the charisma of 
  a world leader, telling them to lay down their arms, 
  stop killing one another, and to prevent something he 
  vaguely refers to as “the Coming”.
  GM’s Note:  What happened here in the days 
  before the Fall will never be truly known.  In reality 
  the mysterious gang messiah, Cyrus, came here in a 
  last-minute attempt to curb the irreparable damage 
  he and his “followers’ had done in the service 
  of Zoogenic Corporation - and the Blessed 13.  
  Somehow Cyrus found out about the prophecy of the 
  Blessed 13 and, even more remarkably, found reason 
  to believe they might actually succeed in their goal.  
  Realizing his mistake Cyrus hoped to use his persona 
  and the fame of three leading rap artists (who also 
  happened to be former members of his gang and thus 
  owed him their loyalty) to put out an underground 
  album that, if things had gone right, would have hit 
  the streets and found their way into every major radio 
  station across the country the very next day.  On the 
  record Cyrus literally commands his legions of gang 
  followers to stop their campaign of terror “before it 
  is too late”, shying away from referring to the End 
  of Days and the Blessed 13 but obviously using 
  every last bit of inﬂuence to try and halt the spiral 
  of anarchy that he had instigated, all in the name of 
  Ronald Bernard.
  Cyrus’ would-be message never made it out; it 
  remains here, recorded on a single disc, still in the 
  recording machine where it was made.  It is unclear 
  what happened, but apparently the studio technicians 
  working to get the album ready simply vanished 
  before it was complete.
  Treasure:  In the parking garage beneath the studio 
  the PCs ﬁnd a number of non-functioning vehicles, 
  but the most remarkable is a sleek black stretch 
  limousine with a jackal hood ornament (Cyrus’ 
  personal vehicle, though the PCs may not make the 
  connection) parked in a VIP space.  The vehicle 
  seems to be in good condition considering its age, but 
  if the PCs search it they ﬁnd it has been deliberately 
  sabotaged under the hood.  A Repair check (DC 20) 
  plus the expenditure of 120 cp in spare parts will get 
  it running again.  Sitting in the driver’s seat in an 
  envelope (placed there as if he had intended someone 
  to ﬁnd it) is a cryptic, handwritten note which reads:  
  “Limo’s not working so going to the Church of Angels 
  on foot.  Gonna pray for the people of the world.  It’s 
  in His hands now.  - C”
  153. LOS ANGELES TIMES (EL 0)
  The streets here, like elsewhere downtown, 
  are deafeningly silent.  Scraps of paper ﬂoat 
  by on the ethereal wind, funneled by numerous 
  skyscrapers and other tall buildings in this 
  district.
  Up ahead you see the ruins of a large building 
  that seems to have burned down even before the 
  Fall.  Wooden barriers have been placed around 
  the building, and many of the lower levels have 
  been shored up.  The building’s ground ﬂoor is 
  now covered in grafﬁti.
  This large modern newspaper campus was the victim 
  of a suspicious arson in the weeks just prior to the 
  Fall.  This fact seems obvious to even an untrained 
  searcher, as ﬁre department cordon tape encircles 
  much of the property, along with wooden barriers 
  with signs telling people to keep out.
  Spray painted on a handful of these barriers 
  are crude upside-down pentagrams, the numbers 
  “666”, and strange sigils that seem to defy ready 
  interpretation.
  GM’s Note:  Though the truth is lost to antiquity, 
  the prestigious Los Angeles Times employed a 
  particularly daring reporter who, just before the Fall, 
  was working hard on an unbelievable story about 
  corruption, conspiracy, and Satanism, implicating 
  a number of powerful and inﬂuential world ﬁgures.  
  Whoever this intrepid investigator was is unknown, 
  and any warning he hoped to get to the general public 
  was apparently erased when the building was put to 
  the torch by unknown arsons.
  The ruins of the old newspaper building are barren, 
  ﬁlled only with ashes and burnt beams.
  154. MURDER SCENE (EL 3)
  Several skeletons lie strewn about this alley, 
  still wearing the tattered remains of expensive 
  clothing.  Bullet holes pit and crater the brick 
  wall nearby, which has been spray painted 
  with a curious upside-down ﬁve-pointed star.  
  Faded writing on the wall bears an even strange 
  message:  “The Jackal betrayed his children but 
  they will claim their birthright as the Kings of 
  Tomorrow nonetheless.”
  There are six skeletons here, scattered among a few 
  empty garbage cans, brittle and ready to disintegrate 
  at the slightest movement.  It is not clear who these 
  men were, or why they were killed here.
  A small group of ravens rabidly defends this 
  site for no apparent reason.  They will aggressively 
  strike out at anyone who comes too close (including 
  attempting to search the skeletons).
  GM’s Note:  This unassuming alleyway marks the 
  spot where the notorious gangland messiah “Cyrus” 
  was gunned down by mysterious assailants in the 
  hours before the Fall.  Returning on foot from a 
  midnight session at a nearby recording studio (since 
  his limousine had been secretly sabotaged; see Area 
  #152) where Cyrus was working feverishly on a 
  
  185
  secret project, he and his entourage of bodyguards 
  were ambushed as they attempted to make their way 
  down an alley towards the distant Church of The 
  Queen of Angels (Area #149).  All six men were 
  killed within seconds of realizing they had stepped 
  into a trap.
  Ravens (13):  HP 1 (see d20 Modern).
  Treasure:  The bodies of three of the four 
  skeletons still have ﬁrearms either in concealed 
  holsters on their bodies, or lying close by where they 
  dropped them when they were struck dead.  These 
  weapons consist of two TEC-9s (each with a full 
  box of 9mm ammunition) and a maser pistol (with a 
  power clip missing one charge).  One of the skeletons 
  also wears a concealable vest, though judging by the 
  bullet hole in its skull, it apparently wasn’t able to 
  save his life.
  155. SHOPPING DISTRICT (EL 10)
  Rows of fancy shops once populated this area, 
  with designer names brazenly posted on glowing 
  signs over old department stores and clothing 
  boutiques.  Broken glass litters the streets now, 
  along with the rusted remains of expensive cars 
  - and thousands of brittle skeletons.
  This area is eerie during the day, seemingly lifeless 
  and barren.  The PCs are free to explore the vast 
  complex of buildings, ﬁnding smashed-out windows 
  and the wreckage of cars that seem to suggest this 
  area was the scene of violent looting during the Fall.  
  Most of the stores are clothing stores, so most ﬁnds 
  will be restricted to upscale clothing and jewelry - 
  little of practical value.
  By night this place comes alive, however - or so 
  to speak.  Living in the darkness of many of these 
  old stores are a number of night terrors, zombie-like 
  creatures that are in fact merely the animated corpses 
  of Ancients given life by a parasitic ooze.  Sensitive 
  to sunlight, the night terrors hide in old storerooms, 
  basements, and elevator shafts during the day, and 
  emerge at night to hunt for prey.
  Night Terrors (23):  HP 21.
  GM’s Note:  It is possible that during the day the 
  PCs might stumble upon individual night terrors, 
  or even small groups, while indoors.  While the 
  night terrors will certainly try to kill characters who 
  stumble into them in the dark recesses of a building, 
  they will not pursue party members outdoors, at least 
  while the sun is still up...
  156. CHINA TOWN (EL 15)
  The shadows cast by buildings on either side 
  of the street are deep and dark.  Anything could 
  be hiding in them.
  This place looks like an ancient slum, but one 
  with a deﬁnite foreign accent.  Ornate oriental 
  buildings rise above congested alleys, their 
  peeling green arches and elegant temple-style 
  roofs standing in stark contrast to the abandoned 
  adult movie theatres and tiny corner markets on 
  virtually every street.  Lost Asian script can be 
  seen on fading billboards, and on rusted signs 
  over old shops.  A huge bronze dragon, long and 
  serpentine, with lolling tongue and sharp claws, 
  stands atop an arch marking the gateway to this 
  part of town.  Like a guardian from the ancient 
  world it leers down at you with malicious eyes.
  This area is eerie, but you can’t put your ﬁnger 
  on what it is that makes you say that.  Just then 
  you sense movement out of the corner of your 
  eye.  But when you turn, there is nothing there...
  This area marks the “gateway” to the Acropolis, at 
  least from the south.  The Serpent Gods use the built-
  up city streets and towering buildings here to hide 
  themselves from transgressors, while also keeping an 
  eye out for intruders.
  Normally two Serpent Gods (a medusa and an 
  ophidi) will be present here, observing the street 
  leading up to the Dragon Arch.  One of the Serpent 
  Gods (the medusa) will be reclining in the shadow 
  of the great bronze dragon itself (on top of the arch), 
  and is thus easily mistaken for just another ornate 
  decoration.  When it spots the PCs (which it certainly 
  will once they arrive), it sluggishly slithers away, 
  vanishing out of sight before the PCs catch a glimpse 
  of it...
  GM’s Note:  This area is barren, the old shops 
  abandoned long ago and looted in the intervening 
  years.  The Serpent Gods drove out all other 
  competitors over a century ago, and as such dust (and 
  rust) has settled over much of everything.
  Development:  Once the PCs are spotted the 
  Serpent God medusa atop the arch will slither away.  
  100 yards away, down a nearby alley, another Serpent 
  God (the ophidi) awaits, having ﬁnished his patrol 
  of a separate quarter.  The two will come together, 
  and brieﬂy exchange information on what was seen.  
  They speak together for several minutes (PCs with 
  extremely acute hearing might hear a strange susurrus 
  of “rasping hisses” echoing through the streets all 
  around, at your discretion), before arriving at a 
  bizarre wager:  the one who ﬁrst saw the PCs (the 
  medusa) agrees to deal with them, while the ophidi 
  climbs to a vantage point in a nearby skyscraper to 
  hide and watch.  If the medusa wins the ﬁght against 
  the party, the ophidi loses the wager and agrees to 
  take over guard duty for a few hours, allowing the 
  medusa to feed and rest comfortably with a belly-full 
  of adventurers.
  
  186
  If the medusa loses to the PCs, however, it agrees 
  to allow the ophidi to eat it once it’s dead!
  If the PCs succeed in killing the medusa, the ophidi 
  will wait until the party is gone before slithering 
  down from its hiding place (eight stories up) and, 
  gloating over winning the wager - and ignoring 
  the fact that the PCs have slipped past - proceed to 
  devour the corpse of its fellow Serpent God!
  Serpent God Medusa (1):  HP 161.
  Serpent God Ophidi (1):  HP 195.
  157. DODGER STADIUM (EL 0)
  A huge coliseum stands here, its cracked stone 
  baking under the sun.  Old cars lie rusting in the 
  humid heat, yet other than a few ﬂies buzzing 
  around your nostrils the silence is deafening.
  The ruins of Dodger Stadium were abandoned long 
  ago, and few have ever returned since the Fall.  Too 
  close to the domain of the Serpent Gods, the old 
  stadium stood as it was during the time of the Fall 
  for many years, only recently being re-discovered by 
  the hermavs from the Church of the Queen of Angels 
  (Area #149).  The hermavs came here looking for 
  supplies and took what was of use to them, before 
  moving on.  Before they left they vandalized much 
  of the old stadium, leaving miles of grafﬁti and gang 
  markings in the parking garages, lower levels, and 
  even on the seating inside the stadium.  They haven’t 
  returned since, and the stadium is thus abandoned 
  once more.
  PCs coming here will ﬁnd nothing of value left, 
  though the stadium itself is large and sprawling 
  enough to make it an ideal place to lure pursuers and 
  lose them in the maze of garages, locker rooms, and 
  underworks.
  158. DOWNTOWN BATTLEGROUND (EL 
  16)
  Solemn skyscrapers rise on all sides here, 
  but the street is a scene of utter chaos and 
  destruction.  The asphalt is pitted with artillery 
  craters, and the burned and rusted remnants of 
  advanced military vehicles lie strewn about like 
  discarded toys.  Hundreds of skeletons lie strewn 
  about; either civilians caught in some ancient 
  slaughter, or the remnants of the armies that 
  once waged a bitter contest for control of the 
  city.
  This area was the site of one of the key battles for the 
  city, which ultimately led to its fall into enemy hands.  
  The scene is a telling one, with several destroyed 
  tanks (from both sides of the conﬂict) facing off 
  against each other, and countless skeletons.
  A single Serpent God ophidi dwells nearby, 
  resting just inside the shadowy interior of a blast 
  hole made in the second-story of a skyscraper facing 
  the battleground.  This Serpent God is alert, and will 
  watch the PCs with patience, observing what they do 
  and how they carry themselves.
  SERPENT GODS AND INTRUDERS
  Downtown is an eerie place.  Mostly because it’s quiet, but also because of its reputation as the “domain” 
  of the Serpent Gods.  But characters coming here expecting to ﬁnd an industrious faction like the Hive 
  or Broken Ones will only ﬁnd empty streets, hollow highrises, and abandoned skyscrapers by the dozen.  
  Where, then, are these lofty “Serpent Gods”?
  The Serpent Gods, though enormously powerful by conventional standards, are a race crippled by their 
  own sense of racial superiority.  Drowned in their own self-worship, most simply laze about, spending 
  their days and nights basking in the cool shadows (they abhor the heat), roused to action only to defend 
  their “acropolis” (the central Downtown area, in speciﬁc, the streets and buildings clustered around the 
  monumental Bernard Megaplex).
  Though lethargic, the Serpent Gods possess powerful technology, both scavenged from the ruins and left 
  to them as a legacy by their creators.  When they decide to ﬁght, they do so decisively, mustering powerful 
  artifacts long thought lost during the Final War.
  Even the lowliest caste of Serpent God is extremely intelligent by human standards, and as a result even 
  the lowest-ranking sentry is arrogantly conﬁdent in its own superiority, even to a fault.  But believing the 
  other inhabitants of the city to be beneath them, and certainly little threat to them on a one-on-one basis, 
  they seldom see the need in raising the alarm, for example, or calling for reinforcements.  This could be a 
  potential weakness the PCs could exploit.
  Conﬁdent they can easily destroy anyone who stands against them  remarkably an individual Serpent 
  God is often willing to engage its foe(s) in conversation before the inevitable opening of hostilities.  Almost 
  “genteel” in manner, these wicked monstrosities amuse themselves by confusing their prey with riddles and 
  philosophical contemplation, before eventually growing tired and engaging for the kill.
  
  187
  Once the PCs are square in the middle of the 
  battleground, it speaks.  Its voice, deep and rasping, 
  carries across the silent battleﬁeld, echoing off of 
  the walls of the skyscrapers.  The creature speaks 
  almost in riddles; it playfully describes the battle that 
  might have taken place here hundreds of years ago, 
  conjuring up an imagined scene of great valor and 
  desperation against an “insurmountable enemy”.  It 
  then slyly wonders how long the defenders held out, 
  and then begins to dwell upon how terrible it must 
  have been for them to see defeat coming, knowing 
  that all their efforts had been futile.
  All this time the Serpent God remains hidden.  
  Attempts to pinpoint its location will be difﬁcult (its 
  voice echoes weirdly here and the nearby buildings 
  have many holes in which a creature such as it could 
  hide).  Eventually, once it has pondered out loud the 
  futility of resistance, even in a heroic struggle with 
  the most worthy goals, it asks the PCs directly - “Do 
  you think you’ll fare any better?”
  With those sinister words it slithers out of its hole 
  and attacks.  It will ﬁght to kill the PCs, but if it 
  drives them off it will not pursue them (unless their 
  retreat is merely a ploy, in which case it will go after 
  them to ﬁnish them off), instead returning to its lair to 
  continue its deep contemplation of the cruelties of the 
  city’s wartime history...
  Serpent God Ophidi (1):  HP 195, also has 1d2 
  photon grenades.
  Treasure:  The Serpent God has not “deﬁled” this 
  place, seeing honor in the struggle these warriors 
  played out against one another.  As a result, a search 
  of the battleﬁeld will uncover 1d2+1 Rare Military 
  Weapons, as well as an additional 550 cp worth of 
  spare parts (salvageable from the ruined vehicles).
  159. SUBWAY ENTRANCE (EL 15)
  Old rusted escalators descend underground 
  here.  Old perfume and fashion advertisements 
  decorate the walls of the tunnel going 
  underground; most are defaced with grafﬁti.
  At the bottom of the escalators lies a subway 
  station, long abandoned.  It is quite dark here, 
  with only weak sunlight ﬁnding its way down 
  here from the surface world above.
  A particularly large and powerful Serpent God 
  medusa dwells here just out of sight of the PCs.  
  Reclining just inside the subway tunnel that leads to 
  the station, the enormous serpent is cloaked in the 
  darkness that the tunnel provides.  It has a clear view 
  of the subway platform, however, and will be able to 
  watch the PCs as they descend the escalators into the 
  underground.
  When the PCs reach the platform, allow each to 
  make a Spot check at DC 19; if they succeed they 
  see, momentarily, the slightly luminous gleam of the 
  Serpent God’s eyes in the darkness, before it slithers 
  forward to engage them.
  Serpent God Medusa (1):  HP 161.
  GM’s Note:  The tunnel here leads directly 
  towards the Megaplex Terminus, beneath the Bernard 
  Megaplex (see Area #160).  Because of its importance 
  to the Serpent Gods, the sentry here will not hesitate 
  to ﬁght the PCs, though they may try to negotiate 
  with it.  Conﬁdent that it can kill them, if the PCs 
  supplicate in front of it and ﬂatter it (calling for Bluff 
  or Diplomacy checks, at your discretion), it may 
  deign to allow them to retreat without dying for their 
  “transgression”.  However, under no circumstances 
  will it be fooled, and if the party tries to head off 
  down the subway tunnel it will certainly attack.
  160. BERNARD MEGAPLEX (EL VARIES)
  Towering buildings reach into the sky all 
  around this area, each one the playground of the 
  Ancient masters who once ruled this city - and 
  half the world over through the manipulations 
  of their merchantile empires - from the isolated 
  sanctums far overhead.  The particular 
  complex ahead seems to have been the domain 
  of a powerful corporation, each of its three 
  skyscrapers sequestered around a large plaza 
  whose vast empty space seems to give the place 
  an air of eerie isolation...
  PLAZA (EL 18)
  As you get nearer, it appears the plaza isn’t as 
  empty as you ﬁrst thought.  The white concrete 
  of the plaza gleams brilliantly in the sun, but a 
  slight depression up ahead - in which is situated 
  a huge post-modern sculpture of colossal 
  proportions - contains the serpentine shapes of 
  almost two dozen enormous, snake-like beings, 
  apparently lounging in the bizarre monument’s 
  shadow.
  The skyscrapers that make up the Bernard Megaplex 
  are all situated around Bernard Plaza, an architectural 
  wonder meant to ﬁll in the void between the 
  Megaplex’s lofty structures.  A vast ﬁeld of brilliant 
  white concrete, the plaza’s expanse is broken only 
  by silvery benches (and garbage receptacles), and 
  an enormous circular fountain more than 50 ft wide, 
  from which rises a colossal, stylized sculpture of 
  stainless steel, molded to resemble the Zoogenic 
  Corp. logo.  At one time waters cascaded from this 
  monument into the fountain below, but now it, like 
  the empty fountain, is dry.
  If and when the PCs approach the Bernard 
  
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  Megaplex from the surface they ﬁnd the plaza 
  inhabited by no less than 22 Serpent Gods (10 
  medusa, 10 ophidi, and 2 naja) the entirety of the 
  group lazing about under the searing sun.  If the 
  party is spotted they eagerly slither forward and 
  gather to watch, like spectators in an arena.  The 
  analogy is quite accurate, for the gathering of 
  Serpent Gods will surround the PCs in a rough 
  circle (perhaps 100 ft in diameter), preventing 
  them from escaping, their low hisses becoming 
  more excited as each moment passes.
  Once they have the party encircled 2 Serpent 
  God ophidi will emerge to ﬁght the PCs while 
  the others watch with gleaming, bloodthirsty 
  eyes.  However, the match is a fair ﬁght; if the 
  PCs defeat their “challengers”, the Serpent Gods 
  - though disappointed - will slither back to their 
  more comfortable positions, and let them pass!
  Serpent God Medusae (10):  HP 161.
  Serpent God Ophidi (10):  HP 195.
  Serpent God Naja (2):  HP 237.
  BUILDING A - CORPORATE COMMUNITY (EL VARIES)
  A magniﬁcent structure entirely walled in 
  silvery glass rises on this side of the main 
  plaza, burnished by the sun and years of 
  scouring sand storms.  Much of the glass on 
  the upper levels is gone, no doubt blown away 
  in the nuclear ﬁrestorm that struck the city 
  centuries ago.
  Building A of the Bernard Megaplex was 
  reserved almost exclusively for the civilian 
  recreation and leisure of the corporation’s 
  employees.  The ﬁrst several stories of the 
  building comprise a multi-level “mall”, complete 
  with over seventy different shops and specialist 
  boutiques, escalators and glass elevators, two 
  daycares, emergency security stations on each 
  level, an on-site clinic, and even a series of 
  interconnected ﬁsh ponds with a waterfall 
  cascading ﬁve stories down into an artiﬁcial lake 
  in the mall’s main mezzanine.
  A. Mall (EL 19)
  The mall is eerie and desolate now, having 
  been ransacked during the Fall and later by the 
  Serpent Gods.  But the mall looks relatively the 
  same, with old dusty mannequins looking out 
  storefront windows, enormous decorative pots 
  now ﬁlled only with dead plants, and the coppery 
  glitter of pennies in the tepid, murky ponds.  The 
  old neon signs are no longer lit, but the ﬂash of 
  advertising banners and window stickers makes 
  it hard to spot movement in the darkness of the 
  empty mall (-2 to all Search and Spot checks).
  Living in the mall are a number of Serpent 
  Gods, who prefer the cool, spacious interior to 
  the overly hot plaza outside.  The 3 Serpent 
  Gods live separately in different parts of the 
  mall (one in an old clothing outlet, one in the 
  food court, and one curled up like a giant cobra 
  in the algae-clogged pool at the top of the dry 
  waterfall), using the non-functional escalators 
  to slither between each level.  Though they are 
  usually not within sight of each other, sound 
  carries well in the mall so that they are likely to 
  be aware of any intrusion by PCs.  At the very 
  least they will know when one of their number 
  is attacked (due to their racial Telepathy).  As 
  such, if one Serpent God attacks or is attacked, 
  a second Serpent God will arrive in ﬁve rounds; 
  and the third ﬁve rounds after that.
  Serpent God Ophidi (3):  HP 195.
  Treasure:  Though this vast mall was looted 
  over the years, there is still the potential for ﬁnds 
  
  189
  among the old shops and boutiques.  Each successful 
  Search check at DC 38 will uncover either 1d2 rolls 
  on the Junk, Useful Stuff, Clothing, Consumables, 
  Lost Knowledge, or Civilian Weapons table.  Discard 
  any results that seem inappropriate to a “mall” 
  setting.
  B. Movie Theatre (EL 15)
  Building A also features a three-theatre cinema 
  on one of several upper levels, which is now dark 
  and dormant.  There is a 20% chance that a single 
  Serpent God medusa will be here, reclining in the 
  darkness of the theatre, when the PCs enter Building 
  A.  Combat will draw this Serpent God to the 
  commotion in the same manner as those described 
  above (it will show up with the last Serpent God on 
  round 10 of combat).
  Serpent God Medusa (1):  HP 161.
  C. Upper Levels (EL 0)
  The upper levels of Building A were reserved for 
  mall administration ofﬁces, storage, and maintenance 
  equipment.  All of these levels can only be accessed 
  from the mall proper at one of two secure elevators 
  (and adjoining stairwells), the doors to which each 
  require a stage IIC identity card to open.  The 
  elevators no longer have power, but the stairs are 
  accessible.  Ultimately, however, the upper levels 
  prove to be rather empty (stationery, old furniture, 
  food long rotted in small cubicles, etc.).  Still, PCs 
  could access the higher levels of the building to hide 
  out, if they need to rest or simply observe the other 
  buildings while remaining unseen.
  ELEVATORS (SIDEBAR)
  Enormous elevator shafts rise up into each of the 
  Megaplex’ three towers.  Most of the elevators 
  plummeted and crashed into the sub-basements long 
  ago; those that remain are rusted ﬁrmly in place, and 
  have no power.
  The Serpent Gods use the shafts regardless, being 
  able to slither up and climb with little difﬁculty, not 
  unlike tree boas and other snakes of the past.  PCs 
  will have a more difﬁcult time, but luckily the old 
  stairwells are usually not very far from the elevators.
  BUILDING B - CORPORATE LIVING (EL 0)
  The second largest of the three buildings in the 
  complex, this skyscraper looms high above you, 
  its sleek black exterior resembling a chisel aimed 
  at heaven.  It is hard to gaze towards the top, 
  as the light catches off of broken windows far 
  overhead, blinding the unprotected eye.
  There are numerous super-luxury apartment 
  buildings in the downtown area, each reserved for 
  the high society elite of the Ancient world.  Now 
  these megalithic skyscrapers are empty, mostly due 
  to their proximity to the heart of the city.  Of all 
  these buildings, one stands out above the others, the 
  Corporate Living building of the Bernard Megaplex 
  (or “Building B”), a previously posh building owned 
  by the Zoogenic Corporation and used as high-scale 
  housing for many of its corporate employees here 
  in Los Angeles.  One of these was Ronald Bernard 
  himself.
  A. Lobby (EL 0)
  This enormous space occupied most of the ﬁrst level 
  of the building, with elevators (and emergency stairs) 
  providing access to the levels above, as well as the 
  basement garages.  A large security desk sat here 
  to assist the building’s inhabitants, with a nearby 
  media lounge where residents could relax and watch 
  television from a bank of no less than 24 plasma 
  screens.  The media lounge also had a high-scale bar 
  and restaurant attached, though like the rest of this 
  area, these features are dusty and abandoned.
  Treasure:  A search here might ﬁnd 1d2 rolls on 
  the Junk table, as well as dropped suitcases, discarded 
  newspapers, children’s toys scattered about, and 
  even a skeleton or two - testament to the panic that 
  consumed the corporation’s personnel when the Fall 
  came and they rushed to ﬂee the city (this could be 
  seen as evidence that most of Zoogenic’s employees 
  were oblivious to the corporation’s real activities).
  B. Apartment Blocks (EL 0)
  A map of the Bernard Megaplex’s upper levels is 
  not given here, since most of it is empty, as the 
  lesser corporate staff panicked and ﬂed taking their 
  belongings with them when the city came under 
  attack.  Basically these upper levels are all very 
  much the same, containing apartment after apartment 
  ranging from corporate middle-class to upscale elite 
  suites higher up in the tower.  Searches of individual 
  rooms (each requires a stage IIC identity card to 
  enter) may uncover many minor ﬁnds, however, 
  given time and patience - use your discretion here.
  In addition to individual domiciles there is a 
  daycare in the building, as well as work-out rooms, 
  two separate running tracks (on the 10th and 15th 
  ﬂoors; each runs along the exterior of the building, 
  right up against the windows, providing joggers with 
  a 360 degree view of the city from up high), and even 
  an Olympic-sized swimming pool (now empty).
  C. Top-Level Apartment (EL 0)
  Of particular interest is the penthouse apartment at 
  the top of the Building B:  the personal residence of 
  Ronald Bernard, the CEO of Zoogenic Corporation.  
  This top-level sanctum requires a stage IIIC identity 
  card to open (the door is still intact and operating 
  on an internal battery; the PCs could break it down, 
  
  190
  however).  Once inside the PCs ﬁnd a model of 
  Ancient elegance and luxurious design; a wide open 
  series of rooms, interconnected by large corridors, 
  with dozens of massive windows looking out onto 
  the city (as with other skyscrapers in the area, the 
  PCs could use this place as a lookout tower to see 
  nearby sites, at the GM’s discretion).  A huge kitchen 
  and dining room, three separate bedrooms, well-
  appointed bathrooms, a private physical ﬁtness room 
  with state-of-the-art equipment (now rusted), etc.
  However, the suite’s expansive parlor - where 
  Bernard held parties as well as hosted private 
  gatherings of close associates - provides the most 
  striking scene.  This tall chamber, still adorned with 
  high fashion chairs of chrome and black leather, 
  is completely dominated by a singularly massive 
  painting covering one entire wall; once lit by lights 
  sunk into the ceiling far overhead, now much of the 
  painting is cloaked in darkness.  If the PCs have 
  brought lights, they illuminate the enormous painting 
  and reveal its twisted beauty.
  The painting is at ﬁrst overwhelming due to 
  its size (20 ft tall and 15 ft wide), and its bizarre 
  impressionistic imagery.  Human form, motion, 
  and the passage of time seem to be portrayed 
  simultaneously in the grandiose piece of art, yet 
  painted with dark colors it is a macabre and dizzying 
  vision to say the least.  It is also quite unusual in 
  that it consists of two separate images, one on the 
  right, and one on the left, split down the middle.  The 
  left hand side depicts in wild forms a futuristic city 
  where nothing of Nature can be seen; only cars, oily 
  smoke from colossal manufactories, and towering 
  buildings that blot out the sky - not a brushstroke of 
  green anywhere to be seen.  In this gray and dismal 
  landscape a gathering of thirteen crowned kings 
  wearing long black robes walk single ﬁle towards the 
  center of the painting, which depicts a mansion on 
  top of a hill, surrounded by an elaborate maze.  The 
  door of the mansion is open presenting a featureless 
  black void, and as the ﬁrst of the 13 men stoops to 
  enter this black hole, on the far side of the panel a 
  stream of half-man, half-beast monstrosities pour 
  out the other side.  Their part of the painting is a 
  mirror image of the ﬁrst, but depicting decayed and 
  abandoned skyscrapers, with ivy and other vegetation 
  crawling over the husks of cars and city buses.  The 
  feral creatures depicted include a stylized lion-man, 
  an insectoid thing, a ﬁsh-like creature with vague 
  humanoid features, and an enormous snake sprouting 
  many other serpents from its body like the mane of 
  the mythical medusa.
  Framed in brass beneath the huge painting is a 
  plaque that simply reads:  “Porte de Treize”.
  Treasure:  In addition to possible ﬁnds in other 
  apartments in the megaplex, the PCs can search 
  Bernard’s apartment for valuables.  A Search check 
  at DC 28 will ﬁnd 2d4 doses of tailored narcotics 
  in the bathroom.  A Search check at DC 41 will ﬁnd 
  a hidden safe in his private ofﬁce (Disable Device 
  DC 40 to open it); it contains numerous stacks of 
  papers (ﬁnancial records that have no value today), 
  and $1 million in cash - now useless.  Oddly, a 
  small box here also contains an ornate silver ring 
  RONALD BERNARD - WHO WAS HE?
  Ronald Bernard is long dead, but his legacy - and determination to see the Blessed 13’s goals to fruition 
  - still remain in the city, made manifest by the Broken Ones, Serpent Gods, Hive, and Skaels.  But the 
  PCs could uncover glimpses of this remarkable man, in books, magazines, and even newspaper articles 
  published at the time, right up until the Fall itself.
  According to most sources, Ronald Bernard appeared out of nowhere, the inheritor of a small fortune 
  who turned his inheritance into a multi-billion dollar corporation over the course of only a few years.  A 
  bioengineering pioneer and ﬁnancial genius (one Forbes article the PCs might ﬁnd will describe him as 
  an “entrepreneurial god” - evidence of how well he was perceived), he not only made himself rich, but he 
  made those who trusted him, and supported him, rich as well, often beyond their wildest dreams.
  Zoogenic Corporation, though veiled behind a screen of secrecy that initially drew concerns, went out of 
  its way to portray itself as a benevolent force in the world.  Humanitarian projects overseas fed hundreds 
  of thousands, employed countless more, and scoured the world for ways to preserve natural resources and 
  the world ecology.  Several articles go in-depth to describe Ronald Bernard’s admitted fascination with and 
  dedication to animals, which he is quoted to have called “the true victims of the industrial age”.  A sort of 
  superstar environmentalist, Bernard strove to educate the public on the importance of animals, both out of 
  his own perverse adoration of beasts (which he ultimately sought to elevate as the masters of planet Earth), 
  as well as to mask the true activities of his bioengineering corporation, which was known worldwide for 
  collecting animals from all parts of the globe for “classiﬁed projects”.
  In the end the few scraps of Arcanum the PCs ﬁnd on Ronald Bernard will only present him in the light 
  that he himself created:  an artiﬁcial image of himself that he sold to the public, and one that the public 
  bought up with ignorant relish.
  
  191
  shaped like the head of a goat (the ring dates from 
  the 1800s and was in fact owned by a pioneer of 
  the Satanist religion whose name is now forgotten; 
  though intricate, the ring’s value so long after the Fall 
  is dubious), and a piece of paper on which Ronald 
  Bernard’s signature is evidently scrawled in blood.  
  By all accounts the paper appears to be some kind 
  of contract with the Devil, offering the “souls of the 
  human race” - himself included - in exchange for 
  avenging the “perversion of the natural order”.  The 
  bizarre document does not explain what this means.
  BUILDING C - CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS (EL VARIES)
  The tallest building in the city, this magniﬁcent 
  building - seemingly encased in walls of silver 
  - rises high into the sky.  Something about the 
  building seems...foreboding.
  The tallest building in the city, the Zoogenic 
  Corporation’s headquarters rise ﬁve stories above 
  the next tallest building (the U.S. Bank Building, 
  elsewhere downtown).  Dwarﬁng the other buildings 
  in the Megaplex by several stories, the building has 
  a curious architectural style, setting it apart from all 
  the rest.
  This building was the heart of Zoogenic Corp’s 
  worldwide ﬁnancial and bioengineering “empire” 
  during the period before the Fall.  Other buildings 
  like it (but not as sophisticated or large) existed in 
  several major capitals across the globe, but it was 
  here that the corporation’s main operations were 
  planned, administered, and coordinated.
  A. Lobby (EL 18)
  This place is an enormous lobby and visiting area, 
  not unlike the lobby of Building B, but at one time 
  with a more business-oriented feel.  Now the place 
  is a dusty and abandoned place, though there are 
  signs the place has been visited regularly.  Enormous 
  serpentine tracks trail through the dust and sand 
  carried in from the outside - most of the lower-level 
  windows and glass walls were blown out long ago, 
  leaving the lobby exposed to the elements - along 
  with miscellaneous junk piled here for no apparent 
  reason.
  The place looks almost like an archaeological dig 
  site now, and in fact it is, in a sense; the Serpent 
  Gods returned to this building years ago and have 
  been meticulously examining the buildings contents, 
  architecture, and interior workings ever since.  It 
  was through their examination of the building that 
  they learned much about the Zoogenic Corporation’s 
  involvement in the genesis of their race (and the other 
  races of the Necropolis), and of the lost vault beneath 
  the corporate headquarters building (more on this 
  later).
  The lobby is guarded by 3 Serpent God ophidi at 
  all times.  These creatures will likely be forewarned 
  of the PCs’ presence in the Megaplex because of their 
  Telepathy trait (any previous encounters with Serpent 
  Gods will have drawn their attention).  The three 
  sentries are somewhat less lethargic than others of 
  their species, acutely aware of this building’s 
  importance to their racial quest for perfection.  Any 
  outsiders spotted here will immediately be attacked.  
  Reinforcements will arrive via the elevator shafts 
  from the Admin Ofﬁces (Area C, below) in 5 rounds.  
  1-4 Serpent Gods will arrive each round until a total 
  of 40 have slithered down to join the battle!
  Serpent God Ophidi (3):  HP 195.
  B. Corporate Ofﬁces (EL varies)
  Most of the ten lower levels of the corporate 
  headquarters building are taken up by ﬂoor after ﬂoor 
  of administrative ofﬁces, including secretarial pools, 
  printing centers, mailrooms, meeting rooms, etc.  
  Today these levels are occupied by numerous Serpent 
  Gods, infesting the place like a lethargic, scaly 
  pestilence.  If the PCs search these levels they are 
  bound to ﬁnd small groups of Serpent Gods making 
  their odorous dens among the old auditoriums and 
  elevator lobbies.
  Unless they’ve already been roused to action by 
  the Telepathic trait of their kind (any combat in the 
  Lobby will likely have drawn these reinforcements 
  down), most of these creatures will merely watch 
  the PCs or engage them in arrogant, indifferent 
  conversation.  Curious as to how the PCs got here 
  without being detected, they are quite surprised by 
  the party’s capabilities.  Assuming the PCs don’t 
  immediately attack, there is even a good chance the 
  Serpent God(s) in question will refrain from ﬁghting 
  - and even answer the party’s questions.
  Use this as a chance to role-play the sickening 
  lethargy and bizarre mindset of these powerful 
  creatures.  Once it gets its information from the 
  party, it will agree to answer any questions they pose 
  it.  But of course it will give its answers in riddles 
  (which it ﬁnds amusing; it hardly cares if the PCs get 
  frustrated as a result).
  An individual Serpent God generally knows about 
  every part of the Megaplex, as well as the disposition 
  of Serpent God forces.  It won’t be afraid to reveal 
  such information either, being quite conﬁdent in 
  their race’s superiority.  It may even suggest the PCs 
  go kill “so-and-so”, a fellow Serpent God that the 
  current individual simply dislikes, and give its tacit 
  “approval”.
  If the PCs stick to asking about the building, 
  they may learn much.  The Serpent God will reveal 
  information on the express elevators to the museum 
  and the observatory, and even suggest the party go 
  there and “read the manuscript” (alluding to the 
  Villaneuve Manuscript, but saying nothing more; see 
  
  192
  the nearby sidebar for more on this text) if they want 
  to “know more”.  It will not, however, talk of the 
  Labs or of the Megaplex Terminus, since these two 
  areas are quite sensitive to the race of Serpent Gods.
  Serpent Gods, various kinds (1-4 per ﬂoor):  HP 
  varies.
  C. Computer Mainframe (EL 0)
  This high-security area was once the communications 
  hub of the Zoogenic Corporation during the time 
  of the Ancients, but it has since fallen into disuse.  
  At one time data from Zoogenic Corp. ofﬁces 
  all over the world was sent and decrypted here, 
  providing additional information and raw statistics 
  (from experiments conducted overseas) for the 
  corporation’s secret bioengineering projects here in 
  the city.
  EMP from the nuclear blasts over the city fused 
  most of the delicate electronics kept here; making the 
  majority of the stuff absolutely useless, but by that 
  time the corporation had already completed its secret 
  work, so it didn’t matter.
  The mainframe level is empty now; those 
  computers that weren’t damaged were taken apart 
  by the Serpent Gods over the years as spare parts for 
  other projects, including the revitalization of the Labs 
  (see below).
  D. Labs (EL 20)
  About mid-level in the tower, several stories of the 
  building are taken up by the remnants of several 
  top-security genetic laboratories.  Here, in ancient 
  times, scientists working for the corporation - in 
  compartmentalized secrecy - perfected genetic 
  splicing technology, without much knowledge of 
  what exactly that technology was going to produce.  
  In addition to chemical and genetic laboratories, 
  incubator clinics and test animal disposal 
  crematoriums, prototype electronics and genetic 
  manipulation machinery were experimented with 
  and perfected here.  Most of the data and ﬁnished 
  prototypes were moved from this building to the 
  various secret Zoogenic Corp. facilities throughout 
  the city (Areas #042, #067, and #123) where the 
  actual work of splicing human and animal genes took 
  place.
  Though once protected by advanced security 
  systems and keycard locks, the Serpent Gods 
  “excavated” these musty rooms long ago, and learned 
  much about their ancestry.  It is here, among these 
  labs, that the Serpent Gods came to understand their 
  origins (along with evidence pieced together from 
  other sources, such as in the Archives), and give life 
  to their racial quest to create the perfect being.
  The lab complex occupies six stories altogether, 
  not a space of which the Serpent Gods have wasted.  
  What was once a sterile environment, however, is 
  now dark and dank; the awful odor of these creatures 
  (and the rotting remains of their rare failed breeding 
  programs) pervading the air of the multi-level facility.  
  But using computers stolen from all over Downtown, 
  as well as equipment left here during the Fall, they 
  have recreated a super-advanced genetic laboratory 
  here, despite the squalor that seems to follow their 
  ugly species wherever it goes.  Here, the smartest of 
  their already highly-intelligent race work restlessly 
  on their morbid creations; over the years they have 
  created the various sub-species of their race (as 
  detailed in the chapter, New Creatures), with only a 
  few minor “speed bumps” along the way (namely the 
  odd misshape resulting in the creation of “Horrors”).
  Though they have dispensed with the old electronic 
  security systems, this place is crawling with Serpent 
  Gods, both workers, guardians, and scientists.  PCs 
  coming to this level are certain to be discovered 
  quite early (sentries and workers dwell in the unlit 
  hallways leading to every stairwell and elevator), 
  and their intrusion so close to the vital heart of the 
  Serpent God breeding program will not be tolerated.  
  Their species’ Telepathy will draw others as well, 
  so even if the PCs manage to overcome the ﬁrst few 
  guards more and more Serpent Gods will pour from 
  the labs to destroy the PCs that it will seem an un-
  winnable situation.
  Serpent Gods, various kinds (50):  HP varies.
  E. Archive (EL 0)
  Located above the Labs, and accessible by an 
  express elevator from the Admin Ofﬁces and 
  Computer Mainframe, is the corporate “archive”, 
  a sort of “library” where data and information on 
  the corporation’s various holdings and projects 
  worldwide were stored.  Huge computers ﬁlled 
  with archived digital data, as well as actual physical 
  hard copy, were stored in this air-conditioned vault 
  for the duration of the building’s life before the 
  Fall.  A complete staff of 30 individuals (including 
  a coordinator droid) were on call here at all times, 
  accessing data from storage as it was requested, either 
  here at the home ofﬁce or from overseas ofﬁces.  On 
  a daily basis the information going in and out of this 
  place could range from ﬁnancial ﬁgures on a new 
  property being developed in Malaysia, to the genetic 
  “map” of a squirrel’s DNA.
  Since this important data storage center required 
  constant communications, the computers here 
  were provided a secure Intranet connection 
  (accessible only at Zoogenic Corp. facilities), or 
  with a sophisticated (and encoded) microwave 
  communications system.
  The Archives are still in use by the Serpent Gods, 
  who over the years have unlocked the secrets of 
  their past through studying the data here.  Coming 
  to realize Ronald Bernard’s true goals, as well as 
  
  193
  their genetic relationship to the other species of 
  the city, the Serpent Gods have found it wise to 
  preserve this electronic “library”.  Some day, when 
  the Hive and Broken Ones and Skaels are capable of 
  understanding, they will use this information to prove 
  that they all share the same genetic legacy, and were 
  intended to work as one to conquer the world!
  F. Corporate Lounge (EL 0)
  Just one of several rooms on this level, this room was 
  forgotten by the Serpent Gods - though its contents 
  once served as an important bit of evidence leading 
  them to the Vault beneath the Megaplex Terminus 
  (see below).
  The old room is almost forgotten now, collecting 
  dust.  Old equipment lies scattered about, where 
  the early serpent Gods broke into the chamber with 
  crude tools, to gaze upon the corporate lounge’s 
  frescoes with wide-eyed awe.  Cobwebs lace their 
  way throughout the room, and PCs will have to bring 
  their own lights, but if they do they will be able to see 
  what it was that provided the Serpent Gods with the 
  key to ﬁnding the Vault beneath the tower.
  The walls of the large opulent chamber (now 
  in a state of decay) were painted with painstaking 
  detail, but the imagery seems totally out of place 
  for a corporate lounge.  First off the style seems late 
  medieval, like something that belongs in a museum.  
  The wall-to-wall fresco depicts the night sky, ﬁlled 
  with 13 unusually prominent red stars, under whose 
  light the entire landscape of the Earth is aﬂame.  
  Cities, towns, and villages burn and the inhabitants 
  appear to be dying in droves at the hands of many 
  armies.  Among the ranks of soldiers bearing the ﬂags 
  of different nations, little winged demons can be seen 
  smiling with glee as they lead the armies of the world 
  into battle against one another.  Where the people 
  have already been slaughtered and the cities reduced 
  to ash, bestial half-man, half-beast creatures appear 
  to emerge from the shadows to feast happily on the 
  bodies of the dead.  One of each of these bestial 
  races - serpent, lion, insect, and ﬁsh - appear to go 
  underground beneath a great tower, where as one 
  they open a great door, from which shines a brilliant 
  white light...
  THE VILLANEUVE MANUSCRIPT
  Dating from the 1750s, the Villaneuve Manuscript was long considered a fake by collectors of 18th century 
  occult lore.  Allegedly written by one of the earliest Satanists, the manuscript’s prophetic verses were said 
  to have been inspired by visions induced during the author’s torture at the hands of Church authorities.  
  Though he survived and was ultimately saved from the ﬂames (due the changing attitudes of Europe 
  towards the belief in witchcraft), the author went on to found a cult known as the “Porte de Treize”, more 
  often called the “Blessed 13”, whose sole task was to prepare the world for their version of the much-
  prophesized “End of Days”.
  The manuscript details a bizarre prophecy of the future, which according to the author would occur more 
  than two hundred years after his lifetime.  It speaks of a breakdown of governments worldwide, of chaos 
  and anarchy, and a time when “man returns to his place beside the beast” - apparently a foretelling of the 
  abhorrent violence that was to become a hallmark of pre-Fall society.  The prophecy speaks of three key 
  events that will pave the way for the apocalypse.  These include the rise of someone referred to as “the 
  Jackal”, a man “from the gutter” who will rise to worldly power, and whose great charisma will bring about 
  an era of violence unrivalled in human history, a time when “men will be afraid to leave their homes, for 
  fear death is walking the streets”.  In exchange for his complicity the Jackal ensures that his “children” will 
  become the inheritors of the post-apocalyptic earth, forming “vast armies” led by “violent kings” whose 
  reign of terror will shape the wasteland for generations (a stunning similarity between these “vast armies” 
  can be seen in the raider gangs of the wasteland, beyond the Necropolis).
  Once the world “runs red with blood” - a result of this era of violence - the successful mating of man and 
  beast must be undertaken, representing the ultimate sacrilege of spurning God’s gift to humanity (in which 
  God made man superior to the animals of the Earth).  As the progeny of this perversion are let loose upon 
  the world, thirteen “blessed men” of great power and inﬂuence must willingly take their lives in a suicidal 
  ritual in a “city named after benevolence, a city of angels”.  Once this ritual act is completed, “true evil” 
  will enter the world and bring about the Earth’s conclusion.
  The manuscript goes on to provide tantalizing glimpses of what the World After will be:  a vast lifeless 
  desert where only the Jackal’s cruel and twisted descendants hold reign, and cities that have become 
  jungles where all manner of “beastmen” thrive.  In time these half-man, half-beast abominations will come 
  to recognize the impotence of God and rise up to take the world as their own in one ﬁnal act of deﬁance 
  against the Creator’s master plan.
  
  194
  G. Museum (EL 0)
  This two-level level museum, just below the 
  observatory (and reached via an express elevator 
  from the Lobby), was apparently a small public 
  institution, set up by the corporation as a donation 
  to the city.  The museum is apparently a sort of 
  zoological museum, but with a strange emphasis on 
  showing the correlation between animals and how 
  they were alternately feared, worshipped, hunted, 
  and driven extinct by the human race.  A large part 
  of the museum was dedicated to preserving relics of 
  animistic, animal-worshipping religions from tribes 
  of New Guinea to the natives of the Amazon, the 
  Eskimos to pre-Christian European cults - and many 
  of these artifacts remain.  Examples include statues, 
  ﬁgures, pottery, and even ceremonial masks depicting 
  the serpent deity Wollunqua of the aboriginal 
  Warramunga, Ario the bear-goddess of the ancient 
  Celts, the wolf-headed Khanukh of the Tlingit people, 
  the lion god Yaghuth of the pre-Islamic Arabs, etc.  
  Displays contain old pagan artifacts, prehistoric 
  cave paintings, and in one large central glass case, a 
  strange text (see The Villaneuve Manuscript sidebar 
  nearby).  The Serpent Gods have left this telling text 
  in its protective case, knowing that someday it might 
  be needed to prove the cooperative destiny of all the 
  Necropolis’ races.
  H. Observatory (EL 0)
  The uppermost level of Building C was given 
  over to a public observatory, ostensibly gifted to 
  the city as a charitable donation.  The observatory 
  gave a 360 degree view of the city from the tallest 
  building in L.A., and was equipped with standard 
  quarter-fed observation telescopes, and even 
  a privately-maintained astronomical telescope 
  administered by a small staff of Zoogenic Corp. 
  scientiﬁc personnel (who ostensibly used the 
  telescope here for civilian projects in conjunction 
  with researchers at CalTech, but there is no evidence 
  to suggest they ever worked with anyone outside 
  the corporation).  A small public planetarium 
  and auditorium sits on this level as well, and an 
  educational media center where visitors to the 
  corporation’s headquarters could be treated to an 
  informative show about the heavens.
  A search here will uncover mostly junk, such as 
  information pamphlets describing what viewers can 
  see from this height, to brochures listing the times 
  of the next planetarium show (the PCs are a bit late, 
  having missed the last show by 200+ years).  Old ﬁlm 
  reels, if played, show a somewhat typical educational 
  movie about the planets and the solar system, but 
  with an eerie emphasis on how astronomy - and 
  astrology - was long viewed as a vessel for prophecy 
  in the ancient past.  The ﬁlm doesn’t make any 
  speciﬁc references, but it does mention that “some 
  groups” monitored the stars for the “right signs” to 
  exact their “patiently-woven plans”...
  MEGAPLEX TERMINUS (EL VARIES)
  Your descent into this dark place has only been 
  met by the drifting of motes of dust past your 
  lights, and a thick, stale odor of...reptiles.
  Coming to the end of the passage you came by, 
  you see an ancient subway platform, so huge that 
  it extends well out of sight and into the darkness.  
  Train tracks run perpendicular to the platform, 
  and vanish into enormous tunnels on either side.
  Beneath the Bernard Megaplex lies the “Megaplex 
  Terminus”, a subway station built by the corporation 
  to provide its employees and staff easy access to the 
  city’s public transportation system.  The fact that the 
  corporation warranted its own station is evidence of 
  its power at the time of the Fall, as well as the sheer 
  number of workers employed at the site at its height.
  The Megaplex Terminus can be accessed from the 
  
  195
  conventional subway station entrance (i.e. escalators) 
  facing the Plaza, as well as from elevators in the 
  sub-basement garages of each of the three Megaplex 
  towers.  These elevators (and stairwells) are clearly 
  marked, as civilian employees and their families 
  regularly used them to reach the subterranean subway 
  station to take the train all over 
  the city.  The elevators are no 
  longer working (they’ve fallen 
  and smashed at the bottom of each 
  shaft), but the stairwells remain 
  accessible.
  A. Main Platform (EL 0)
  The subway station of the 
  Megaplex Terminus is one of 
  the largest in the city, capable 
  of accommodating four separate 
  subway trains and over 1,000 
  people.  The main platform once 
  had its own gift shop, restaurant, 
  waiting lounge, and visitor center 
  (where a collection of androids, all 
  fake smiles and sunshine, walked 
  among the crowds informing 
  visitors incessantly about the 
  ultra-modern technology of the 
  Megaplex, the conveniences of 
  its “self-contained mall”, and 
  the amazing wonders Zoogenic 
  Corporation was performing in 
  the name of furthering science), 
  but these were ransacked and 
  abandoned long, long ago.
  This area is empty.
  B. Egg Chamber (EL 20)
  Not far from the Main Platform is a large cavern, 
  hollowed from the subway tunnel over the years by 
  the Serpent Gods.  The odor of scaly things is so 
  strong here that any non-Serpent God must make 
  a Fortitude save at DC 13 or be overcome with 
  sickness, losing 1d6 points of Strength for 10 rounds.
  The cave itself is lit by a weak collection of orange 
  and green light rods scavenged from the city, as well 
  as corium lanterns taken from scavs and others who 
  wandered too close to the Downtown area.  The 
  lights illuminate a vast clutch of several dozen, man-
  sized “eggs”, each an ugly yellow 
  leathery sack nestled against another 
  of its kind in the dim radiance of the 
  lanterns.
  These eggs comprise the current 
  generation of Serpent Gods, which are 
  close to hatching.  Though powerful, 
  the Serpent Gods are relatively few in 
  number, but they replenish their losses 
  (those that die of extreme old age) 
  with hatchlings every few decades.
  Serpent God guardians move 
  through the egg chamber regularly, 
  both to guard the eggs and to keep 
  an eye out for hatchlings.  Any egg 
  that hatches prematurely tends to give 
  birth to a Horror, which is quickly 
  rounded up before it can harm the 
  other eggs, and taken to be expelled 
  at the Pit of Horrors (see Area #086).  
  Also, because the form of the Serpent 
  God is a complex creation, other eggs 
  sometimes fail to hatch at all.  The 
  Serpent Gods have become adept 
  at recognizing which eggs contain 
  dead embryos, and workers regularly 
  snatch these with staff-like tongs and 
  remove them, to be eaten by the rest 
  of the Serpent God community.  After 
  all, waste not, want not...
  Serpent God Ophidi (6):  HP 195.
  
  196
  C. Excavation (EL 18)
  The subway tunnel leading from the Megaplex 
  Terminus ends here, at what appears to be the end 
  of the track.  However, the brick wall here appears 
  to have been deliberately broken open in the past, 
  its entire face disassembled brick by brick; even an 
  old dusty bulldozer sits nearby, abandoned once the 
  wall was broken down.  The artiﬁcial opening is lit 
  by corium lanterns and light rods (replaced regularly 
  when they run out), not unlike the Egg Chamber, 
  and a rough tunnel can be seen extending off into the 
  darkness.
  During the time of the Ancients this was, to most 
  observers, the end of the ‘Terminus subway line.  No 
  one ever came here except for city subway workers, 
  and they never noticed anything unusual.
  Unbeknownst to these workers, however, 
  before the subway was completed Zoogenic 
  Corporation used this last stretch of line to construct a 
  secret vault deep beneath the earth.  Using contractors 
  sworn to secrecy, the corporation hollowed out a 
  tremendous void in the bedrock, accessed via a 
  massive portal (see below).  The tunnel leading to 
  this vault was sealed up as soon as it was completed, 
  and soon forgotten.
  The Serpent Gods re-discovered the sealed tunnel 
  years ago, following clues found in the Bernard 
  Megaplex.  Using hand tools, jackhammers, and 
  even construction equipment (like the bulldozer still 
  sitting nearby) they smashed through the old wall and 
  located the tunnel, ﬁnally ﬁnding the way to the Vault 
  itself.
  GM’s Note:  There is a 25% chance that 2 Serpent 
  God ophidi will be here, on guard.  They will attack 
  anyone they detect coming near the excavation.
  Serpent God Ophidi (2):  HP 195.
  D. Vault (EL 19)
  At the end of a huge rough tunnel stands a truly 
  massive portal of solid tungsten - by all appearances, 
  a bank vault door as large as a small building, and 
  wide enough for a yacht to pass through.  Small 
  boulders lie about, debris collected from past 
  earthquakes and from the excavation by the Serpent 
  Gods.  Old tools (a steam-powered rock bore, an 
  entire dump truck, and many picks and shovels) lie 
  strewn about here.  Light rods of various dim and 
  unﬁtting colors light the scene, their multi-hued 
  radiance glimmering weakly off of the burnished 
  black metal of the giant door.  A single electronic 
  keypad, shielded by a metal panel from falling debris, 
  sits at roughly head level on the rock wall beside the 
  door.
  This vault comprises the “great secret” of the 
  Zoogenic Corporation.  Constructed at the order 
  of Ronald Bernard and his fellows in the “Blessed 
  13”, the vault was to give their inhuman creations 
  the articles they would need to conquer the post-
  apocalyptic world.
  The Serpent Gods discovered the existence of the 
  THE VAULT
  What does the vault beneath the Bernard Megaplex contain?  Ronald Bernard spent his whole life planning 
  to fulﬁll the prophecy of the Villaneuve Manuscript, creating a world where animals would rule, retaking 
  the planet and erasing the mistakes of humankind.  A sort of “nihilistic environmentalist”, he and the other 
  members of the “Blessed 13” sunk vast resources into making this bizarre dream come true.
  The vault can therefore be said to contain all the tools necessary for their progeny to do just that:  
  conquer the Earth.  With a budget that exceeded even some second-world nations, Zoogenic Corporation 
  was able to buy up vast stocks of arms, ammunition, advanced equipment, and cutting-edge war machines 
  to ensure that their “children” would have all the tools they needed to fulﬁll their destiny.
  So what does this amount to, in game terms?  That’s up to you.  The contents of the Zoogenic Vault 
  are not likely to be discovered during the party’s lifetime.  The current state of the various factions of the 
  city, and their inability to get along, will see to that.  The vault is nigh impregnable; not only is it well-
  defended by the Serpent Gods, but Ancient-era construction techniques make it impossible to burn/burrow/
  blast into.  But here are some ideas - a battalion of tanks, armored cars, humvees with machineguns and 
  missile launchers; an armory of lasers, gauss riﬂes, and anti-tank weapons; artillery and rocket artillery; 
  energy shields and magnetic shields (no powered armor; Bernard knew his children would have inhuman 
  forms, so only these harness-like shields would work for them); and vast reserves of ammunition, power 
  cells, and fuel.  All of these artifacts would have been meticulously preserved, to last the hundreds and 
  hundreds of years it would take not only for their progeny to mature into their current forms, but also to 
  make peace with one another and realize their communal destiny.  Dehumidifying machines would have 
  leeched all moisture from the vault’s air.  Plastic covers would sheath the interior of the vehicles, and seal 
  entire crates of weapons.  Tape on every glass surface would prevent breakage.  Tires would be deﬂated, 
  fuel tanks drained, and hydraulic ﬂuids and gasoline stored in huge, separate reserves to prevent settling, 
  accumulation, and rust.  All in all, this vast armory would be designed to give the “Blessed 13’s” chosen 
  descendants the capability to expand across the globe.
  
  197
  Vault through ﬁnds in the Bernard Megaplex, and 
  came here in search of it.  Though they scoured the 
  sewers fruitlessly for years for any sign of the vault, 
  they eventually returned to this site and, bringing 
  heavy equipment scavenged from the surface into the 
  subway, broke through the walls here.
  Finding the vault door the Serpent Gods tried to 
  open it, but ultimately their efforts proved futile.  
  But, in a testament to their genius, they were 
  eventually able to ﬁgure out how the lock mechanism 
  operated, and what means were needed to bypass it.  
  Unfortunately, they do not currently meet the strict 
  prerequisites the lock requires, and have since given 
  up trying to open it.  They still guard the vault door, 
  however, knowing that its contents will someday 
  prove invaluable.
  GM’s Note:  The locks on the vault will only open 
  with a harmonic synchronization of the biorhythms 
  of a living sample from each of Zoogenic’s proto-
  progeny; in other words, a living member of each 
  race of the Broken Ones, Serpent Gods, Skaels, and 
  Hive must be present - and work in unison - for the 
  doors to open.  The Serpent Gods ﬁgured this fact 
  out long ago, and as a result are keeping the vault’s 
  existence entirely quiet.  Seeing the other factions of 
  the city as far too barbaric, the Serpent Gods patiently 
  await the day that they and their “cousins” can come 
  together and open this lost treasure.
  A group of 3 Serpent God ophidi guard the 
  exterior of the portal at all times.  They are charged 
  with defending it against all intruders.  Unlike some 
  other Serpent Gods, they take their duties seriously.
  Serpent God Ophidi (3):  HP 195.
  
  198
  SEWERS
  The sewers of the Necropolis 
  comprise virtually their own 
  “city”, its streets - sewer 
  passages and ﬂooded tunnels - 
  winding chaotically just beneath 
  the surface of the city above.
  In the years since the Fall these sewers have 
  become home to a number of creatures, not to 
  mention the vast packs of ghouls who have had a 
  presence in the Necropolis since the ﬁrst decade or so 
  after the nuclear war.  Other monsters have also come 
  to make the sewers their home, however, including 
  beasts who shun the sun, or ﬁnd the hunting much 
  less dangerous here than on the surface (after all, 
  above ground predators must contend with the likes 
  of mutagons and heap turtles).
  The sewers presented here and depicted on the 
  sewer map only represent a small portion of the 
  actual complex of tunnels and passages beneath 
  the city.  Since virtually every street in the city 
  has a tunnel, not all can be detailed due to space 
  limitations.  But they certainly do exist.  Some may 
  have collapsed due to cave-ins and tectonic activity, 
  while others are simply forgotten.  Feel free to 
  expand the encounter locations described here with 
  others of your own design.
  In addition to actual sewers, the old Los Angeles 
  subways are integrated here as well.  Together they 
  make a maze of passages and tunnels beneath the city 
  surface.
  GENERAL DESCRIPTION
  In general the locations beneath the Necropolis 
  consist of sewer tunnels, sewer chambers, subway 
  tunnels, and exits.  Most of these are made from 
  concrete; some date to when the city was ﬁrst 
  founded, and others represent newer additions over 
  the generations leading up to the Fall.
  SEWER TUNNELS
  The typical sewer tunnel is 30 feet in diameter.  A 
  ledge, anywhere from 2 to 5 feet wide, runs at 
  the halfway mark of the tunnel, intended to allow 
  maintenance workers to move along a given channel 
  (these also provide a convenient place for rats to live 
  and breed).  A “channel” describes the sewer water 
  ﬂowing through a given tunnel. The water level of 
  a given sewer channel will be anywhere from 10 to 
  20 feet deep, though on average it will be only 13-15 
  feet deep (as such, the water level below the ledge 
  will be anywhere from a foot down to obscuring the 
  ledge itself).
  Characters moving or ﬁghting on a sewer tunnel 
  ledge may be called on to make Reﬂex saves or 
  Balance checks at the GM’s discretion to avoid 
  falling in (the DC should be relatively low, such as 
  10-12).  This should only occur to heighten tension 
  or provide excitement during an encounter, not to 
  bog down mundane movement or travel over great 
  distances.  Falling into sewers may have other effects 
  as well; see the Sewer Hazards.
  SEWER CHAMBERS
  Sewer chambers mark points where sewage is 
  intended to gather (to be treated, ﬁltered, or distilled), 
  or to be channeled to a deeper level of the system.  
  Chambers can range in size, shape, and dimensions; 
  square rooms, spherical rooms, columnar rooms, 
  hexagons, and octagonal sewer chambers are not 
  unknown.  Most are fed by numerous sewer tunnels 
  entering either at the same level, or at varying heights 
  (i.e. one spills sewage like a waterfall, another 
  provide entrance near the surface of the sewer waters, 
  and another feeds sewage underwater completely).
  Chambers make an ideal home for sewer-dwelling 
  creatures, since they provide space to rest, nest, and 
  eat.
  SUBWAY TUNNELS
  In addition to sewer tunnels the old underground 
  is riddled with subway tunnels, part of the ancient 
  mass-transit system that once served the greater Los 
  Angeles area.  These tunnels often connect directly 
  to the sewers themselves (via a confusing network of 
  maintenance ducts).
  Subway tunnels can be assumed to be identical to 
  sewer tunnels with a few exceptions.  First, subway 
  tunnels are all dry, so there is no danger of falling in, 
  or having to swim through a ﬂooded area.  Second, 
  they have ﬂat ﬂoors instead of being cylindrical in 
  shape, and train tracks run in both directions along 
  the ﬂoor of every subway tunnel.  These old tracks 
  are rusted, but lack any power, so there is no danger 
  to PCs walking along them.
  EXITS
  Considering this region represents the old city 
  sewers and subways, exits are never far away.  In 
  game terms, at least one exit from the underground 
  should be available in every hex.  Manholes on city 
  streets, maintenance hatches inside old buildings and 
  basements, and old subway stations provide ready 
  access to the surface, and unless you have reason to 
  keep them underground, PCs needing a quick escape 
  are generally in luck.
  
  199
  
  200
  If you want to prevent the PCs from jumping in 
  and out of the underground, however (for example 
  to evade trouble), you can always arbitrarily limit 
  access to the surface by requiring Search checks to 
  ﬁnd an exit, Climb checks to reach a manhole at the 
  top of a shaft, and even a Strength check to unjam the 
  manhole/hatch once they’ve gotten to it.  You can go 
  further as well.  Perhaps a car was parked over the 
  manhole, preventing it from being opened at all.  Or a 
  subway station was sealed closed by a past cave-in...
  SEWER HAZARDS
  In addition to encounters with sewer-dwelling 
  creatures, the sewers themselves can provide hazards 
  to PCs moving underground.  Judge each case on an 
  individual basis, but by and large the biggest hazard 
  (besides monsters) will be the sewer water itself.
  A character falling into a sewer tunnel may make 
  a Reﬂex save at DC 12 to avoid ingesting any 
  sewer water (alternatively you can resort to using 
  the normal rules for drowning).  On a failed check 
  the PCs swallows some water, and runs the risk of 
  contamination.  Roll below to determine the nature of 
  the contamination:
  D20
  Contamination
  1-8
  None
  9-12
  Parasitic infestation (DC 16)
  13-14
  Cholera (DC 13)
  15-16
  Low-grade pollutants (DC 13)
  17-18
  Industrial waste (DC 17)
  19-20
  Deadly chemicals (DC 20)
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  Random encounters in the Sewers are relatively 
  infrequent, due to the sheer fact that the tunnel 
  systems are quite vast and complex.  However, living 
  creatures do dwell in the darkness here, and PCs 
  navigating these dank and wretched warrens run the 
  risk of encounters with the dangerous inhabitants of 
  the sewers.
  Each time the PCs pass through a map hex that 
  isn’t detailed in the text, there is a chance of a 
  random encounter.  In the sewers the chance is 1 in 
  12.  Roll on the table below to determine the nature 
  of a random encounter.  Individual encounters are 
  detailed in a separate chapter, Random Encounters.
  D20
  Random Encounter
  1-2
  Sewer Infernum
  3-4
  Rat Dog Scouts
  5-7
  Sewer Scribblings
  8-10
  Strange Spoor (Sewer)
  11-13
  Random Noises (Sewer)
  14-16
  Sewer Ghouls
  17-18
  Sewer Pursuit
  19-20
  Glowing Tunnels
  161. OILY AREA (EL 1)
  The water level has gradually increased, and 
  now the ledge you were walking on seems to give 
  way.  You’ll have to swim from here on, but the 
  smell of oil is suffocating - this water doesn’t 
  look safe to navigate...
  The PCs will have to swim through these tunnels if 
  they plan on continuing.  However, the water is thick 
  with oil from industrial waste.  Though it’s not acidic, 
  it will hamper movement (all Swim checks are made 
  at a -4 penalty).  In addition, any character ingesting 
  the water (or drowning) will have to make a Fortitude 
  save at DC 13 as if exposed to low-grade pollutants 
  (see Darwin’s World 2nd Edition: Campaign Guide).  
  Finally, items immersed underwater may be ruined, at 
  the GM’s discretion.
  162. SLIME (EL 0)
  A terrible stench arises from the waters here, 
  which appear to have congealed into a greenish 
  jelly near the surface.  The current of the sewer 
  can be seen moving swiftly along underneath this 
  pliant, mucus-like surface.
  The strange mucus here is a product of lingering 
  pollution and rotting organic matter.  But while it is 
  moist, sticky, and slimy, it poses no threat to living 
  creatures.
  The mucus is remarkable, however, for it can be 
  used by Skaels (and other aquatic races) to coat their 
  entire bodies, preventing them from suffering damage 
  from exposure to air.  The Skaels are unaware that 
  this substance exists, but would be quite happy if a 
  party were to tell them about it (and perhaps show 
  them where they can harvest it).  If the slime were to 
  fall in the hands of the Skaels, it might provide them 
  with the impetus to begin exploring the shores of the 
  Necropolis, and perhaps even further inland...
  There is enough slime here to coat 2d20 Medium-
  sized humanoid creatures.  The slime build-up here 
  will replenish itself (up to the same random amount) 
  one month after being exhausted.
  163. SEWER EXIT (EL 0)
  Light ﬁlters in from small holes in the manhole 
  above.
  This site is rather unexceptional, looking like any 
  other exit to the surface.  It is in fact remarkable, 
  however, because this manhole emerges inside the 
  android-controlled Impound Yard (Area #063).  The 
  manhole will open inside the actual yard, between 
  two stockpiled vehicles, so that if the PCs emerge 
  they will actually be unseen.
  
  201
  164. RAIDERS UNDERGROUND (EL 10)
  Up ahead you see the dim light of a torch.
  The light the PCs spot comes from the torch carried 
  by the ghost raider elite leading a small group of 
  his fellows through the sewers in this area.  Though 
  not normally considered a sane thing to do - due to 
  ghouls - the ghost raiders ﬂed to the sewers after a 
  swarm of bug ﬂyers found their camp in the ruins 
  and attacked from the sky.  Forced to abandon their 
  vehicles, the ghost raiders escaped underground and 
  have been traveling in the sewers to avoid further 
  Hive attacks.
  When the ghost raiders spot the PCs they will 
  immediately open ﬁre, as they are on edge and 
  frightened.  If the party takes cover and tries to 
  communicate, the panicked men will retreat in the 
  opposite direction - they will not try to deal with the 
  party at all.
  Ghost Raider Elite (1):  HP 36 (down to 24).
  Ghost Raiders (3):  HP 22.
  Treasure:  In addition to their normal gear these 
  ghost raiders also carry a crowbar and shovel with 
  them, while their leader carries a slightly bent golf 
  club (used as a melee weapon).
  165. GARBAGE CHAMBER (EL 0)
  Your lights illuminate a ﬂooded chamber here, 
  where the waters of the harbor lap against the 
  bare stone walls.  All sorts of debris appear 
  to have washed in from the ocean, collecting 
  against the far wall in a tangle of seaweed.  Two 
  tunnels lead out; one towards the ocean, and one 
  into the sewers.
  Over the years this sewer chamber (ﬂooded to about 
  eight feet) has become clogged with debris coming in 
  from the sea, largely due to the fact that the grate at 
  Area #055 is not always securely closed.  This debris 
  makes swimming difﬁcult in the chamber (-2 penalty 
  to all Swim checks).
  Treasure:  The debris clogging the chamber 
  consists of seaweed and old ﬁshing nets washed in 
  from the harbor.  Searching through this mess will 
  uncover 1d3 old tires, 1d2 empty jerry cans, 2d10 
  dead and rotting ﬁsh, and a small intact rowboat with 
  1d2 oars inside.
  This latter item could be freed from the sludge and 
  used to navigate the ﬂooded tunnels of the sewers, 
  and if the PCs stick to navigating the channels, could 
  even use the boat to reach virtually any part of the 
  sewers.
  166. EXPLORERS (EL 5)
  Your beam of light catches sight of movement 
  up ahead.  In your light a trio of hideous scaly 
  creatures is brightly illuminated, creeping slowly 
  and quietly up the passage towards you.  The 
  large ﬁsh eyes of these creatures narrow from the 
  light, and they hiss hatefully with a malevolent, 
  whispered voice.
  A small group of Skael scouts recently discovered the 
  Harbor Sewer at Area #055, and decided to explore 
  within.  Like pioneers in a strange new world, the 
  Skaels are on edge, unsure of their new surroundings, 
  and frightened from the strange sounds they’ve heard 
  echoing through the vast complex of tunnels.
  When the PCs appear the Skaels have a 50% 
  chance of ﬂeeing in the opposite direction.  If they 
  don’t, they will instead attack as an instinctive 
  reaction.  They will not surrender.
  Skael Scouts (3):  HP 22.
  Treasure:  The scouts carry with them an 
  assortment of “fascinating” objects they have found 
  in the sewers, which they hope to take back to their 
  prince.  These items include a skull, a sewer worker’s 
  safety helmet, a large halogen light bulb, several bent 
  automobile license plates, and 1 roll on the “Magic” 
  Items table.
  167. CAROUSEL (EL 9)
  The silence of the tunnels - broken only by the 
  sound of running water and the distant squeak 
  of rats - is suddenly disrupted by a strange, 
  haunting music.  Some kind of pipe organ breaks 
  the quiet, its eerie sound echoing weirdly off the 
  tunnel walls, distorting its carnival tune as it 
  ﬁnds its way to where you stand...
  A chamber in the sewers has been turned into a clever 
  trap by a resident gang of ghouls.  The music luring 
  the party here comes from a full-sized circus carousel 
  (i.e. “merry-go-round”), taken piece by piece from 
  the surface and re-assembled here painstakingly by 
  the ghouls.
  When and if the PCs take the bait, they enter this 
  chamber to ﬁnd the carousel moving, its horses 
  rearing, its lights pulsing and ﬂashing, and its 
  distorted mirrors reﬂecting their images in wild 
  and fantastic ways.  Organ music, created by the 
  antiquated circus machine, emanates from the 
  contraption itself, and is almost deafening here.
  The ghouls use the carousel to draw fools to their 
  deaths.  Drawn by the eerie music, and awed by the 
  sight of so large (and unﬁtting) a contraption here in 
  the sewers, their victims usually let down their guard  
  long enough for the ghouls to move in and trap them 
  in the cavern, before moving to attack.
  
  202
  The ghouls will spring their trap 1d2 rounds after 
  the PCs enter the cavern.  They will pour in from 
  hidden niches, side tunnels, and from the main tunnel 
  itself (moving in from behind the party to prevent 
  escape).  The massed pack will attack in two waves; 
  each consisting of half the total ghouls.  The ﬁrst 
  wave will retreat if one-third their number is killed, 
  only to join the second wave.  The second wave will 
  muster forth two rounds later, and will ﬁght until all 
  of their number is killed.
  Necropolis Ghouls (18):  HP 12.
  Treasure:  The ghouls have stashed the loot from 
  past victims in a nearby tunnel (Search check DC 
  27 to locate).  This loot consists of a blood-stained 
  tactical vest, night vision goggles, a power cell, 1d6 
  rolls of toilet paper, an iron strongbox (open and 
  empty, no key), and 1d2 rolls on Table 9:  “Magic” 
  Items.
  168. LOST WASTE DUMP (EL 7)
  Up ahead you see something unusual.  A 
  metal door stands here, blocking the passage.  
  The sewer water runs underneath this sealed 
  doorway, channeled through a tight grating just 
  below the surface of the water.
  These doorways (one on each side of the chamber), 
  despite their age, are sealed tight so the PCs will have 
  to crack one of them open to go beyond.
  Inside the PCs ﬁnd a large cavernous chamber 
  (almost 60 ft wide on all sides), which has been 
  sealed since the time of the Ancients.  An “island”, 
  created by the sewer waters running around it, sits 
  in the middle of the chamber, stacked high with 
  row upon row of corroding black metal barrels.  
  The waters here have turned a sulfurous yellow, 
  apparently from toxic ﬂuids leaking from these 
  barrels.
  The water here is contaminated, and anyone 
  ingesting or coming contact with the water will 
  be subject to the effects of industrial waste (see 
  Darwin’s World 2nd Edition: Campaign Guide).
  Living in the waters, however, is a large  animate 
  byproduct of this secret illegal waste dump, a creature 
  spawned when a unique combination of chemicals 
  in the sewer waters and waste tanks came together.  
  The creature - a blob - has lived here for over one 
  hundred years, feeding off of the rare rat ﬁnding its 
  way into the chamber.
  Once the PCs open one of the doors to this 
  chamber, there is a 50% chance the blob will move 
  (silently and unseen underwater) to attack them and 
  devour them.  Otherwise the creature will remain 
  hidden and instead swim out of the chamber, free at 
  last.  It won’t attack the PCs now, but they very well 
  may encounter it later (perhaps as it attacks another 
  creature in the sewers).
  Blob (1):  HP 96.
  Steel Doors (4):  Hardness 10, HP 90.
  169. DEEP WATERS (EL 11)
  A huge splash, followed by another, then 
  another, echoes through these tunnels.
  This part of the sewers is home to a giant sewer croc 
  and her two young, which have still to reach maturity.  
  Highly territorial creatures, these creatures have 
  become unusually aggressive since the larger sewer 
  croc at Area #170 chased them out.
  Desperate for food, the three crocs hunt together.  
  The larger croc will lead the attack on anyone 
  encountered in the tunnels, while the other two either 
  provide support, or if conditions are right, come in 
  from the sides or behind to prevent their prey from 
  escaping.
  The mother croc is a giant sewer croc, while 
  the two young should be treated merely as 2 huge 
  crocodiles.
  Giant Sewer Croc (1):  HP 102.
  Huge Crocodiles (2):  HP 59 (see d20 Modern).
  170. WATERFALL (EL 14)
  The chamber up ahead thunders with the crash 
  of a subterranean waterfall.  Looking in you see 
  a tumultuous pond of rancid sewer water ﬁlling 
  half the cylindrical cavern, churned by a swiftly-
  ﬂowing waterfall from another ﬂooded sewer 
  tunnel emptying in from high up on the opposite 
  wall.  Other circular tunnel leads off into 
  darkness.  A sickly brown moss covers virtually 
  everything, and where it doesn’t, slick and slimy 
  stone peeks through.
  This huge sewer chamber marks a point where the 
  tunnels converge to drain waters deeper into the 
  system.  Because of this water volume, and the fact 
  that the sewage comes from all over, the PCs actually 
  see items ﬂoating on the surface of the water, as well 
  as being washed ashore to be trapped in the thick 
  moss.
  Roll 1d2+1 times on the Junk table to determine 
  what the PCs see when they initially enter the room.  
  Note, however, that an advanced giant sewer croc 
  makes this large chamber its home, as it has come to 
  use the waterfall’s “thunder” to mask the sounds of 
  its movement (when a creature its size dives into the 
  water, it usually makes a splash loud enough to warn 
  anyone within a few hundred yards).
  
  203
  Advanced Giant Sewer Croc:  CR 14; Gargantuan 
  mutated animal; HD 17d8+68; HP 144; Mas 19; 
  Init +1; Spd 20 ft, swim 40 ft; Defense 13, touch 
  7, ﬂatfooted 12 (-4 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural); BAB 
  +12; Grap +35; Atk +21 melee (2d10+17, bite), or 
  +21 melee (2d8+17, tail slap); Full Atk +21 melee 
  (2d10+17, bite), or +21 melee (2d8+17, tail slap); 
  FS 20 ft by 20 ft; Reach 15 ft; SQ acid resistance, 
  aquatic, diseased bite, improved grab, low-light 
  vision; AL none; SV Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +6; AP 
  0; Rep +0; Str 34, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 
  2.
  Skills:  Hide -4 (+0 when submerged), Listen +5, 
  Spot +5.
  Feats:  None.
  The enormous scaly creature will watch anyone 
  entering the waterfall chamber from its hiding place 
  (just beneath the water) for 1d2 rounds, before 
  eventually deciding to attack.
  Advanced Sewer Croc (1):  HP 144.
  Treasure:  At the bottom of the ﬂooded chamber, 
  30 ft underwater, is the body of an adventurer killed 
  by the giant sewer croc as he tried to navigate the 
  sewers in an attempt to go under the ghoul-infested 
  parts of the city.  The croc has the adventurer’s corpse 
  pinned under some heavy debris (a tree trunk), but 
  if the PCs dive they will discover it, and be able to 
  dislodge it - and loot it.
  The adventurer’s corpse is clad in lazab armor 
  (currently crusted in goop, but can be cleaned), and 
  has a rotting leather holster with a slightly-damaged 
  weapon in it (roll on Table 15: Rare Military 
  Weapons to determine what the weapon is; it will 
  require a Repair check, DC 25, to ﬁx).  Unfortunately 
  the weapon’s power source was lost and washed 
  downstream.  The corpse also has a small medicine 
  pouch that still contains three doses of stimshot B, a 
  dose of ﬁlter dose, and a single ready syringe.
  171. UNDERDOGS (EL 7)
  Dim light ﬁlters in through a sewer grating far 
  overhead, perhaps an exit onto the surface of the 
  city.  But here, in the sewers, the manhole cover 
  seems distant, out of reach.
  As you enter this large chamber to the sound 
  of lapping water, you are startled as two, then 
  four, then six intensely glowing eyes light up the 
  darkness.  Apparently something lives here, and 
  it has noticed your transgression...
  This sewer chamber is home to a small group of 3 
  seers.  These awful canines, having been driven away 
  from the lair of the pit creature (at Area #117), have 
  made a new home here, dragging kills from other 
  parts of the sewers here to feast on.  Territorial, they 
  leap at the chance to kill the intruding PCs - and add 
  to the carcasses already rotting amid the heaps of 
  garbage.
  Seers (3):  HP 27.
  Treasure:  Refuse from the street outside collects 
  in this sewer chamber, drawn through the sewer grate 
  by rare rains.  Collecting in huge heaps of rotting 
  vegetable matter, newspaper, and other garbage, this 
  junk may have a few articles worth scavenging.  Roll 
  1d3 times on Table 1: Junk to determine what trash 
  has accumulated here.
  In addition to these, the seers have killed three 
  ghouls, whose corpses lie here half-eaten.  Among 
  these bodies can be found a bone great club, a 
  necklace made from intricately-carved human ﬁnger-
  bones (worth 25 cp as a trade item), and a single juju 
  potion (heals 1d4+2).
  172. THE THING (EL 8)
  A terrible smell wafts down the dark sewer 
  tunnels.
  When the PCs come here they are 75% likely 
  to bump into a small hive of 1d2+2 Medium-
  size monstrous cockroaches.  Though normally 
  aggressive, the creatures live on the outskirts of 
  a sewer system that is now home to a far more 
  dangerous creature, an advanced slime mole.
  The slime mole evolved from some poor creature 
  that ﬂed to the sewers after the Fall, dying of 
  radiation.  Giving birth before passing away from 
  terrible burns, its progeny (and their progeny) have 
  been born progressively more and more deformed 
  and mutated over the years.
  The slime mole is a simple carnivore that will 
  attack anything and everything it senses in its 
  domain.  It normally feeds on giant cockroaches, but 
  it will move to devour other prey as well.
  GM’s Note:  The creature lives partly-submerged 
  in the highly-toxic waters of these sewer tunnels, 
  and as such has developed an ability similar to 
  tremorsense (allowing it to sense vibrations in the 
  water out to 1,000 feet).  This higly specialized sense 
  allows it to detect approaching prey long before they 
  perceive it.
  If it detects intruders the slime mole will swim to 
  its prey’s location, and use its reach to grapple an 
  opponent on the overhead ledges, drawing her into 
  the water so that she takes damage from the mildly 
  corrosive waters (inﬂicting 1d4 points of acid damage 
  per round from immersion; splash damage is 1d2) 
  while they ﬁght.  It will not pursue prey further than 
  1,000 feet from its original starting position, however, 
  so it is possible to get away from this monstrous 
  beast.
  
  204
  Medium-Size Monstrous Cockroaches (3-4):  HP 
  13.
  Advanced Slime Mole (1):  HP 126.
  Treasure:  The slime mole doesn’t appear to have 
  any treasure, but if the PCs cut its belly open they 
  will ﬁnd a strange item inside - a myoelectric arm 
  [F/MG], which it acquired after biting off some poor 
  adventurer’s exposed limb.  The cybernetic arm is 
  still in good condition, and even still grips a ﬂashlight 
  (standard model, though the power cell is dead).
  173. ACID WASTE (EL 1)
  The waters here churn with an unnatural 
  yellow color, and biting vapors rise from the 
  calm surface of the sewage channel.
  These tunnels have collected an inordinate amount 
  of acid waste dumped illegally underground during 
  the time of the Ancients.  The waters are now highly 
  acidic, and any creature being splashed or falling in 
  risks being horribly burned.
  GM’s Note:  The acid here is considered Potent, 
  and thus a splash will inﬂict 2d6 points of damage, 
  while total immersion (i.e. falling in) will inﬂict 2d10 
  points of damage per round.
  In addition, the fumes here are toxic as well.  
  Characters moving through the area must make a 
  Fortitude save at DC 15 or take 1 point of temporary 
  Constitution damage.  A second save 1 minute later 
  must be passed to avoid taking another 1d4 points of 
  Constitution damage.
  174. POISONED WATERS (EL 8)
  A heavy chemical stench rises from the sewer 
  waters here.
  These tunnels are generally uninhabited, even by rats 
  - though the PCs may be chased/followed here by 
  other creatures living in the sewers.  The reason so 
  little life thrives here stems from the ruins above (an 
  old industrial sector of the city), from which cyanide 
  - once used in industrial manufacturing - has ﬁltered 
  through the ground to contaminate the waters here.
  GM’s Note:  A pair of mirror oozes live in this 
  area, and will be attracted by the sound of intruders.  
  They will move to attack as soon as they detect the 
  party.
  Mirror Oozes (2):  HP 60.
  Development:  Assuming they can avoid the 
  mirror oozes the PCs will be alright, at least as long 
  as they don’t fall into the water.  If a character tries 
  to swim (or falls in the water during the combat), 
  however, she must make a Reﬂex save at DC 12 
  or ingest some of this deadly poison.  The DC for 
  cyanide is 16 (initial damage 1d6 Con, secondary 
  damage 2d6 Con).
  175. BLACK RIVER (EL VARIES)
  The tunnels ahead seem to whisper with a 
  chilling susurrus of quiet sounds.  The stone 
  of the sewers turns black, and seems to move 
  with a life all its own.  Floor, walls, and ceiling 
  resemble a blackish river, shifting constantly...
  These tunnels have become home to an enormous 
  mass of monstrous cockroaches, who ﬁnd the 
  conditions here favorable for laying eggs.  The 
  ‘roaches thrive here, clinging to ﬂoor, walls, and 
  ceiling alike, covering almost every bare inch of 
  stone in a sea of shiny black carapaces and a forest of 
  long, hairy legs.
  If the cockroach colony detects the party some 3d6 
  will scuttle forth to attack the party (they will also 
  pursue the PCs if they ﬂee); the remainder - some 
  50 total -  will remain where they are, too busy with 
  other things to give the party’s transgression much 
  notice.
  Medium-Size Monstrous Cockroaches (3-18):  
  HP 13.
  Treasure:  Once the cockroaches are dealt with 
  the PCs will ﬁnd an old crate, marked “Sewer 
  Maintenance”, in a niche along the tunnel.  The crate 
  contains 10 unused light rods.
  176. OOZE CAVERNS (EL 15)
  An awful chemical smell ﬁlls these tunnels, 
  the air in which seems dead and stale.  It is 
  unnaturally quiet here; the chittering sound of 
  rats, which is constant elsewhere underground, is 
  strangely absent.
  The sewer tunnels and chambers in this area are 
  ﬁlled with the abnormally-large mass of a terrestrial 
  efﬂuvium (see The Vast Ooze, Area #089).  Entire 
  tunnels are taken up by the bizarre entity, whose 
  presence covers this hex and those hexes bordering it.
  The terrestrial efﬂuvium encountered here is 
  detailed under Area #089.  If the PCs are traveling 
  underground they will encounter it here, in these 
  tunnels, in all its terrible might.  Of course, unlike 
  encounters with the terrestrial efﬂuvium on the 
  surface, the PCs will be able to kill the creature if 
  they attack it here, in its lair.
  177. HAUNTER IN THE DEPTHS (EL 5)
  Eerie noises echo through these wet, dripping 
  sewer tunnels - it sounds like the slow methodic 
  gasp of a bellows...or perhaps the labored 
  breathing of some unseen beast.
  
  205
  This hex is “haunted” by a horribly mutated monster 
  known as a “Pit Creature”.  Irradiated during the Fall 
  and given bizarre gigantism and an unnatural streak 
  of longevity, the pit creature was at one time merely 
  a stray animal living on the streets of the city.  During 
  the nuclear attacks on the city the creature was forced 
  underground by the citywide ﬁres, where it slowly 
  mutated among dark sewer tunnels into something 
  awful.
  The pit creature continues to thrive in the sewers 
  where it has lived ever since, feeding off of rats and 
  the rare humanoid intruder.  Utterly mad, the pit 
  creature lurches around with its heightened senses 
  always drawing it to its next prey.
  The pit creature is rarely seen by its victims until 
  it’s too late (check its Hide versus the party’s Spot 
  checks).  Wild men and ghouls wandering into this 
  area have, on occasion, seen the thing’s deformed 
  shadow cast against sewer walls as it slithers after 
  some poor victim, and thus have come to believe the 
  sewers here are “haunted” by some terrible monster.  
  And of course, they’re right.
  Pit Creature (1):  HP 73.
  Treasure:  The pit creature has amassed some junk 
  from the sewers, which it keeps in its lair, hidden 
  off the main sewer tunnel (Search check DC 21 to 
  ﬁnd it).  Its “treasure” consists of a mousetrap, 1d2 
  hubcaps, an entire car bumper (with license plate 
  attached), 2d10 soda cans, 1 roll on Table 5:  Lost 
  Knowledge, and 1d2 rolls on Table 9:  “Magic” 
  Items.
  178. TRAPPED SCREAMER (EL 4)
  Light from the surface shines dimly down an 
  irregular hole in the ceiling here, apparently 
  where the roof of the sewer tunnel collapsed, 
  causing a small sinkhole.  Rubble from the 
  collapse covers the entire ﬂoor of the sewer 
  tunnel, amidst which can be seen old possible 
  mannequins, torn and shredded articles of high-
  fashion clothing, and other goods.  Looking up 
  through the hole you see the interior of an old 
  department store, its roof fallen away in places, 
  providing a modicum of light to see by.
  This site marks a ready exit from the sewers and to 
  the surface.  However, since the opening is 30 feet 
  overhead, the PCs will have to ﬁnd some means of 
  getting to it if they want to escape.
  When the tunnel collapsed years ago in an 
  earthquake, a screamer wandering inside the old 
  department store fell in.  It has been trapped here 
  ever since.  The creature wanders the nearby sewer 
  tunnels, so there is only a 1 in 6 chance that it will 
  be nearby (if it is, alter the description above to note 
  the shrill shrieking screamers always emit).  If the 
  creature is near it will sense the party’s presence, and 
  come here to try and trap them.  It will ﬁght until 
  destroyed.
  Screamer (1):  HP 26.
  Treasure:  The formation of the sinkhole drew 
  down with it much of the department store’s interior.  
  Mannequins, clothes, and old sporting goods litter the 
  rocky ﬂoor of the cavern.  PCs searching (requiring 
  30 minutes - time enough for the screamer to return 
  from the nearby tunnels) will uncover 1d2 dart 
  pistols, 2d4 darts (no poison), a broken auto-grapnel 
  (which can be repaired with a Repair check at DC 15, 
  plus the expenditure of 55 cp in spare parts), a pair of 
  gravity boots (no power source), 1d4 instant pillows, 
  and 1d4 articles of Clothing. 
  179. RAVENING HOUND DEN (EL 7)
  The usual current of the sewer channel slows 
  here, where large clumps of rotting matter (some 
  large and buoyant enough to walk on) seem to 
  clog the sewer arteries in all directions.  The 
  squeak of rats echoes throughout this local 
  complex, and the smell of wet fur is almost as 
  overpowering as the odor of feces.
  A den of ravening hounds exists in this area, in an old 
  sewer chamber that has almost completely clogged 
  with moss and solid debris swept downriver by the 
  current.  This enormous “cork” has created a small 
  island of rotting vegetable matter and other refuse, 
  which the ravening hounds can rest on during the day.
  The ravening hounds originally came to the sewers 
  from the surface, but they’ve found the darkness of 
  the old tunnels much more to their liking than the hot 
  streets overhead.  Furthermore, the abundance of rats, 
  ratbites, and rat dogs means they’re never far from a 
  reliable food source.  Because they’ve been here so 
  long the ravening hounds have adapted somewhat to 
  the darkness, and can use their scent to detect foes 
  without penalties due to the overall stench of the 
  sewers.
  Ravening Hounds (7):  HP 13.
  Treasure:  Though the ravening hounds do not 
  collect treasure per se, the sewer tunnel blockage 
  here has caused all sorts of stuff to become stuck as 
  it ﬂoats downriver.  As such, a search of the rotting 
  vegetable matter and waste (while not a desirable 
  task) will uncover a tire iron, a spray paint can, and 
  1d2 Junk, 1 Useful Item, 1 Clothing (soiled and 
  rotten), and 1d2 Consumables.
  
  206
  180. LARVA CAVERN (EL VARIES)
  A terrible and unnatural smells assaults your 
  nostrils as you enter this dark cavern.  Your weak 
  lights illuminate a sight that is beyond terrifying:  
  over one hundred humanoid creatures, men, 
  women, and even children, lying pale and 
  unmoving like ﬂies trapped in a web of hardened 
  mucus strands, some partially encased, others 
  completely covered in a thick shell of translucent 
  slime...
  In this hex is a large cavern hollowed out by the 
  activities of the Hive over the past few years.  This 
  abscess has been transformed by the industrious 
  burrowers of the Hive into their own twisted version 
  of a “hatchery”, bringing surplus captives from the 
  surface bughills to remain until they’re ready to 
  hatch.
  The cavern is ﬁlled with 114 separate paralyzed 
  and insensible creatures, in the form of humanoids 
  (ghouls captured by Hive parties, ruin pickers and 
  scavs lost while wandering through the city, wild men 
  snatched up by bug ﬂyers, etc.) and other mammals 
  brought here by Hive bugs.  A virtual “warehouse” 
  of still-living hosts, these creatures lie bloated, pale, 
  and seemingly dead, but slight movement in their 
  extended bellies suggest something lives within each 
  of them.
  GM’s Note:  When the party comes here there is a 
  20% chance that 1d3 Hive larvae will have already 
  hatched.  These will move to attack the PCs for their 
  next meal.
  There is also a 75% chance that they stumble on 
  a party of Hive bugs, waiting for larvae to hatch 
  and take to any of the surface bughills via their 
  underground warrens.  This party will consist of 
  3d4 mutant bugs, which will attack the party 
  immediately to defend the hatching larvae and the 
  remaining hosts.
  Hive Larva (1-3):  HP 13.
  Mutant Bugs (3-12):  HP 17.
  Treasure:  Though most of the hosts here are 
  recent captives, there are corpses and skeletons 
  here from past victims as well.  One of these was 
  a Foundation soldier was captured during the 
  Foundation’s war against the Hive.  The soldier 
  died long ago, but the biomechanical targeter in his 
  skull could still be salvaged.  A search of the rotting 
  corpses and the heaps of bones (requiring a Search 
  check at DC 33) will uncover it.
  181. FUNGUS CAVERN (EL VARIES)
  A strangely fragrant odor emanates from 
  this cavern, which proves to have some modest 
  light of its own.  Weak colors seem to glow from 
  enormous patches of furry fungus growing on 
  the walls, from overhead stone stalactites, and in 
  countless niches.  Even the ﬂoor is covered in a 
  vast “carpet” of the shaggy stuff, which almost 
  seems to shiver as you come near.
  This site is a large natural cavern, created by aberrant 
  tectonic strain during the Fall.  This cavern is lit by a 
  strange form of phosphorescent fungus, which grows 
  in abundance all over the moist wet rock.  The fungus 
  is harmless, but does provide a prolonged light source 
  if harvested (it glows a different color depending 
  on what time of year it is collected; icy blue, sickly 
  green, nauseating yellow, or ﬂuorescent pink).  Such 
  fungus will continue to provide weak illumination (as 
  a torch) for 1d3 months.
  Large tunnels lead into the cavern, from which an 
  awful stench - the smell of insects - continually pours 
  in.  The cavern was discovered by the Hive years ago 
  and continues to serve their purposes, providing light 
  sources for their bug hill communities.  The fungus 
  grows naturally here, and as a result the insects ﬁnd 
  it expedient to return here and harvest the stuff at 
  regular times.  The tunnels leading out of this cavern 
  lead to the Hive’s “underground highways” beneath 
  the city (see Area #025 for details).
  GM’s Note:  There is a 1 in 10 chance that the PCs 
  will stumble on a small party of foraging Hive bugs 
  while they are here.  This foraging party will consist 
  of 2d4 mutant bugs, which will attack the party 
  immediately to defend “their” cavern.
  Mutant Bugs (2-8):  HP 17.
  182. TRAPPED TRAIN (EL 0)
  Your lights illuminate an old subway car 
  sitting idly in this tunnel, rusted ﬁrmly to the 
  tracks.  Gang symbols cover the car’s exterior in 
  a patina of wild and psychedelic colors.  You see 
  that the rest of the train extends out of sight.
  The subways all around the city were frozen when 
  power was severed by the initial bombardment of the 
  city during the invasion of Los Angeles.  This subway 
  train came to a stop here, deep underground.  Though 
  panicked, the occupants managed to form a party and 
  struck out into the tunnels in an attempt to ﬁnd a way 
  to the surface.  Their fate is unknown.
  Treasure:  The PCs can search the train, since the 
  rear emergency exit hangs open.  Inside they ﬁnd a 
  tight and conﬁning corridor and numerous seats; a 
  total of three cars comprise the entire train.
  The PCs will ﬁnd a single corpse on the train, 
  propped up on a seat.  A bundle of wires can be seen 
  through the skeletal ribcage (a pacemaker), and a 
  gold wristwatch on its wrist (though the power cell 
  is dead, the watch is in perfect condition).  Nearby is 
  a ﬁrst aid kit, its contents emptied onto a nearby seat 
  
  207
  but otherwise intact.
  A Search check at DC 16 will ﬁnd another 
  ﬁrst aid kit in the front of the train, and three ﬁre 
  extinguishers (one in each car).  There is also a 20% 
  chance of ﬁnding 1d2 ﬁnds from Table 17: Dead 
  Bodies as well.
  183. SECOND TRAPPED TRAIN (EL 4)
  An abandoned subway train exists in this area, but 
  it has become home to a large colony of ratbites 
  over the years.  Though the pack nests in the train, 
  individual ratbites are likely to be encountered well 
  before wandering PCs stumble upon their lair.
  The ratbites scurry about through the old subway 
  tunnels, often great distances from their lair on the 
  old train.  A typical encounter will involve a single 
  ratbite scampering out of the darkness, drawn by 
  ﬂashlights/torches/lanterns.  The creature, chirping 
  excitedly, hops from one foot to the other, getting the 
  party’s attention before scampering off again.  As the 
  party proceeds this encounter will repeat one or two 
  times, with one or two additional ratbites each time, 
  until at last a large gathering (perhaps half the entire 
  pack) will emerge to stampede the intruders and tear 
  them limb from limb!
  Ratbites (20):  HP 4.
  Treasure:  The ratbite lair is teeming with the 
  vicious little critters, but unable to appreciate 
  “treasure”, they’ve left the contents of the train 
  relatively intact.  A Search check (DC 16) of the 
  train will uncover two ﬁrst aid kits and three ﬁre 
  extinguishers (one in each car).  There is also a 20% 
  chance of ﬁnding 1d6+3 ﬁnds from Table 17: Dead 
  Bodies scattered throughout all three train cars.
  184. HOMELESS REFUGE (EL VARIES)
  Your lights illuminate the old subway tunnel 
  ahead, but right off it sits an old construction 
  site, just off the tracks.  The rotting remains of a 
  few old tents, a scattering of cardboard boxes, 
  and even one or two small shacks made from 
  scrap sheet metal, sit in this miserable niche.  It 
  looks like a small “village” of some sort, long 
  forgotten since the time of the Ancients.
  This place served as a refuge for the most desperate 
  homeless during the time of the Ancients, particularly 
  those suffering from incapacitating illnesses (such as 
  AIDS), severe drug addiction, or being hunted by the 
  law for one crime or another.  Built by the homeless 
  in the old subway tunnels, the refuge was something 
  of a tiny village, with tents and shacks where the 
  homeless could sleep safely at night, or visit by day 
  to purchase drugs from the terminal junkies living 
  here full-time.
  GM’s Note:  The old refuge is abandoned now, 
  though there is a 50% chance that when the PCs 
  visit here, 1d4 Necropolis ghouls will be present, 
  sifting through the wreckage in a futile effort to 
  ﬁnd something to gnaw on.  If they detect the party 
  (without themselves being noticed) they will try to 
  set an ambush; otherwise they will merely ﬁght until 
  half their number is killed before ﬂeeing down the 
  opposite subway tunnel.
  Necropolis Ghouls (1-4):  HP 12.
  Treasure:  The ground here is still littered 
  with broken glass from smashed beer bottles (and 
  syringes), chicken bones, empty tin cans, and yards 
  and yards of crumpled, rotting newspaper (often used 
  by the homeless as extra insulation for their coats 
  and pants).  A search will turn up 1d4+1 Junk, 1d2 
  Consumables, 2d3 ready syringes (50% chance that 
  a given needle is used, and thus anyone using it has 
  a chance of contracting a lethal STD by using it; see 
  Darwin’s World 2nd Edition: Campaign Guide), 1d4 
  hits of heroine, 2d4 hits of crack, and a cache of 2d10 
  hits of tailored narcotics and 3d4 bottles full of beer 
  and cheap whiskey.
  In addition, one of the small shacks contains an 
  old bum’s journal, which can be found with a Search 
  check at DC 16.  This journal’s contents, written in a 
  variant of Gutter Talk (its author didn’t know how to 
  read and write very well), tell a strange story of life 
  in the sewers, and offer an abundance of information.  
  For most of the book the author merely writes about 
  ﬁnding his next meal, pines about not having enough 
  money to get a “ﬁx”, and even describes crimes 
  he’s witnessed - burglaries, murders, and rapes.  He 
  includes descriptions and directions to sites he’s seen, 
  including the Lost Waste Dump (Area #168), and the 
  Lost Arena (Area #190).
  He goes on to speak about his nightmares, and 
  the fears among the homeless population about the 
  increase in violence among the city gangs, which 
  have driven many of them to underground camps like 
  this for safety from the streets above.  He speaks of a 
  man named “Cyrus” being behind the rise of violence 
  in the criminal underworld, but beyond that gives no 
  details.
  After the writer reveals he has contracted AIDS, 
  the journal’s contents become more sentimental - and 
  paranoid.  The writer ﬁlls up several pages sketching 
  friends among the homeless community; here the PCs 
  see crude but loving sketches of old men, diseased 
  youths, and women of various ages, and even the 
  young son of one of the camp’s transient, teenage 
  mothers.
  After these sketches, the man’s entries become 
  fragmentary and seemingly nonsensical.  He speaks 
  about other homeless people “vanishing”, including 
  
  208
  one or two of his closest compatriots.  All of them 
  were seen in the company of a well-dressed man, 
  who contacted them and apparently offered them a 
  great deal of money to go with him.  None returned.  
  On the last page he sketches out a strange symbol, 
  but gives no explanation why (the symbol is the 
  corporate logo of Zoogenic Corporation, which he 
  observed on the mysterious man’s jacket; in fact 
  this man was “recruiting” homeless people with 
  monetary incentives to secretly become test subjects 
  for the corporation’s genetic splicing experiments; 
  all of these men and women were to become the 
  progenitors of the race now known as the “Serpent 
  Gods”, and as a result were never seen again).
  185. GANG CACHE (EL 0)
  A small maintenance shaft leads off of the 
  subway tunnel here.  Wooden planks and trash 
  block part of the passage, but there appears to be 
  a small “room” beyond.  But ﬁrst you’ll have to 
  clear the blockage.
  Beyond the blockage (which can be cleared simply 
  by dismantling the wooden planks) is a small room, 
  once used to store emergency lighting (wire-fed, 
  hand-carried sewer lights still sit on racks).  However, 
  during the time of the Ancients a local street gang 
  also used the chamber to store illegal drugs and 
  weapons, shoring up the passage to keep their “stash” 
  safe.  It was never discovered.
  Treasure:  The former owners of this stash kept 
  a cardboard T.V. box here, which is still ﬁlled with 
  2d20 bags of cocaine (each bag’s contents might be 
  worth 500 cp).  In a few other boxes are to be found 
  1d3+1 light rods, 3d4 ready syringes, a 2d3 cigarette 
  lighters (random fuel remaining), 1d2 TEC-9s (each 
  with two full boxes of 9mm ammunition).  There is 
  also a spare roll of duct tape, and a box of regular 
  cigarettes (2d4 smokes left inside).
  186. MISCHIEVOUS RUNTS (EL VARIES)
  A group of 1d2+1 wild men innocently plays at this 
  location in the sewers, naive to the potential threats 
  of this “new and exciting” world they’ve discovered 
  underground (namely ghouls and giant sewer 
  crocs).  Having recently come down via an open 
  manhole they discovered, they’re making a ruckus 
  and exploring without any knowledge of the danger 
  they’re in.
  The wild men are as curious as they are alert, 
  however, and they will likely sense the party well 
  before the party senses them.  If this is the case 
  the wild men will use stealth to remain hidden, 
  shadowing the PC for several hours, observing them 
  from a distance.  Every now and again it is possible 
  the PCs catch a glimpse of their pursuers (though 
  the wild men carry no light, the shadows cast by 
  fungus-ﬁlled caves might allow the party to spot them 
  - and perhaps even mistake them for ghouls!) as they 
  travel.
  The wild men are only curious, and won’t attack 
  the PCs, though they may slip into the party’s camp 
  at night and play with any shiny objects left out in 
  the open (or that they may have observed during 
  the day; they’re not above going through the party’s 
  backpacks to ﬁnd interesting stuff to play with).  Bold 
  enough to enter the camp and sit among the sleeping 
  PCs, the wild men will scream and run if any of the 
  party members wakes up, dropping anything they 
  took as they scamper off into the darkness.
  Eventually the wild men grow bored.  Once the 
  party passes more than six hexes from this location 
  the wild men will turn back and return to this spot.
  Wild Men (2-3):  HP 18.
  187. INJURED WILD MAN (EL 1)
  The sound of an injured creature echoes 
  weakly through the tunnels here.
  The sounds drawing the PCs to this area come 
  from an injured wild man, who fell into the sewers 
  through an old, open manhole, and became lost.  
  Eventually the poor creature came here and stumbled 
  onto a trap set up by the Purists; though intended to 
  ensnare ghouls (who are known to use the sewers as 
  “highways”), the bear trap-like device has snared the 
  wild man and it is slowly dying of blood loss.
  If the PCs approach the trapped wild man the 
  injured, insensible creature will panic (thinking 
  they’re ghouls or worse), and will begin trying to 
  bite off its own leg to get free.  Every round it inﬂicts 
  damage to itself trying to get free; if reduced to 1 hit 
  point or lower from its own attacks it is considered to 
  have “succeeded”, and will limp away at half speed.
  If the PCs stop the creature before it succeeds in 
  biting off its own leg, or otherwise soothe it, subdue 
  it, or free it before amputation becomes necessary, the 
  creature will become “attached” to the PCs.
  From this point on the wild man will follow the 
  party wherever it goes (even if they try to chase it 
  off), trying to repay the favor in its own primitive 
  way.  It will sneak out at night and hunt, coming 
  back into camp to leave food (rats) at the feet of its 
  “saviors”.  It will stand guard over them from the 
  shadows, alert for any sign of danger.  When they 
  travel, it will scout up ahead, taking all the risks for 
  them, and warn them of approaching enemies by 
  screeching and pounding furiously on its own head!
  Wild Man (1):  HP 18 (down to 6 hit points).
  
  209
  188. SEWER WORKERS (EL 14)
  The sounds of work echo from up ahead.
  If the PCs investigate the sounds they ﬁnd a large 
  group of mutant bugs, along with a single giant tank 
  bug, busily at work digging new tunnels to expand 
  their underground network of “highway” passages.
  The insectoids are so busy at their work that they 
  take a -4 penalty to their Listen and Spot checks 
  when the PCs appear.  However, if they do notice the 
  party they will move to capture them, and take any 
  prisoners to Area #180 to be infested with larva.
  Mutant Bugs (10):  HP 17.
  Giant Tank Bug (1):  HP 168; armed only with 
  improvised melee weapons.
  189. LIGHTS IN THE DEEP (EL 6)
  Dark, crystal-clear water pools here  made 
  stagnant and still by some blockage or cave-in 
  deeper in the sewers.  The ledge you walk on is 
  several inches below the surface, and the water 
  is uncomfortably cool.
  The sewer tunnels here are blocked up due to a cave-
  in resulting from the meltdown at the Lost Corium 
  Mine (Area #134) more than 200 years ago.  This has 
  caused water to back up, ﬂooding the deeper sewers 
  and even raising water levels as far up as this point.
  The waters at this point aren’t radiated, but deeper 
  down radiation from the mine has seeped through the 
  rubble and polluted the waterway.  This has given rise 
  to a breed of strange creatures that now live in the 
  ﬂooded tunnels - life lampreys.
  Sooner or later, as the PCs pass this point, they 
  will wander close to a small school of these insidious 
  monsters.  When the lampreys spot the PCs they will 
  dart into cover, so that their glow doesn’t give them 
  away, hoping the PCs miss them and either go for 
  a swim, or fall in.  If the PCs manage to spot them, 
  they see only eerie “glows” darting about under 
  the surface of the dark sewer water, with an erratic 
  pattern not unlike a dancing ﬁreﬂy.
  If the PCs enter the water (not unlikely, since the 
  ledge begins to slant downwards and to progress the 
  party will ﬁrst be ankle-deep, then knee deep, then 
  eventually shoulder-deep in the waters), the lampreys 
  will strike out from the darkness of the deep waters 
  to attack.
  Advanced Life Lampreys (5):  HP 28.
  190. LOST ARENA (EL VARIES)
  This looks like a huge empty chamber, lit by 
  grates high up on the roof.  A “pit” sits in the 
  middle of the chamber, though it is currently 
  empty.  It is dry here, unlike elsewhere in the 
  sewers, but the stink is still considerable.
  This sewer chamber was used illegally during 
  the time of the Ancients by Asian gangs for illicit 
  “gladiatorial games” - illegal death matches between 
  two contestants, upon which an entire underground 
  industry of heavy betting thrived.  In addition to dog 
  ﬁghting and cock ﬁghts, human contestants - drawn 
  from desperate, down-on-their-luck members of the 
  Asian community (and the homeless community 
  in general) - also competed here for sizeable cash 
  prices, with one ﬁghter living (and getting enough 
  cash to buy the next hit of crack), and the other being 
  dumped unceremoniously into the sewers.
  The arena fell into disuse with the Fall, but the 
  ghouls of the Necropolis know of its existence and 
  sometimes come here for bloodthirsty entertainment.  
  On rare occasion a person captured by the ghouls 
  is spared becoming their next dinner, and is instead 
  taken here to ﬁght another captive (or alternatively 
  thrown into the pit to combat a pack of rat dogs) to 
  the death.  The ghouls seem to go rabid for this type 
  of entertainment, and as such a ghoul leader (from 
  any of the ghoul communities in the city) may feel 
  pressured to keep a captive alive to be killed here to 
  sate his people’s bloodlust!
  Development:  When a match is being held here a 
  large congregation of 50+ Necropolis ghouls will be 
  present, even ghouls from rival communities.  Like 
  the festivities at Ghoul Town (see Area #040), these 
  gatherings are considered “neutral territory”, and 
  inﬁghting is rare.
  191. MUTAGON EGG (EL 5)
  The sound of running sewer water echoes in 
  this chamber.  Light peeking through the tiny 
  holes of a manhole cover overhead provides the 
  only illumination, but in these thin beams of light 
  can be seen a small series of cascades, leading 
  deeper into the sewer system.  Clumps of rotting 
  vegetation have clogged near the edge of the 
  cascade, where a large yellowish egg is perched, 
  seemingly forgotten.
  The egg is a mutagon egg, lost when an angry male 
  mutagon rampaged through a female’s domain after 
  being “spurned”.  The egg fell down a sewer hole and 
  into the waters of a tunnel, and has washed up here.
  The mutagon egg is intact, though large (it’s 
  roughly the size of a Volkswagen beetle) and heavy.  
  The PCs might try dislodging it, but doing so has 
  just as much chance of causing it to get washed 
  downstream as towards the nearby ledge.  Even if 
  they do corral it close to shore, the prospect of lifting 
  it would be formidable (it weighs 500 lbs. plus).
  The egg is nowhere near hatching, and the baby 
  
  210
  mutagon inside will require 1d4+4 months before it 
  is ready to emerge.  If the PCs crack the shell (it has 
  hardness and hit points equivalent to a strong wooden 
  door) the creature will emerge prematurely and attack 
  anyone nearby; use the statistics below.
  Baby Mutagon:  CR 5; Medium-size mutant beast; 
  HD 6d10+30; HP 63; Mas 20; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 22, touch 11, ﬂatfooted 21 (+1 Dex, +11 
  natural); BAB +4; Grap +9; Atk +9 melee (2d6+8, 
  bite); Full Atk +9 melee (2d6+8, bite); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ breath weapon (as a normal mutagon, 
  but with a 15 ft cone and inﬂicting only 3d8 points of 
  damage), burst of speed, night blindness; AL none; 
  SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +4; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 20, 
  Dex 13, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10.
  Skills:  Listen +7, Spot +7.
  Feats:  Power Attack.
  The baby mutagon may be tamed, at your 
  discretion, but keep in mind what a mature mutagon 
  might mean as a mount or pet for a party - it will 
  certainly develop an appetite that demands constant 
  feeding!
  Baby Mutagon (1):  HP 63.
  192. TUNNEL LEADING TO STATION (EL 
  15)
  A subway tunnel leads northwest from here.  In 
  the distance you can see what appears to be a 
  long-abandoned subway station.
  This hex simply marks the point where the sole 
  underground tunnel leading into the heart of the 
  Serpent Gods’ domain connects to the greater 
  labyrinth of sewers and subways (see map).
  If the PCs follow this tunnel northwest they will 
  eventually arrive at Area #159 (see Downtown), 
  where a single Serpent God awaits, guarding this 
  tunnel.  Area #159 is described as a surface location; 
  hence it is not shown on this map.  See Area #159 for 
  details.
  193. TERMINUS UNDERGROUND (EL 
  VARIES)
  This hex simply marks the location of the Megaplex 
  Terminus, an underground subway terminal described 
  more fully under Area #160.  This location (Area 
  #193) is only included here to give the GM a point of 
  reference underground.
  194. SEWER EXIT (EL 0)
  The sewer tunnels here rumble with the sounds 
  of the surf.  Apparently you are near an exit to 
  the ocean.
  This area marks the location of a sewer exit in the 
  vicinity of Redondo Beach.  The sewer exit itself is 
  hidden among boulders that slipped down the ocean 
  cliffs in a landslide several years ago, and is thus 
  almost impossible to see from outside (Search check 
  DC 35).  However, someone moving via the sewer 
  tunnels will be drawn here by the sound of the surf, 
  the smell of rotting seaweed, and the eventual sight of 
  light pouring in the algae-choked tunnel grate.
  GM’s Note:  Opening this grate requires a Strength 
  check at DC 25.
  195. HIVE A TUNNELS (EL VARIES)
  The sewer tunnel you were traveling along 
  seems to have turned into a rough passage, 
  carved by alien hands.  The smell here is terrible, 
  and sporadic patches of luminous fungus 
  growing on the walls give you only a weak light 
  to go by.
  These passages are part of the underground tunnel 
  system constructed by the industrious insectoids of 
  the Hive.  These tunnels are marked with a thin grey 
  line on the Sewer Map.
  This speciﬁc hex marks the spot where Hive A’s 
  (Area #025) lowest passages descend and join up 
  with the greater the tunnel system.  PCs navigating 
  this hex may ﬁnd a way to the surface, but it will be 
  through the warrens beneath Hive A (see Area #025 
  “L”).  As described under Hive A, there is a good 
  chance these tunnels will be inhabited by patrols of 
  wandering Hive mutant bugs.
  196. HIVE B TUNNELS (EL VARIES)
  The sewers thunder with roaring water, and 
  droplets cascade from leaking rusted pipes 
  running like vines up and down the tunnel walls 
  and hanging from the sewer roof.  A terrible 
  smell is carried on the waters, and in the air, 
  and an ugly greenish light illuminates the tunnel 
  passages from strange growths of fungus nestled 
  among the pipes.
  This hex marks the location where the underground 
  highways of the Hive connect to Hive B (Area #027) 
  on the surface.  In this area the Hive made good use 
  of the existing sewer tunnels, so many of the passages 
  are actually man-made (with concrete walls, lead 
  pipes running along the tunnel roof, etc.).
  
  211
  GM’s Note:  There is a 2 in 6 chance that when 
  the PCs pass through this hex they will stumble upon 
  a party of 2-5 mutant bugs and a single giant tank 
  bug en route to a burrowing work site elsewhere in 
  the Sewers.
  Mutant Bugs (2-5):  HP 17.
  Giant Tank Bug (1):  HP 168.
  197. HIVE C TUNNELS (EL 1)
  Strange ﬂuttering noises echo through these 
  rough tunnels.
  This hex marks the location where Hive-
  constructed passages (burrowed from the bedrock) 
  connect the sewer system to Hive C (Area #029).
  GM’s Note:  The “ﬂuttering noises” heard by the 
  PCs come from a few errant varo bats that have 
  found their way into the sewers from the Hive above 
  ground.  These animals are lost and confused, and 
  will eventually ﬂy past the PCs in their search for a 
  way back to the surface.  When they do, the animals 
  will attack the party out of confusion, but after 2 
  rounds will ﬂee altogether.
  Varo Bats (4):  HP 1.
  198. HIVE D TUNNELS (EL 5)
  The sewer tunnels here appear to have 
  collapsed in places.  Dust covers everything, 
  along with a strange slime.  As you proceed the 
  ceiling creaks and more dust falls...
  This hex marks the location right beneath Hive D 
  (Area #031), which was destroyed by the Androids.  
  The tunnels largely collapsed as a result of the battle 
  that took place there.
  PCs looking for access to the surface here do so 
  at great risk.  A navigable passage leading from the 
  Sewers up through the underworks of the old hive 
  can be located with a Search check at DC 25, but 
  each time the PCs roll (whether they succeed or not) 
  there is a 1 in 10 chance that the entire tunnel system 
  here collapses, sealing them under tons of rock.  If 
  this is the case, each member of the party will take 
  damage as if a Colossal object had fallen on them 
  (see Table 7-10: Damage from Falling Objects of 
  d20 Modern), and will likely be pinned - permanently 
  - unless they can make the DC 50 Strength check 
  needed to escape!
  199. HIVE E TUNNELS (EL 14)
  Strange noises can be heard coming from the 
  bedrock of this tunnel passage...
  This hex marks the location right beneath Hive E 
  (Area #034), which is currently under construction.  
  As the PCs arrive, a large work crew of Hive ‘bugs 
  will be on the verge of burrowing into this tunnel 
  passage, connecting the underworks of Hive E with 
  the “underground highways” that will connect the 
  bughill to others all across Hive territory.
  GM’s Note:  If the PCs remain and listen, the 
  sounds get louder.  After a full minute has passed 
  the sound is easily identiﬁable as “digging” - by 
  something presumably quite large.  If the PCs remain, 
  after ﬁve minutes the ‘bug work crew ﬁnally breaks 
  through.  In a cloud of dust and falling rocks a single 
  giant tank bug burrows through, followed by a team 
  of 20 mutant bugs, armed with hammers, chisels, 
  shovels, and pickaxes (and all of them wearing work 
  helmets with ﬂickering headlamps)!
  When the bugs break through they will be surprised 
  by the PCs (give the PCs a surprise round in which 
  to act), but once they are able to act will immediately 
  move to attack the party.
  Giant Tank Bug (1):  HP 168.
  Mutant Bugs (20):  HP 17; armed only with 
  improvised melee weapons.
  200. ANDROIDS (EL VARIES)
  A strange noise can be heard in the rock 
  above.
  This simply marks the area where the Androids are 
  attempting to burrow into the sewers (see Area #060) 
  in their hunt to eradicate the ghouls native to the 
  area.  The “strange noise” the PCs hear is that of the 
  jackhammers being used to penetrate the rock and 
  make a passage.
  GM’s Note:  If the PCs stay here the androids will 
  eventually break through (when exactly is up to you; 
  it could be minutes or hours later).  See Area #060 
  for details on the androids poised to pour through 
  into the sewers.  Though the PCs aren’t ghouls the 
  androids will target them just the same, hoping to 
  clear them from the tunnels.
  201. HARBOR EXIT (EL 0)
  Up ahead you see murky light coming from a 
  sewer grate.
  This marks the point where the Harbor Sewer (Area 
  #055) goes underground.  On this side of the grate the 
  tunnel is unguarded, but a mirror ooze lurks in the 
  waters outside - and will attack anyone coming out 
  (see Area #055 for details).
  
  212
  202. TUNNELS TO GHOUL TOWN (EL 
  VARIES)
  The tunnels here are rough and winding, 
  worked by inhuman hands.  The tunnels must run 
  just beneath the surface, for dry tree roots dangle 
  down from the tunnel ceiling, and the ﬂoor of the 
  passage is littered with the decaying remains of 
  old cofﬁns...
  These tunnels eventually lead beneath Ghoul Town 
  (Area #040), and are used frequently by the ghouls 
  of that enclave to avoid being hunted down by the 
  Hive.  During the night these tunnels are likely to be 
  empty (the ghouls can move unseen in Ghoul Town, 
  and will thus be present on the surface), but by day 
  any party moving through these tunnels is certain to 
  stumble upon at least one group of ghouls cringing 
  and hiding among the twisting passages - or else 
  hunting for prey.  Roll below to determine the nature 
  of the ghoul pack:
  D6
  Ghoul Pack
  1-2
  1d6 Necropolis ghouls
  3-4
  1d6 Necropolis ghouls plus 1 Necropolis 
  ghoul veteran
  5
  As 3-4 above but with an additional 1d6 
  Necropolis ghouls
  6
  As 5 above but with an additional Necropolis 
  ghoul veteran
  GM’s Note:  Any ghouls slain here should be 
  deducted from the total population listed under Area 
  #040.
  203. TUNNELS OF THE BURROWERS 
  (EL VARIES)
  The tunnels seem to stretch on forever.  But the 
  smell of rot and decay is getting progressively 
  worse in this area.
  This part of the sewers is the domain of the 
  Burrowers (see Area #080), a tribe of ghouls that 
  has managed to survive by sticking, by and large, 
  to the sewers.  Unlike other sewer ghouls, that are 
  conﬁned to the old sewer system, the Burrowers 
  have learned to dig tunnels of their own to navigate 
  the underground and reach places not normally 
  accessible to their kind.
  The Burrowers spend most of their time 
  underground, so the PCs are likely to stumble onto 
  their kind among the warrens.  Jealous and paranoid, 
  the Burrowers will attack any intruders on sight.  Roll 
  below to determine the nature of a given Burrower 
  encounter:
  D6
  Ghoul Pack
  1-3
  1d6+3 Burrower ghouls
  4-5
  2d6+6 Burrower ghouls
  6
  As 4-5 above plus Krakkrak Bonesnapper 
  (see Area #080)
  GM’s Note:  Any ghouls slain here (including 
  Krakkrak Bonesnapper) should be deducted from the 
  total population listed under Area #080.
  204. PESTILENT ONES DEN (EL 
  VARIES)
  The subway tunnel here leads towards a 
  gloomy light ahead - an exit to the surface.  Rat 
  droppings litter the tracks of the tunnel, and 
  your lights catch glimpses of the furry rodents 
  skittering off at your approach.  Their numerous 
  squeaks echo eerily in the dark.
  The tunnel here leads to an ancient subway station, 
  which provides access (via powerless escalators) to 
  the surface - the exact spot is shown on the surface 
  map as Area #084.
  The subway station itself is the primary den of the 
  Pestilent Ones, a weak tribe of ghouls that has an 
  unusual afﬁnity for rats and rat dogs.
  GM’s Note:  The Pestilent Ones will be surprised 
  by the PCs if they arrive here from underground, 
  since they have set up their defenses (pits and other 
  traps) to catch intruders from the surface.  As such 
  the PCs will have automatic surprise if they approach 
  from the tunnels.
  PCs arriving at the subway station will ﬁnd the 
  entire camp of Pestilent Ones (43 Necropolis ghouls) 
  on the main platform, their numerous tribe members 
  dwelling in the gloomy darkness, gnawing on old 
  bones and chittering to their pet rats.  If they come to 
  detect the PCs the tribe will be roused to the defense 
  of their community, however, and will chase the PCs 
  for their next meal.
  See Area #084 for more on the Pestilent Ones.
  
  213
  205. SECRET TUNNEL (EL 0)
  A concrete tunnel leads off in both directions 
  here.  Pools of water have collected here and 
  there, and the dripping of water can be heard 
  echoing in the distance.
  This tunnel, once a secret passage constructed by 
  the Zoogenic Corporation, connects Areas #123 
  and #124 via a straight underground tunnel, wide 
  and high enough for a large vehicle to drive down.  
  A branch off of the tunnel (see map) leads to the 
  sewers, but this side passage is blocked by a heavy 
  steel grate, requiring a Strength check at DC 30 to 
  remove (though it can be smashed as normal).  An 
  old security system once alerted guards at both Area 
  #123 and #124 if the grate was tampered with, but 
  this system no longer functions.
  Steel Grate (1):  Hardness 10, HP 120.
  206. UNDERWORLD (EL VARIES)
  This hex marks the location of the Underworld of the 
  Sightless Stalkers (Area #092), accessible from the 
  surface as well as the sewer tunnels as shown on the 
  Sewer map (these tunnels connect to Area #092 [A]).
  For a more detailed look at the Underworld of the 
  Sightless Stalkers see Area #092.
  
  214
  FACTIONS OF THE 
  NECROPOLIS
  The Necropolis is (and was) 
  home to many noteworthy 
  “factions”, or rival communities all hoping to take 
  control of the city for themselves.  Whether in the 
  form of creatures native to the city, or outsiders come 
  to pick over the ruins like vultures, the constant 
  battles of these factions created the current landscape 
  of the city today.  These Necropolis factions are 
  introduced below.
  ANDROIDS
  “CRACKLE, BUZZ...They’re all over us!  This 
  is General Tucker...I repeat, General Tucker...
  of the Cartel!  We were moving into this strange 
  compound when...BUZZ...BUZZ...(THE SOUND 
  OF GUNFIRE, LASERS, AND ROCKET-
  FIRE)...Dear God, we’re under attack!  We 
  made a mistake...a horrible mistake...Came upon 
  a dark bunker...The buttons...they turned the 
  power on, ALL the power ON...metal machines...
  BUZZ, CRACKLE...metal machines came 
  alive...(SOUND OF HEAVY MACHINEGUNS, 
  HUMANS SCREAMING)...they started attacking 
  as soon as they came online...(ANOTHER 
  SCREAM, AND A LOUD EXPLOSION)...we’ve 
  got no way to escape...send reinforcements...send 
  more men!  Send everything you’ve got!”
  The Androids are a relatively minor faction in the 
  Necropolis, despite their overwhelming presence 
  in the south, in the Los Angeles Harbor area of the 
  city.  Remnants of a pre-Fall effort to create cheap 
  soldiers for the Final War that was shut down when 
  the city seemed close to falling into enemy hands, 
  the Androids - an entire legion - remained dormant 
  in a forgotten factory complex when, by chance, 
  a small party of foraging scouts from the Cartel 
  (see below) stumbled onto the site.  Oblivious to 
  what the complex was, the scouts accidentally 
  turned on the computers of the facility and brought 
  the factory up to full power.  Almost immediately 
  androids began marching out of the factory (and its 
  underground storage vaults), still operating with their 
  last instructions:  to maintain peace in the city and 
  eradicate any threat to the standing order of martial 
  law.
  The Androids were single-handedly responsible for 
  driving the Cartel from the city, and in recent years 
  have done battle with the insectoid hordes of the 
  Hive.  The Androids have secured most of the harbor 
  area, but for some unknown reason have begun 
  dedicating resources to spreading their area of control 
  south of the city in the vicinity of what used to be 
  Camp Pendleton (Camp Pendleton is not described 
  in this book, nor are the androids’ reasons behind this 
  strange shift in their existing mission; these details 
  are left up to the individual GM).  Despite this the 
  Androids remain a grave threat to survivors in the 
  Necropolis, enforcing strict control over their part of 
  the city and either killing or “detaining” anyone they 
  ﬁnd wandering through the ruins.  Inhuman masters, 
  the Androids have no desire for peace with the other 
  factions (whom they consider no better than animals, 
  since in fact most of them are descended from just 
  that), and are generally given a wide berth.
  General Attitude:  The Androids have a simple 
  robotic drive to purge the city of all combatants.  
  Unable to recognize the descendants of the human 
  race (i.e. mutants and beastmen) as legitimate 
  “citizens”, they attack everyone and everything on 
  sight.  Though they appear to have the potential to 
  destroy the other factions, the Androids seem busy 
  with a mysterious project at Camp Pendleton, a long-
  forgotten site many miles south of the Necropolis.
  Faction Territory:  Los Angeles Harbor.
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  Conﬁnement Center 
  (#056), Scrap yard (#057), Android Base Complex 
  (#059), Sewer Entrance (#060), Power Pipeline 
  (#061), Recycled-Organics Plant (#062), Impound 
  Yard (#063), Jetty (#064), Android Way station 
  (#065), Androids (#200).
  BROKEN ONES
  How far the Broken Ones had come.  Once 
  dying of hunger on the hills overlooking the city, 
  they now occupied the great monuments erected 
  by the Ancients in their time of glory – huge 
  theaters ﬁt for the entertainment of thousands 
  – and wore clothes of the ﬁnest silk and animal 
  skins.  Above them billowed the war-banners 
  of the Broken One Empire – a great green claw 
  surrounded by a shroud of blood.  Soldiers of the 
  great Broken One army, a mix of elephant-men, 
  bird-men, and countless other varied shapes and 
  forms, clad in gleaming armor, stood proudly 
  to defend their great leader, Klaww The Beast-
  Master, and his vision for their people’s future!
  Second only to the Hive in numbers and strength, 
  the Broken Ones dominate the western part of the 
  city.  It is here, under the shadow of the Hollywood 
  Hills, that these strange descendants of both man 
  and animal came to create an “empire” of their own, 
  modeling its great structures and wicked society 
  after the decadent Romans depicted in aging movie 
  reels scavenged from the ruins by their forefathers.  
  Believing themselves to be the inheritors of a great 
  
  215
  destiny, the Broken Ones are a race of beastmen, a 
  relatively new phenomenon on the Twisted Earth.  
  Though their origins are shrouded in mystery (there 
  are many legends, but most are quite fantastic), these 
  creatures all apparently share the traits of some base 
  animal - whether it is wolf, lion, elephant, or other 
  beast - and human.  And much to the dismay of those 
  who would deny them their “right” to rule the ruins 
  of the Necropolis, they seem to possess the strengths 
  of both species:  animal ferocity...and human cruelty.
  The Broken Ones are ruled by a great emperor 
  named Klaww the Beastmaster, a Promethean ﬁgure 
  in their own legends who brought the scattered tribes 
  of mutant animals together into one mighty empire.  
  Teaching them how to use weapons, craft armor, and 
  defend themselves, he created not only a society for 
  his “children”, but also a civilization where before 
  there had been none.  Though he ages, Klaww is 
  immortalized in the hearts and minds of his followers 
  (beastmen of all species), and in his name the Broken 
  Ones march relentlessly to war against all who would 
  stand in the way of their racial vision of conquest.
  General Attitude:  Little more than savage 
  animals just a generation or so ago, the Broken Ones 
  have evolved in leaps and bounds to become fully 
  intelligent creatures capable of realizing a perverse 
  racial destiny:  to conquer.  The Broken Ones are 
  a highly militaristic and bloodthirsty society who 
  revere the violent beast that lives within all of their 
  kind.
  Faction Territory:  Domain of The Broken Ones.
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  City of The Broken 
  Ones (#093), Hills of The Broken Ones (#094), 
  Village Ythra (#095), Village Tamaris (#096), Village 
  Mansu (#097), Village Horeak (#098), Village Varia 
  (#099), Village Golgarus (#100), Oracle (#101), 
  Artillery Firebase (#105), Broken Ones Camp (#109), 
  The Old University (#111), Slave Quarries (#117), 
  Fort Lox (#125), Fort Kishar (#126), Fort Mogo 
  (#127), Fort Jugal (#128), Temple To The Serpent 
  Gods (#129).
  Non-Twisted Earth Alternative:  This book 
  makes extensive use of the intriguing “beastman” 
  race as presented in Beastmen (by Charles Rice), 
  personiﬁed by the bestial empire of the Broken 
  Ones.  Even if you don’t ﬁnd this particular race to 
  your liking, perhaps a bit too “fantastic” for your 
  post-apocalyptic games, consider for a moment the 
  idea of the Necropolis being a unique location in 
  your world where such bizarre creatures can and do 
  exist, an isolated “reserve” where the impossible is 
  possible due to the city’s unique conditions.  Like the 
  Twisted Earth’s version of King Kong’s remote island 
  (or more accurately, its “island of Dr. Moreau”), the 
  Necropolis has become a place where the seemingly 
  fantastic is in fact very real.
  If you don’t have the Beastmen supplement, you 
  can easily replace the beastmen in this sourcebook 
  (as personiﬁed in the Broken Ones) with moreaus 
  from d20 Modern.  Note that all Broken Ones 
  correspond to the “Overt” version of the moreau 
  race.
  CARTEL
  The Cartel had been crushed by the 
  overwhelming might of the Android army.  It is 
  ironic that the very people who re-awakened the 
  Androids would be their ﬁrst victims, and even 
  more ironic, that those who the Androids would 
  come to destroy in the name of “peacekeeping” 
  were perhaps humanity’s last best hope.  
  Believers in equality among the races, the Cartel 
  provided the best and only hope for civilization 
  in the ruins of Los Angeles.
  But for the Cartel, life goes on.  The desert 
  is once more their home, and the affair of the 
  Necropolis colonization will soon be forgotten...
  The Cartel, a major trading house known 
  throughout the wastelands of the West, came to 
  the Necropolis in 2263, the same year that the 
  Foundationists mustered an expedition to the fabled 
  city.  The Cartel came here for different a reasons, 
  however.  A newly-established “power”, the Cartel 
  sought to go to the Necropolis to open up new 
  markets; surely, their leaders thought, some survivors 
  existed in the old city, and at least some of these 
  survivors would recognize the value in trade.  Hoping 
  to ﬁnd natives in the old city they could deal with 
  (and extort if need be), the Cartel came here in the 
  pursuit of proﬁt.
  The Cartel was not initially unsuccessful, and 
  through their tireless efforts they constructed a 
  stronghold and several outposts.  Coming into the 
  eastern Reaches, they found only a dead cityscape 
  with few creatures to oppose them.  Falsely 
  emboldened by the quiet, the Cartel began bringing 
  colonists over the mountains, who established a 
  ﬂedgling colony in the stronghold’s shadow.
  While the Cartel did make a temporary trade 
  agreement with the rat people of the Reaches (see The 
  Village of The Rat People), their drive for colonizing 
  the Necropolis and opening trade with its suspected 
  inhabitants was ultimately doomed to failure.  With 
  only a foothold in the ruins, they were at the mercy of 
  stronger forces.  When scouts uncovered the Android 
  Base Complex and mistakenly activated the factory 
  there, they sealed their people’s fate.  In only a matter 
  of days a veritable army of androids poured out of 
  the complex and, marching relentlessly, destroyed the 
  Cartel colony bit by bit.  In the end the Cartel decided 
  to cut its losses and abandon the colony, deserting 
  their stronghold and leaving any surviving colonists 
  
  216
  behind in their retreat.  They have never returned.
  General Attitude:  The Cartel were crafty 
  merchants who came to the Necropolis with the 
  intention of securing trade with the “natives” of 
  the city, in a manner not unlike other successful 
  expeditions to trade with tribal folk across the 
  wasteland.
  Faction Territory:  None (formerly the Reaches).
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  Cartel Outpost 
  (#001), Lost Merchant Caravan (#002), Abandoned 
  Homestead (#003), Free Range (#004), Ruined 
  Homestead (#005), Farm (#006), Village of The Rat 
  People (#010), Sanctuary (#011). 
  Non-Twisted Earth Alternative:  If you aren’t 
  using the Cartel or the Twisted Earth setting in your 
  campaign, the Cartel is easily replaced by virtually 
  any post-Fall movement of your design, though any 
  especially devious (and ruthless) merchant house or 
  similar trade organization would be most appropriate.  
  But since the Cartel no longer exists in the city 
  (save for a few holdouts scattered in pockets in the 
  Reaches), the Cartel’s role is really not that important 
  to the setting.
  FOUNDATION
  Despite having retreated beneath the earth 
  in their labyrinth of bunkers and passages, 
  despite having collapsed the only exits to the 
  surface, the relentless, cold-blooded, and uniﬁed 
  efforts of the Hive prevailed.  A passage to the 
  Foundationists’ underground fortress had been 
  excavated.  Through the ﬁrst collapsed tunnels a 
  force of at least one hundred mutant bugs came 
  pouring, under the command of one of their alien 
  hive minds, their sheer bulk causing the rest of 
  the subterranean complex to shake and rumble.  
  Emergency lighting switched on after one of the 
  ‘bugs cunningly severed the power connections 
  somewhere in the tunnels.  Now the only light 
  bathing the faces of the women and children 
  cowering for shelter in the crowded corridors 
  was a deep red glow from the complex’s 
  emergency lights...
  The Foundationists (a militaristic reconstructionist 
  group from the north) came to the Necropolis in 
  2263, hot on the trail of the Cartel merchants who 
  had openly declared their intention to colonize the 
  city and establish trade with any possible inhabitants 
  they might ﬁnd.  Desperate to tap this enormous 
  city’s almost certain supply of lost artifacts, the 
  Foundationists mounted an expedition of their own in 
  the hopes of saving anything from the past that might 
  otherwise fall in Cartel hands.
  The Foundationists were ultimately unsuccessful 
  in their drive into the city.  Though they established 
  outposts and a small fortress, they soon came 
  into conﬂict with the Hive, which was growing 
  at an alarming rate just to the south.  Though the 
  Foundationists attempted to secure a pact with 
  the Raiders of Kruel the Conqueror (see Raiders), 
  their plan was discovered by the Hive (whom the 
  Foundationists thought were merely mindless bugs) 
  and as a result major conﬂict erupted.
  In the end the Foundationists were driven out of the 
  city, their colony destroyed and most of the civilians 
  slaughtered.  Only a handful of Foundationists 
  escaped the ﬁasco, taking with them tales of the giant 
  mutant bugs and their seemingly unstoppable hordes.  
  To this day the Foundation refuses to return to the 
  Necropolis, effectively writing off the entire ruins of 
  Los Angeles as a lost cause.
  General Attitude:  The Foundation seeks to 
  rebuild the America of the past, by collecting, 
  studying, and resurrecting the lost technologies of 
  the Ancient world.  To this end they train endlessly 
  to ﬁght those who would destroy technology or use 
  it for any other means, seeing themselves as the sole 
  body capable of rebuilding the United States the way 
  it was.
  Faction Territory:  None (formerly Pasadena).
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  Foundation Outpost 
  (#068), Lost Foundation Fortress (#069), Arboretum 
  (#074), Crash Site (#076).
  Non-Twisted Earth Alternative:  The Foundation 
  is intimately detailed in the book The Foundationists, 
  but if you don’t have this product (or don’t plan 
  to use anything from the Twisted Earth setting) 
  the Foundation is a group that is easily replaced, 
  since after all it no longer has a presence in the city.  
  Remnants of the Foundation may be found at certain 
  locations; you can simply replace these with relics of 
  any advanced society that tried to re-conquer the city 
  but ultimately failed.
  GHOULS
  The ghouls have retreated cautiously 
  underground to weather the storm; beneath the 
  city streets in collapsed sewer tunnels, in damp 
  rotten passages, they wait.  Gnawing on old 
  bones and hunting for rats to feed their feverish 
  hunger, they patiently wait for their inevitable 
  return to the surface...
  At one time ghouls were s numerous as wild men 
  in the Necropolis, with the former hunting the latter 
  - and all other inhabitants - without fear.  Over time 
  the presence of the ghouls diminished, ﬁrst with the 
  rise of the Serpent Gods (who drove the ghouls from 
  the heart of the city), then with the expansion of other 
  groups.  Eventually the ghouls of the Necropolis 
  came together as one great “horde”, infesting the 
  
  217
  congested streets, decrepit buildings, and rancid 
  sewers in what is now known as the “Domain of 
  The Flesh Eaters”.  Led by a great ghoul known 
  only as the “Putrid Leader”, the ghouls saw in the 
  organization of the other city factions the only means 
  of survival.  Not wanting to be driven to the fringes 
  like the wild men they once shared the city with, the 
  Putrid Leader and his minions attempted to carve a 
  niche of their own, and strike fear into the hearts of 
  the other factions.
  The ghouls didn’t count on the dedication of the 
  city’s others factions.  Used to prey that could only 
  muster sticks and stones to ﬁght them, the ghouls had 
  little better than bone clubs and javelins to ﬁght their 
  enemies.  It is to their credit that they ranged freely in 
  their part of the city for years, striking real terror into 
  the hearts of the Purists (who were so horriﬁed by the 
  idea of a ghoul enclave next door that they created a 
  “no man’s land” of traps and mineﬁelds to keep them 
  out) and the Raiders.  But while they conﬁdently 
  terrorized these communities, the growing might 
  of the Hive was unimpressed.  Once they destroyed 
  the Raiders of Kruel the Conqueror, the Hive swept 
  through the ghoul domain slaughtering everything 
  in their path.  Though their Putrid Leader attempted 
  to mount a valiant defense, using cunning tactics 
  and the broken terrain to their advantage, the ghouls 
  inevitably fell to this superior enemy, their one 
  charismatic leader killed in the ﬁnal stand.  Literally 
  driven underground, the ghoul enclave shattered into 
  many tribes, and any hope of unity and conquest was 
  forever dashed.
  Today ghouls still thrive in the city, but they are 
  a mere fraction of their former numbers and power.  
  There are several individual tribes now (including the 
  Burrowers, Ghoul Town, the Pestilent Ones, Ulgar’s 
  Tribe, and others), all of which constantly ﬁght 
  each other - and anyone else who crosses into their 
  territory.  The largest ghoul concentrations still exist 
  in the Domain of The Flesh Eaters despite the Hive’s 
  conquest of the region, as well as in the Sewers 
  (where ghouls have always retreated in times of 
  trouble).  The ghouls of the city live one step ahead 
  of extermination, hunted as they are by all other 
  groups.
  General Attitude:  Ghouls are survivors, in the 
  Necropolis as in elsewhere on the Twisted Earth.  
  Ghouls are savage predators who feed off the ﬂesh of 
  other humanoid creatures, often delighting in eating 
  their prey alive as it screams.  The ghouls of the 
  Necropolis have become stealthier than most of their 
  kind due to being hunted almost to extinction by the 
  Hive, and now lie scattered in small warring tribes all 
  across the city.  Though forced into the shadows, they 
  are still bold hunters.
  Faction Territory:  None (formerly Domain of 
  The Flesh Eaters).
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  Raider Stockade 
  (#015), Ghoul Town (#040), Ghoul Hideout (#078), 
  Tribe of The Burrowers (#080), Ulgar’s Tribe 
  (#082), Pestilent Ones (#084), Foreboding Ruin 
  (#106), Carousel (#167), Homeless Refuge (#184), 
  Lost Arena (#190), Tunnels to Ghoul Town (#202), 
  Tunnels of The Burrowers (#203), Pestilent Ones Den 
  (#204).
  HIVE
  Simply put, the Hive had been victorious.  
  Their former enemies, the human Raiders and 
  Foundationists, had fallen like toy soldiers under 
  their concerted might.  After massive battles, and 
  relentless assaults, these communities had seen 
  their last isolated fortresses crumble, their forces 
  either killed outright or hunted down to the last 
  among the nearby ruins.
  The Hive’s underground breeding chambers 
  echoed with dozens and dozens of screams, as men 
  and women alike, along with crying children, were 
  impregnated in turn and encased – alive – in mucus-
  lined honeycombs until the larvae within them could 
  incubate.
  Nothing could stop the relentless growth of the 
  Hive.  Nothing.
  For the longest time the entities that would come 
  to be known as the “Hive” existed beneath the streets 
  of the Necropolis.  Believed by other communities in 
  the ruins to be descended from the roaches and other 
  bugs that once infested the poorest neighborhoods 
  of the city, these creatures - through exposure to 
  radiation or chemicals released during the Fall - were 
  believed to be mindless monsters.
  The reality will probably never be known by 
  the other inhabitants of the Necropolis, though in 
  truth the origins of the Hive are just as twisted up 
  in the secret projects of the long-dead Zoogenic 
  Corporation as the Broken Ones, Skaels, and Serpent 
  Gods.  But whatever their origins, the Hive, like these 
  other growing powers, has ambitions that preclude 
  any realistic attempts to co-exist.
  Long content to dwell in the sewers, which they 
  themselves expanded upon without so much as 
  alerting the surface-dwelling factions, in recent 
  history the Hive’s numbers exploded, running almost 
  out of control.  Without the normal predators to hunt 
  them and keep their population under control, the 
  insectoid “mutant bugs” were able to dominate their 
  particular ecological niche.  Taking over their part of 
  the city came easily, ﬁrst underground, then on the 
  surface.
  Slowly the bugs began to push out other 
  competitors, including ghouls and other humanoid 
  creatures standing in the way of their expansion.  
  
  218
  Unlike many groups who considered enemies as an 
  obstacle, the Hive seemed attracted; almost delighted 
  by the tribes and holdouts it came upon.  In truth 
  the reason was sinister; using these captives as 
  “incubators”, mutant bugs implanted live larvae in 
  the bodies of victims paralyzed by their poison.  Kept 
  sequestered in their lairs, after a few days the larvae 
  inside would mature, eating their way out of the 
  horriﬁed victim until he perished, then harvested and 
  raised to join the ever-growing numbers of the Hive 
  populace.
  With this steady increase in population came a 
  geometric increase in the intelligence and sentience 
  of the entire Hive, no doubt in part to the “hive 
  mind” phenomenon that seems almost unique to their 
  “faction”.  Linked by the node-like “hive minds” 
  (enormous psychic insect creatures that magnify and 
  transmit the mental thoughts of the entire community, 
  like psionic coordinators and switchboards), the 
  Hive has developed true intelligence far faster than 
  nature ever intended for the insects of its creation.  
  And yet while they have learned to use tools and 
  even understand the intricate and often contradictory 
  notions common to humanoid creatures, they are still 
  alien in their own thoughts and concepts.  Detached 
  from the traditional ideas of humanity and pity, they 
  proceed with their almost “obsessive-compulsive” 
  need to expand, build, and consume - without 
  remorse.  These creatures understand the value of 
  technology, but do not care for the consequences.  
  They pursue new developments rabidly, putting 
  their new-found technical skills to use disassembled 
  and copying virtually anything and everything they 
  ﬁnd among the ruins:  weapons, vehicles, gadgets, 
  and even bizarre curios that have no use so far in 
  the future.  They understand the need to acquire 
  resources to feed their growing population and 
  colonization efforts, but do not stop to reﬂect what 
  their expansion might mean to their neighbors, who 
  recoil in fear at their perceived inhuman onslaught.
  For all that has been said, the Hive is an ever-
  changing force, almost one giant living entity 
  - one mind, but thousands of bodies.  It is learning 
  and adapting, taking in data and experiences and 
  efﬁciently putting these to work perfecting itself.  
  Over a series of a few short years the Hive’s 
  mutant bugs have gone from thinking like common 
  insects to developing the technology to duplicate 
  and produce weapons, armor, and even advanced 
  gadgets.  They successfully splice technology with 
  their own hideous bioengineering, creating servitor 
  races of giant beetles that serve as shock troops and 
  walking artillery platforms.  They breed subspecies 
  of their own race for speciﬁc purposes and roles, 
  administering to their creations the ability to create 
  sonic shock waves or the ability to ﬂy as easily as a 
  doctor might prescribe an aspirin.
  General Attitude:  The Hive is an enigma, 
  seeming on the exterior to be an inhuman and alien 
  force motivated solely to build.  Ravenous to acquire 
  knowledge at any cost, and to continue developing 
  their blooming intellectual capabilities, they are often 
  judged as monsters merely because of their methods 
  of reproduction.  It remains to be seen, however, how 
  they would deal with someone who tried to make 
  peaceful contact, as they might be quite willing to 
  trade for the beneﬁt of their race.
  Faction Territory:  The Hive.
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  Hive A (#025), 
  Desolation (#026), Hive B (#027), Bug Bridge 
  (#028), Hive C (#029), More Desolation (#030), 
  Hive D (#031), Burning Buildings (#032), Hive E 
  (#034), Dying Tank Bug (#037), Trafﬁc Jam (#038), 
  Arboretum (#074), Larva Cavern (#180), Fungus 
  Cavern (#181), Sewer Workers (188), Hive A Tunnels 
  (#195), Hive B Tunnels (#196), Hive C Tunnels 
  (#197), Hive D Tunnels (#198), Hive E Tunnels 
  (#199).
  PURIST ENCLAVE
  There was silence in the Purist community as 
  the Preacher, long-time spiritual leader of the 
  enclave, said a few ﬁnal words over the bodies 
  of two young women – two women whose anemic 
  and weak bodies betrayed the starvation that 
  had eaten them from within.  His voice, usually 
  strong and ﬁerce and full of rousing hellﬁre, 
  seemed somehow lost now, as the winds began 
  to pick up over the sanctiﬁed gravesite chosen to 
  embrace their remains.
  After only ﬁfteen minutes, the Preacher’s 
  sermon was cut short by a few members of the 
  community scientists, who had been watching 
  impatiently nearby.  It was time to go back in 
  – staying outside any longer would risk further 
  exposure to radiation.  With a mixture of silent 
  dismay and forlorn, the grim-faced Purists lined 
  up and began to move back towards the Ark, that 
  cold and claustrophobic hole in the ground...
  The “Purist Enclave” of the Necropolis is a small 
  but determined faction that stubbornly holds out at 
  the far southwestern end of the peninsula.  Unlike 
  the Broken Ones, Serpent Gods, Hive, and Watchers, 
  the Purists share no common ancestry, or common 
  destiny.  Holdouts from the past, the Purists are 
  an entire community of pureblooded humans who 
  survived the holocaust in a deep secret bunker, only 
  to emerge generations later to ﬁnd a world ravaged 
  by the Final War.
  With their backs to the ocean, the Purists have 
  slowly expanded and secured a niche of their own.  
  Their shelter established long ago by ex-military 
  
  219
  outcasts who foresaw the coming “doomsday”, 
  they brought with them to the surface an arsenal of 
  weapons, armor, and ammunition that made them a 
  force to be reckoned with.  Still nurturing military 
  tactics from long ago, the radical Purists have 
  managed to purge their part of the city of ghouls, and 
  create a vast “dead zone” of traps, mineﬁelds, and 
  secret sniper hides where nothing from “outside” can 
  get in.
  Having built their “wall”, the Purists have turned 
  their efforts to establishing themselves more ﬁrmly 
  on the surface of the city.  At the same time they 
  watch and listen to the sounds of the city.  Isolated 
  as they are, they have only ever dealt with the ghoul 
  menace (from the Enclave of The Flesh Eaters), and 
  have come to believe that they will ﬁnd no friends 
  beyond their borders.
  Yet while they are faced with a tremendous hill to 
  climb, the Purists believe it is their destiny and duty 
  to re-establish the human race on the surface of the 
  world.  Not only do they fear ghouls and the recently-
  discovered Broken Ones, but they revile them.  The 
  population of the Enclave seethes at the idea that 
  these diseased, degenerate creatures could hold such 
  power in the city, and they plot patiently for the day 
  that they can strike out and conquer the Necropolis in 
  the name of Humanity.
  General Attitude:  Descended from militant 
  survivalists who went underground to escape the 
  destruction of the Fall, the Purists still have a 
  paranoid and xenophobic attitude.  This attitude is 
  made worse by the evidence of mutation and rampant 
  chaos in the Necropolis, which they see as signs that 
  peace cannot be had with the other inhabitants of the 
  city.  Crusaders ﬁghting to re-establish the human 
  race, they will not tolerate mutants of any kind.
  Faction Territory:  Enclave of The Lost Children 
  of Man.
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  No Man’s Land 
  (#131), Radio Tower (#139), Fallout Shelter (#140), 
  Slaughter Scene (#141), Water Treatment Plant 
  (#142), The Ark (#143), Nesting Cliffs (#146).
  RAIDERS
  They say that in Dead City, the shadows are 
  alive.  Every now and then a scav will claim he 
  saw people living out there in the ruins, ghostly 
  savages who paint their bodies and keep to the 
  shadowy places.  They claim these savages were 
  once part of a raider “empire” that at one time 
  ruled all of Dead City, but was destroyed and its 
  people driven into hiding.
  The Raiders came to the Necropolis not only to 
  make a new home, but to create a legend.  Led by 
  the ambitious raider prince Kruel the Conqueror, 
  they ﬂed the deserts to the east and dared the dangers 
  of the city to create an “empire” where the violent 
  ways of the raider would rule.  Followed by hundreds 
  of raiders from the wasteland who saw in him the 
  potential for a new way of life away from their usual 
  nomadic existence, in his brief time in the Necropolis 
  Kruel came to control most of Dead City, carving out 
  a bloody niche of his own.
  Though some say Kruel was drawn to the 
  Necropolis for other reasons (reasons revolving 
  around a mysterious legend concerning an infamous 
  pre-Fall ganglord that once lived in the city, which 
  according to stories had an object that could unite the 
  raider gangs of the wasteland), no one will ever know 
  if this was true.  Kruel was able to build a stronghold 
  among the ruins and ﬁght on equal terms with 
  the ghouls that skirted his domain, but in time his 
  armies came into contact with the Hive.  Unlike the 
  Foundationists, who were far better equipped to deal 
  with such a menace, Kruel’s raider empire crumpled 
  like paper under the Hive’s onslaught.  While they 
  fought bravely and even effectively for the ﬁrst few 
  weeks, eventually Kruel’s raiders were unable to 
  grapple with the sheer numbers of ﬁghters mustered 
  by the Hive horde, and were defeated in a ﬁnal battle 
  at their stockade at the heart of Dead City.
  Today the Raiders are gone; Kruel died in the 
  battle for his stronghold, some say locked out of a 
  fortiﬁed bunker by his own harem girls - and left to 
  die in a ball of ﬁre as he tried to claw his way through 
  the steel door.  The truth will never be known.  But 
  it is also said that some survivors of the Raiders 
  still exist in the city, driven almost to complete 
  extinction by continued ghoul raids and the regular 
  sweeps conducted by Hive patrols through Dead 
  City.  These survivors, known as “Ghost Raiders”, 
  have become almost mythical masters of stealth and 
  camouﬂage, moving unseen through the miles of 
  desolate cityscape.  Legend has it that these former 
  raider warriors were all driven insane by the loss of 
  their empire and the slaughter they witnessed, and 
  continue to live like “ghosts”, preying off of lone 
  travelers and scavs who dare to delve too deeply into 
  the heart of Dead City.
  General Attitude:  The Raiders were brave 
  settlers of the Necropolis, coming to a place that 
  tradition dictated was forbidden to the inhabitants 
  of the wasteland.  But for all their bravery they 
  were eventually defeated and their ﬂedgling empire 
  destroyed.  Their survivors, the “Ghost Raider” 
  bands that live each day in hiding, are predators who 
  use stealth and hit-and-run tactics to attack weaker 
  groups and take whatever they need to survive.
  Faction Territory:  None (formerly Dead City).
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  Raider Stockade 
  (#015), Sharkey’s Auto Repair (#016), Golden 
  Dragon (#017), Ghost Raider Tribe (#018), Angel 
  
  220
  Stadium (#020), Uncovered Find (#021), La Mirada 
  Police Station (#087), Raiders Underground (#164).
  SERPENT GODS
  The enormous serpent remained hidden at 
  its post, fanning itself from the dry heat with a 
  parchment fan held in its tail.  Like others of its 
  kind the creature preferred to stay still and lurk 
  in the shadows, merely watching the small group 
  of unwitting humans walking across the street 
  below its concealed perch.  It observed them 
  with only a passing interest, despite the fact that 
  they were now wandering into the “Acropolis”, 
  the domain of these serpent overlords.  With 
  arrogance the Serpent God turned its nose away 
  and continued to fan itself, unconcerned by their 
  intrusion.  After all, humans certainly weren’t 
  a challenge - and so what kind of amusement 
  would it get from slithering forth to attack?
  The Serpent Gods are a race of bioengineered 
  “crossbreeds”, blending particular traits of the human 
  species and snakes.  Their racial history is intertwined 
  with the true history of all the bestial races of the 
  Necropolis.  The serpent gods were the deliberate 
  creations of the enigmatic Zoogenic Corporation, 
  whose founder, Ronald Bernard, was a madman of 
  endless resources who saw the corruption of the 
  planet Earth by modern humanity as a crime against 
  all that Nature had intended.  Spurning the status 
  quo of the “illegitimate” world he was forced to live 
  in, including the organized religions of the day, he 
  discarded the conventional secularism of the day and 
  dabbled secretly in Satanism, in particular an obscure 
  branch of that dark religion that dated to the 1700s.  
  A lifelong advocate of weird pseudo-science (which 
  often made him the ridicule of established scientists), 
  he spent his entire life working towards the 
  fulﬁllment of a long-forgotten Satanic prophecy, ﬁrst 
  divined in the 18th century by a nameless “prophet”.
  Putting his multi-national corporation’s assets to 
  use Ronald Bernard patiently set the stage for the 
  fulﬁllment of the cult’s bizarre doomsday prophecy.  
  Though he himself was prone to relying on bizarre 
  spiritualism and rituals to divine his next move, the 
  core of well-paid (and equally insane) scientists he 
  brought to his corporate labs in Los Angeles were 
  nonetheless experts in the ﬁelds of genetic science.  
  Working with a budget in the billions of dollars, these 
  men were able to make Ronald Bernard’s vision 
  come true.
  Through a long-buried process these scientists were 
  able to successful pair off human and animal genes 
  to create hybrid species that shared both the traits of 
  man, and of beast.  In these creatures Ronald Bernard 
  saw the fulﬁllment of the 18th century prophecy that 
  predicted man would one day be the ruin of himself, 
  issuing in a return of animal kind’s reign over the 
  Earth.
  Possessed by his own belief in the supernatural 
  Ronald Bernard willingly killed himself (along with 
  twelve other members of the “Blessed 13” who 
  shared his vision) in a ritual that coincided with 
  the deliberate release of Zoogenic Corporation’s 
  experiments onto the streets of Los Angeles.  In the 
  chaos this release of hundreds of test animals was 
  almost overlooked, as a Great Enemy was just now 
  landing its armies all over the coasts of America.  
  Soon, nuclear war would erupt, cleansing the Earth of 
  humanity’s domination.  Though many of his beloved 
  creations would die in the nuclear ﬁrestorm, enough 
  survived amid the wreckage of the Necropolis that, in 
  only a few generations, they would rise to become the 
  city’s masters.
  In the end Ronald Bernard’s prophecy came true 
  due to the outbreak of war and the disintegration 
  of human civilization, but whether his timing was 
  merely coincidence, or came to fruition through 
  powers invisible to man, is open to speculation.
  The serpent gods, like other the creations of 
  Zoogenic Corporation, evolved into their current 
  form only after many, many years living in the city.  
  But unlike the other races spawned from the proto-
  progeny of Zoogenic Corporation’s laboratories, 
  the Serpent Gods recognize their ancestry, their 
  origins, and the truth behind their creation.  They 
  recognize Ronald Bernard’s dream, and his intention 
  for them to conquer, and work to bring his vision to 
  completion.  They have yet to share their knowledge 
  with the other factions of the city, but some day they 
  will, when they are ready...
  General Attitude:  The Serpent Gods are content 
  holding the Downtown area (which others have come 
  to call the “Acropolis of the Serpent Gods”) and 
  simply observing the evolution and development of 
  the other creations of Zoogenic Corporation.  Huge, 
  powerful, and technically skilled, they are quite 
  dangerous even for large and experienced groups.  
  But arrogant to the point of folly, they are afﬂicted 
  with a crippling sloth, though in general they will still 
  move to kill anyone who would dare intrude into the 
  heart of the city.
  Faction Territory:  Downtown.
  Faction-Speciﬁc Locations:  China Town (#156), 
  Downtown Battleground (#158), Subway Entrance 
  (#159), Bernard Megaplex (#160), Tunnel Leading to 
  Station (#192), Terminus Underground (#193).
  
  221
  RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTERS
  While there are over 200 
  different adventure locations 
  detailed in this book, random encounters truly bring 
  to life the danger of the Necropolis.  Living between 
  the sheltered settlements and beyond the boundaries 
  of the city’s various factions are many monstrous 
  creatures, roaming the urban ruins like ﬂeeting 
  shadows.  Encounters with these creatures, as well as 
  the armies and patrols from the various Necropolis 
  communities, serve to make travel of any kind in the 
  city a hazardous undertaking.
  Random encounters are organized by region 
  throughout The Ruin At The End Of The World, but 
  the actual details of these encounters are listed here, 
  for ease of reference.
  ANDROID CUTTER (EL 6)
  This encounter can take place either in the harbor 
  proper, or along the shores of the Los Angeles harbor 
  area.
  The PCs encounter a small motorized cutter makes 
  its way through the waters.  Onboard can be seen 
  a trio of androids, armed and scanning the area for 
  signs of “trouble”.  The androids and their boat come 
  from the Jetty at Area #064.
  The androids on board the cutter will ﬁre on the 
  PCs as soon as they are spotted, and will chase 
  them if need to be apprehend them.  Any PCs taken 
  captive will have their boat impounded at the Jetty at 
  Area #064, and themselves taken to the Conﬁnement 
  Center at Area #056.
  Security Androids (3):  HP 20.
  ANDROIDS ON THE MOVE (EL VARIES)
  As the PCs travel through the ruins they come close 
  to a formation from the Android enclave on the move. 
  The Androids regularly patrol the ruins in their 
  area, and the movement of their larger formations 
  (heralded by the tramp of dozens of metal feet) can 
  be heard for dozens of blocks.
  If the PC investigate, they will come across a neat 
  formation of 20-60 security androids moving in 
  formation through the ruins, in the manner of some 
  pre-Fall “V-Day parade”.  For every ten androids 
  there will be 1 low-level command android, and for 
  every three low-level command androids there will 
  be 1 high-level command android (minimum of 1 
  per formation).
  There is also a 1 in 6 chance that a given android 
  formation will be accompanied by 1 combat walker, 
  which will be clearly visible by people on the ground 
  well before the foot soldiers are.
  Security Androids (20-60):  HP 20.
  Low-Level Command Android (2-6):  HP 51.
  High-Level Command Android (1-2):  HP 73.
  Combat Walker (0-1):  HP 106 (page 57, Metal 
  Gods).
  ANDROID PATROL (EL 6)
  As the PCs wander the ruins allow them to make a 
  Spot check at DC 22.  If they succeed they will not be 
  surprised by this encounter.
  Up ahead the PCs stumble upon a desolate 
  intersection, littered with the ruins of old cars and 
  garbage swept about from all over the Necropolis 
  basin.  In the intersection stand three unusual “men” 
  - tall and lanky humanoids that seem to be literally 
  made from a shiny and reﬂective metal.  All of them 
  appear identical, like living metal skeletons.  Their 
  faces are bleak featureless masks that have only tiny 
  slits for eyes and mouth - no nose.
  Each of these “men” carries a riﬂe in hand, and 
  they seem to be scanning the nearby buildings for 
  some unknown purpose.
  GM’s Note:  The characters have stumbled into 
  an android patrol, currently patrolling the ruins on 
  their bizarre mission to “keep the peace” and enforce 
  “martial law”.  As a result they will open ﬁre on the 
  party if the detect the PCs, pursuing them until either 
  they are destroyed or the PCs are killed.  For more on 
  the android enclave see Area #059.
  There is a 1 in 4 chance that the patrol will be 
  motorized; if this is the case, each android will be 
  mounted on a Honda TRX400FW.
  Security Androids (3):  HP 20.
  AURORA UNUSUALIS (EL 0)
  This encounter will only occur at night, but it will be 
  clearly visible throughout the city.
  This encounter represents a night-ling event.  For 
  one full evening the night sky over the cityscape 
  lights up with coruscating bands of color - an aurora.  
  Unheard of in this part of America before the Fall, 
  the display is a product of strange radiations from the 
  Final War.
  The aurora causes no real harm, but its appearance 
  generates enough ambient light that every location 
  in the city is effectively illuminated to a moderate 
  degree (as if lit up by a night-long ﬁreworks display).  
  In addition, it is considered a portent by many of 
  the more primitive inhabitants of the city, and will 
  adversely affect their attitudes as a general “unease” 
  and “paranoia” sweeps through their communities.
  For 1d6+1 days after an aurora is sighted over the 
  city all Tribal communities will have an Unfriendly 
  or Hostile attitude towards strangers and outsiders, 
  due to the lingering fear that the aurora was a sign of 
  
  222
  disaster.  PCs visiting such communities (even ones 
  where they’ve previously made peaceful contact) will 
  ﬁnd gates closed, doors shut, and neither shelter nor 
  help.
  BATS! (EL 0)
  This encounter will only take place Downtown or in 
  the Hive sector of the city.
  At dusk, as the last vestiges of sunlight slip below 
  the horizon casting the entire cityscape in shades of 
  deepening gray, the party sees literally hordes or varo 
  bats taking to the air, heading out to hunt all across 
  the city.  An enormous, living cloud, the bats obscure 
  the last rays of the sun as they rise into the sky over 
  the Necropolis.
  The varo bats ﬂy at high altitude, but in the 
  dimming light are clearly visible, at least for a few 
  minutes.  They do not attack PCs (or anyone else on 
  the ground), but the PCs might be able to take note 
  of where the bat-like creatures came from - either 
  the Palace of Ancient Kings (Area #150), or Hive C 
  (Area #029) - depending on where the PCs currently 
  are.  If the PCs are seeking varo bats for any reason, 
  this will give them a direction to follow.
  BOAT ADRIFT (EL VARIES)
  This encounter will only occur if the PCs have 
  somehow acquired a boat.
  As the PCs row/motor along, out of the fog comes 
  a small watercraft, apparently adrift.  Though the PCs 
  might ready against a suspected attack, the boat does 
  in fact prove to be abandoned, and drifting on the 
  harbor currents.
  If the PCs board the boat they ﬁnd it to be in bad 
  condition, rusting and leaking.  However, a search 
  of the craft’s hold might uncover some interesting 
  ﬁnds at your discretion.  Examples might include 
  the skeletal remains of the Ancient skipper and crew, 
  or perhaps the leathery corpses of 2-3 adventurers 
  (who apparently commandeered the boat but died 
  of radiation sickness), or even a panicked wild man 
  who somehow got on the boat when it was closer to 
  shore and is now stranded out to sea!
  Other ﬁnds might include old treasures, including 
  1-2 rolls on the Junk, Useful Items, Civilian Weapons, 
  or Vehicle Contents tables.
  BUGS ON THE MOVE (EL VARIES)
  As the PCs move through the ruins they hear the 
  strange tramping of alien feet.  Assuming they 
  proceed towards the source of the sound, they come 
  across a massed formation of Hive insects on the 
  move - a veritable army!
  The bug army will consist of 10-30 swarm bugs, 
  1d6+4 mutant bug guardians, 2d4 thunder locusts, 
  1d3+1 giant tank bugs, and 1d3 giant ﬁrebugs - 
  obviously a force not to be fooled with.  Luckily for 
  the PCs, however, this army is off on a mission, and 
  has no time to investigate every last sound (though if 
  the PCs are seen, that’s a different story).
  Unless the PCs are spotted the marching troupe 
  of bugs will wind their way through the ruins until 
  they’re eventually out of sight.  They are most likely 
  marching off towards the frontlines with the Broken 
  Ones, but they could just as easily be heading off to a 
  nearby bughill to add to the garrison there.
  Swarm Bugs (10-30):  HP 17.
  Mutant Bug Guardians (5-10):  HP 41.
  Thunder Locusts (2-8):  HP 13.
  Giant Tank Bugs (2-4):  HP 169.
  Giant Firebugs (1-3):  HP 85.
  CAVALRY PATROL (EL VARIES)
  A small patrol of Broken Ones cavalry is scouting 
  this area of the ruins, dangerously close to where 
  the party is.  The PCs will need to hide to avoid 
  being spotted; if they are, the Broken Ones will 
  immediately attack to “defend the empire”!
  PCs captured by the Broken Ones will be bound 
  and taken to the nearest fort (or, if the Broken Ones’ 
  capital is closer, to that twisted citadel instead).  
  Captives can expect to become slaves, either to 
  be sold to domestic Broken One owners, to the 
  gladiatorial stables at Village Mansu (see Area #097), 
  or even caged as “animals” in the Broken Ones’ 
  “bestiary” in their capital!
  Broken Ones Cavalry (5-12):  HP 74.
  CORIUM PROSPECTORS (EL 10)
  As the characters move through the ruins roll Listen 
  checks both for them and the men they encounter:  
  corium prospectors from Den (see Area #008).  A 
  large band of well-armed and wary ‘prospectors is 
  moving through this area, looking for signs of lost 
  corium lodes in the city, as well as anything else of 
  value to take back to their wretched little trading 
  outpost.  Whether or not the ‘prospectors detect the 
  PCs, depending on the reputation the PCs have made 
  themselves at Den the men may have widely differing 
  attitudes towards them.
  If the PCs have yet to visit Den, there is a 50% 
  chance the ‘prospectors try to ambush them, hoping 
  to steal any corium they have as well as other items 
  of value to sell.  Otherwise the ‘prospectors merely 
  make wary contact, offering to trade and/or lead the 
  party back to Den.  If the PCs have already been to 
  Den, the ‘prospectors probably recognize them; if the 
  PCs fared well there, the ‘prospectors do not attack, 
  and offer to trade a few of the items they’ve found 
  
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  on this particular foray (roll 1d2 Junk and 1d2 Useful 
  Items).  If the PCs broke any laws or were chased out 
  of Den, the ‘prospectors immediately attack.
  Corium Prospectors (8):  HP 26.
  Note that if the PCs are in the company of settlers 
  from Sanctuary, the corium prospectors attack 
  automatically, regardless of the circumstances (they 
  view Sanctuary as a rival community).
  CORPSES (EL 0)
  The PCs come across a number of dead bodies among 
  the ruins.  Unlike the thousands of skeletons in the 
  streets, these bodies appear recently killed (perhaps 
  within a few days, or even hours).  The nature of 
  this “encounter” can vary, depending on what part 
  of the city the PCs happen to be in.  For example, 
  the PCs might ﬁnd the remains of ruin pickers killed 
  in an ambush by Ghost Raiders; mutants killed by 
  xeno scouts of the Purist Enclave; the skeletons of 
  an entire party slaughtered by the enigmatic Serpent 
  Gods as they tried to cut through Downtown; or a 
  group of adventurers killed by whatever creature(s) 
  dwells at the nearest encounter area.
  Whatever the ultimate nature of the corpses, the 
  encounter should give the PCs an idea of what killed 
  them.  For instance, if this encounter is rolled when 
  the PCs are in the Downtown area, there will be signs 
  pointing either to the Hermavs or the Serpent Gods 
  as the killers.  A Survival check (DC 20) may reveal 
  other clues at your discretion (such as how many 
  attacked, what kind of weapons they used, how long 
  ago, etc.).
  In any event, a search of the bodies is not likely 
  to turn up anything more than perhaps 1 roll on the 
  Junk, Trade Goods, Scav Attire, or Survival Gear 
  tables.
  The intention of this encounter is to indicate to the 
  PCs that they have wandered into the domain of a 
  given faction or local group.  Use this encounter to 
  give them a small amount of information on what 
  lives in the area, without them having to actually 
  encounter said faction face-to-face.  This encounter 
  can be especially lifesaving for parties that have 
  wandered into an area whose EL is well beyond their 
  abilities.
  DAR SHARKS (EL VARIES)
  As the PCs pass through the harbor, allow them to 
  make a Spot check to notice a number of “ﬁns”, 
  cutting through the waves, following their progress.  
  A pack of 1d4+4 dar sharks has noticed the party and 
  will pursue them, hoping they go overboard, at which 
  point they will attack en masse.
  The dar shark pack will not pursue the party into a 
  Severely radiated hex.
  Dar Sharks (5-8):  HP 16.
  DRAINED BODY (EL 0)
  This encounter at ﬁrst seems to be the same as the 
  Corpses encounter - the PCs ﬁnd a body (or small 
  group of bodies) among the ruins.  The dead, in this 
  case, could either be a small group of Hermavs or 
  perhaps a lone scav or adventurer who wandered 
  too far downtown.  The body appears unnaturally 
  white and eerily rigid, and is only now beginning to 
  decay.  An examination of the corpse reveals a savage 
  bite mark on the neck, from which the body’s blood 
  appears to have been completely drained...
  Though the PCs will probably not realize this, the 
  drained body is a victim of the mysterious individual 
  living at the Great Library (see Area #151).  The body 
  should provide evidence that some horrible blood-
  sucking “creature” lives Downtown, but whether the 
  PCs conclude it is the work of the Serpent Gods or 
  some other denizen is entirely up to them!
  FLYING BUGS ATTACK! (EL 13)
  At some point as they pass through this area the 
  party hears a distant buzzing that quickly gets louder, 
  evidence of unusual Hive activity.  Before the party 
  can ﬂee they come under attack by a large group of 
  Hive ﬂyers, swooping in from the sky above.
  The Hive is currently working on the construction 
  of a new bughill in the city (see Area #034), and in 
  addition to mutant bugs and tank bugs on the ground 
  moving earth and junk to build it, ﬂyers have been 
  dispatched all over to ﬁnd food and supplies for the 
  workforce assembled to construct it.  The Hive ﬂyers 
  have spotted the PCs and intend to put the party 
  members to good use!
  The ﬂyers will attack as a swarm, hoping to tie 
  down each of the PCs so that they cannot ﬂee or ﬁght 
  back effectively.  Once they have the PCs occupied 
  more ﬂyers will descend and attack a random PC, 
  grappling her and carrying her off into the sky.  
  Moments later they subdue her through their poison, 
  so that she doesn’t wriggle free and fall to her death.
  If the PCs are unable to stop the ﬂyers they will 
  whisk the captive character off to Area #034, where 
  she will be interred in one of hundreds of honeycomb 
  cells in the highest parts of the half-constructed 
  ‘hill, before being sealed in with wax and mucus.  
  Assuming their venom took effect, while here the 
  captive will be unconscious, while the Hive goes 
  about its construction efforts.
  The party will have 1-2 days to follow the ﬂight 
  path of the Hive ﬂyers, ascend the towering ‘hill, and 
  free their captured comrade.  If they don’t succeed, 
  at the end of this time the wax walls will be brought 
  down and the character will either become food for 
  
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  hungry mutant bugs, or the host for a wriggling Hive 
  larvae!
  Bug Flyers (12):  HP 18.
  FRIENDLY SCAV (EL 4)
  The PCs are approached by a friendly scav as they 
  make camp in the ruins.  Eager to prove he’s no 
  enemy, the scav holsters his weapon and approaches 
  with caution.  If the PCs allow the scav entry into 
  their camp, he immediately tries to strike up a 
  conversation with them.  Though it’s obvious he’s 
  soliciting, the man may have some items of interest to 
  the party, and he’s certainly eager to trade.
  The scav will trade virtually anything he has, 
  except for his weapon and at least 1 day worth 
  of food and water (he’ll need them to survive).  
  Everything else is fair game.  In addition to his 
  equipment the scav will have a random number of 
  ﬁnds for sale.  To determine what these items are, 
  roll 1d4+3 times on the table below, then consult the 
  appropriate table for each.
  D10
  Table
  1-2
  Table 1:  Junk
  3
  Table 2:  Useful Stuff
  4
  Table 3:  Clothing
  5
  Table 5:  Lost Knowledge
  6
  Table 6:  Juju
  7
  Table 8:  Trade Goods
  8
  Table 9:  “Magic” Items
  9
  Table 10:  Survival Gear
  10
  Table 17:  Dead Bodies
  If there’s too much for one man to realistically 
  carry, then he’s stashed it somewhere nearby and can 
  lead the PCs there to get it.  In addition to items, the 
  scav may also have information to offer, if the PCs 
  think to ask.  In exchange for some corium (or trade 
  goods), the scav may be able to direct the PCs to the 
  settlement of Den (Area #008), or Sanctuary (Area 
  #011).  He may also know of other sites, at your 
  discretion.
  Scav (1):  HP 52.
  Development:  There is a 1 in 10 chance that the 
  scav, though well-meaning, carries lice or some other 
  parasite on him.  PCs doing any sort of deals with 
  him must make a Fortitude save at DC 15 or contract 
  the vermin (roll this in secret so the PCs don’t know 
  what’s going on).  If the PC in question does become 
  infested, she suffers a -1 penalty to all attack rolls, 
  skill checks, and attribute checks until she receives 
  medical treatment from a skilled physician.
  GHOUL BAIT (EL VARIES)
  This type of encounter will only occur close to Hive 
  territory.
  Through the ruins the PCs hear the panicked 
  screaming of some garbled humanoid creature.  If 
  they investigate they ﬁnd a malnourished, green-
  skinned ghoul literally nailed to a post, its ankles 
  hobbled deliberately by a powerful hammer blow (to 
  prevent it from escaping if it somehow manages to 
  pull itself from the post).  In horrible pain, the ghoul 
  doesn’t scream from its injuries, but rather in fear.
  This “trap” was set up by Ulgar’s Tribe (see Area 
  #082), using ghouls from rival tribes in the area, 
  captured in their raids, as bait.  The ghoul victim, 
  injured and close to death, is intended to attract 
  mutant bugs from the nearby Hive, who will be 
  drawn by the sound of a potential new “host” for their 
  young.
  When the PCs appear a band of Ulgar’s ghouls 
  will be watching from hiding.  Expecting Hive bugs, 
  they will hesitate, not knowing whether to attack or 
  not.  If the PCs move on quickly (without disturbing 
  the “bait”), they won’t attack.  Otherwise they will 
  eventually seize the opportunity for a “free meal”, 
  and attack by surprise.
  Necropolis Ghouls (6-12):  HP 12.
  GHOUL TRAP (EL VARIES)
  This type of encounter will only occur close to 
  the Purist Enclave, in the region surrounding their 
  community where the purebloods have set up literally 
  thousands of traps to keep the ghouls to the east at 
  bay.
  As the PCs navigate the ruins they wander in the 
  vicinity of one of these traps.  In this case the trap 
  is a snare, designed to hook a ghoul’s leg and hurl it 
  into the air, trapping it there, while letting off bells 
  and chimes to scare any other ghouls away.  In time, 
  a Purist patrol would ﬁnd the ghoul and, if it wasn’t 
  already dead, kill it and reset the trap.
  Because of their fear of the Broken Ones the 
  Purists seldom leave their compound these days, 
  though many of their traps are still set.  In addition, 
  the ghouls have learned where many of these traps 
  are, and now use them themselves.   The ghouls have 
  learned to hide nearby until a snare is sprung, before 
  emerging to devour the still-living captive as he 
  hangs helplessly in the trap!
  Pick a random PC and have her roll a Reﬂex save 
  at DC 20 or become entangled.  When this occurs, 
  bells go off signaling the trap has been sprung.  On 
  the next round, 3d6 ghouls will emerge from the 
  nearby ruins to hopefully feast; the PCs will have to 
  ﬁght (with one less party member, since she’ll remain 
  trapped unless they cut the rope) them off.
  Development:  Any PC who is snared must make 
  a second Reﬂex save at DC 20 or lose whatever she is 
  carrying.  In addition, if she is cut free she will fall 20 
  feet to the ground and suffer the appropriate damage.
  Snare Trap:  Reﬂex save DC 20 or be entangled, 
  
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  second Reﬂex save DC 20 to drop items; will also 
  suspended 20 feet off of the ground.  No damage.
  Necropolis Ghouls (3-18):  HP 12.
  GHOULS (EL VARIES)
  As the PCs travel during twilight, or perhaps as they 
  explore an old building (looking for loot or perhaps 
  just a place to shelter), they ﬁnd they’ve stumbled 
  into the hunting grounds of a small pack of ghouls.  
  It is quite possible, however, that the ghouls notice 
  the PCs ﬁrst, so compare Listen and Move Silently 
  checks to see who gets the jump on whom.
  The ghouls will immediately attack the PCs, 
  hoping to overwhelm them.  If they cannot, they will 
  gang up on 1-2 party members, trying to incapacitate 
  them and drag them off to be eaten.  The ghouls will 
  not ﬂee as a group; since they care little for their 
  fellows; individual ghouls will only ﬂee if brought to 
  below one-fourth their starting hit points.
  Necropolis Ghouls (2 per PC):  HP 12.
  GLOWING TUNNELS (EL 0)
  The PCs wander into a series of unexplored tunnels 
  that have become home to a luminous form of 
  fungus.  Like a dry moss, this phosphorescent mold 
  provides ample light in various alien shades to the 
  maze of tunnels in the area - negating the need for 
  artiﬁcial light sources.
  The fungus here is identical to the fungus 
  described under Area #181, and knowledge of the 
  location’s existence would be of great value to the 
  Hive (who haven’t discovered this lost pocket of 
  fungus yet).  Like the fungus at Area #181, this mold 
  can be harvested to serve as a prolonged source of 
  illumination.
  HAND-FROM-HEAVEN (EL 1)
  As the PCs wander through the ruins they hear a 
  piercing shriek from a bird soaring far overhead.  A 
  hawk seems to be circling near them, and after a time 
  it appears they are being watched by the creature.  
  Perhaps it is guarding a nest nearby...
  The animal is in fact a hand-from-heaven, an 
  almost legendary creature that offers a boon in 
  exchange for good deeds (see New Creatures).  The 
  animal won’t attack the PCs (keeping its distance by 
  staying aloft), but if they happen to leave it food, or 
  try to befriend it in another way, they may earn its 
  admiration (see the creature’s description in this book 
  for an idea of what might sufﬁce).
  Use this encounter as a way of setting the party 
  up for an unexpected “helper”, in the form of the 
  hand-from-heaven.  The creature can serve as a 
  scout (returning and acting nervous if it sees danger 
  up ahead, for example), or as a means of delivering 
  needed supplies or items (ammo, rad-purge shots, 
  etc.) into the PCs’ hands just when they need it.
  Hand-From-Heaven (1):  HP 4.
  HERD ANIMALS (EL VARIES)
  The PCs come across a clearing in the ruins where 
  a small herd of animals (3d6 in number) is currently 
  grazing.  The animals (which can be anything you 
  the GM decide, from regular herd beasts to mutated 
  variations of your own creation) will be wary of the 
  party, but unless they come within 30 feet the animals 
  will remain where they are, content to feed.  If the 
  PCs come close, or make sudden motions, the entire 
  herd will stampede in the opposite direction.
  Herd Animals (3-18):  HP 37 (see d20 Modern).
  HERMAVS (EL VARIES)
  As the PCs navigate through the streets or search 
  through a building, they encounter a pack of 6-11 
  hermavs from Area #149 moving through the region.  
  Since the PCs wander too close to their “domain”, the 
  hermavs (assuming they notice the PCs) will strike at 
  them immediately to teach them a “lesson”.
  If the PCs are outdoors the hermavs will be 
  mounted on motorcycles; otherwise they will be on 
  foot, constituting a scavenging party that just happens 
  to be combing through the same building the PCs 
  are in.  Since every last resource in the city is hotly 
  contested, they won’t hesitate to attack the party on 
  sight.
  GM’s Note:  The hermavs will ﬁght until 1/3 their 
  number is killed before retreating to the cathedral at 
  Area #149, before returning with three times their 
  number in reinforcements.  Mark off any hermavs 
  killed from the total listed at Area #149.
  Hermavs (6-11):  HP 55.
  INDUSTRIAL ROBOT (EL 4)
  The clang of metal feet echoes through the ruins.  
  Taking cover the PCs spot a large metallic beast 
  rumble by, its spindly arms burdened with heaps of 
  rusting scrap metal.  The robot seems oblivious to 
  their presence, and marches off towards some distant 
  destination.
  The creature, an industrial robot, is en route 
  from the Scrapyard at Area #057, carrying metal 
  sheets and/or parts for the android factory at Area 
  #059.  Programmed to ferry materials, it will avoid 
  combat at all costs, though it won’t drop its cargo in 
  the process.  It will ﬁght to defend the scrap metal by 
  bashing anyone who gets in its way.
  
  226
  The PCs could easily follow the robot to Area 
  #059, as it is too simpleminded to take the precaution 
  of shaking pursuers.
  Industrial Robot (1):  HP 51 (page 190, The Metal 
  Gods).
  KILLER SCAV (EL 8)
  At some point a solitary scav, wandering through the 
  ruins looking for junk to scavenge, ﬁnds the trail of 
  the PCs (or spots them from a distance).  Determining 
  not to return to his hideout empty-handed, he decides 
  to follow them.
  For the course of 1-2 days the scav shadows the 
  PCs, always staying a respectable distance from 
  them, ﬂeeing if spotted and pursued.  However, being 
  an unscrupulous looter, he plans on getting something 
  from the PCs before he goes away...
  Eventually the scav will make his move, either 
  sniping at the PCs with a gun to kill them off, or 
  sneaking up and ambushing lone PCs who separate 
  the group to steal their belongings.  Alternatively, if 
  by night he sees the party’s camp guard fall asleep, he 
  may even be so bold as to sneak into camp and steal 
  their bags.
  The scav will always focus his attention on the 
  individual PC who carries the most valuable item 
  (assuming he can see the item, of course), taking 
  that ﬁrst and then, only if he has the opportunity, 
  taking other items of lesser value as appropriate.  
  Determined to live, the scavenger will ﬂee if 
  discovered or if victory isn’t assured.
  Scav (1):  HP 52.
  LITTLE THIEF (EL 1)
  As the PCs camp, a small furry creature sneaks into 
  their belongings and attempts to steal away with a 
  random item (its up to you to decide which item, but 
  just to confound the PCs, pick something they really 
  rely on).  The creature is a mundane ferret, which 
  if detected (it has a Hide of +13) will ﬂee - with the 
  item - down a nearby alley, into a sewer drain, or into 
  its burrow concealed in a nearby pile of rubble.
  The object here is not so much the ferret, but 
  getting the PCs to chase it.  You can either use this 
  encounter as a simple, amusing diversion, or perhaps 
  as a lead-in to something more dangerous.  If the 
  PCs make a lot of noise chasing the little thief, 
  they may attract other denizens in the area (ghouls, 
  screamers, android patrols, etc.).  Or, the ferret may 
  inadvertently lead the PCs into the lair of something 
  far more powerful - a mutagon, perhaps...
  Ferret (1):  HP 2 (see d20 Modern).
  LONE MUTT (EL 1)
  The PCs encounter a miserable stray dog, which 
  follows them everywhere, whining.  The animal 
  should be treated as a small dog (see d20 Modern).  It 
  will shadow the party wherever they go; even if they 
  shoo it away or ﬁre on it, it will eventually return, tail 
  between its legs.
  The animal attempts to endear itself to the party, 
  not only because it is starving, but also because 
  it is sick.  In reality the animal was impregnated 
  by a Hive larva, which is slowly growing inside 
  it.  Needless to say, the larva is close to reaching 
  maturity, and will likely hatch as soon as the party 
  lets its guard down...
  Small Dog (1):  HP 6.
  MINEFIELD (EL 2)
  The PCs encounter one a mineﬁeld, either set long 
  ago during the ﬁghting for the city at the time of 
  the Fall, or else by more recent factions.  Originally 
  intended to deny the enemy easy access through the 
  area, the mineﬁeld continues to claim the lives of 
  unwitting animals and the rare humanoid wandering 
  haplessly through it.
  As each member of the party passes through the 
  current hex, roll 1d6; on a roll of 1 that member of 
  the party steps on a mine and triggers it.  Do not roll 
  all at once, but instead start with the ﬁrst character 
  in line, then the second, then third, etc., allowing a 
  periodic interval between each roll to simulate the 
  scattered placement of the mines.
  If a mine is set off it does damage as a fragmentation 
  grenade, except that no Reﬂex save is allowed for the 
  character triggering it (he can’t get out of the way).  
  Other characters in the blast radius may make a save 
  as normal for half damage.
  Once a mine has gone off the PCs may attempt to 
  walk more carefully to avoid setting further mines 
  off.  By doubling the time it takes to move through 
  the hex any remaining characters may pass through 
  without having to roll for more mine detonations.
  MIRROR OOZE (EL 5)
  As the PCs motor across the harbor their movements 
  attract the attention of a mirror ooze, submerged 
  and swimming slowly through the water.  Unable 
  to catch a boat moving full speed (though if they’re 
  using a rowboat that’s another matter entirely), it 
  will nonetheless trail them, following them until 
  either their boat comes to a stop, or they moor on the 
  shore.  Soon after the mirror ooze will emerge from 
  
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  the water (either climbing aboard the boat or simply 
  slithering onto shore), moving to attack the surprised 
  PCs.
  Mirror Ooze (1):  HP 60.
  OPEN WARFARE (EL VARIES)
  This encounter should only take place on or near the 
  frontier of one of the city factions, in speciﬁc where 
  that faction’s territory borders another’s.
  The silence of the city is disturbed by the thunder 
  of open warfare.  It’s not a huge battle, perhaps 
  merely a probing attack by one group or another 
  to test its rivals next door, but the ﬁghting is loud 
  enough to be heard throughout the entire hex (and 
  possibly in neighboring hexes, at your discretion).  
  By the time the PCs arrive - if they’re so bold as to 
  investigate - the two opposing forces will already be 
  in the middle of a pitched battle.
  Depending on where this encounter takes place the 
  forces involved will vary; use the chart below as a 
  guideline:
  Region
  Possible Sides
  Los Angeles Harbor
  Androids, Hive, Ghouls
  Domain of The Flesh Eaters Hive, Broken Ones, Ghouls
  Domain of The Broken 
  Ones
  Broken Ones, Hermavs
  Unless the PCs make themselves known the battle 
  (between large forces; either remain vague about 
  the actual numbers or come up with something 
  reasonable) will play out in relatively short order, 
  perhaps taking two to three hours.  Eventually the 
  rival forces will retreat to regroup.  If the PCs return 
  they may ﬁnd a few items on the battleﬁeld as night 
  falls, at your discretion.
  PURIST FIELD TEAM (EL 11)
  As the PCs wander through the heavily-damaged 
  ruins, they accidentally stumble upon a team of 
  pureblood scientists - and their soldier escorts - from 
  the enclave at Area #143.  The pureblooded humans 
  are wearing full NBC suits as they take samples of 
  biological life (insects, fungus, lichen, rats, etc.) to be 
  taken back to the enclave for further studies.  Since 
  the soldiers are effectively on guard, they will be able 
  to take 10s on their Spot and Listen checks to notice 
  the party’s approach.
  Because the Purists are paranoid of all outsiders, 
  the party’s sudden appearance will cause them to 
  open ﬁre to defend themselves (especially if any 
  of the PCs is an obvious mutant or beastman).  As 
  such the ﬁeld team automatically ﬁres when they 
  spot the player characters, attempting to make a 
  ﬁghting withdrawal out of the area on succeeding 
  rounds.  They will not surrender, and will most likely 
  be unwilling to communicate.  If things go badly, 
  the soldiers will remain to delay the PCs while the 
  scientists escape.
  Purist Scientists (4):  HP 31.
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (2):  HP 50.
  Treasure:  In addition to biological samples for 
  study, the Purists ﬁeld team also has a 25% chance 
  of possessing a pre-Fall map of this part of the city, 
  given to them to help navigate the maze of rubble-
  strewn streets.  Though no map is provided here, 
  you as GM can easily generate a small map using 
  the existing city map to hand out to the players 
  with appropriate notations marking those sites that 
  existed before the Fall.  You can make the map as 
  big or as small as you want, depending on how much 
  information about the city you want to give them.
  PURIST PATROL (EL 12)
  A patrol of well-armed and armored Purist Soldiers 
  (Patrol) is sweeping meticulously through this hex, 
  and come dangerously near to the PCs.  Near enough 
  that Hide and Spot checks (or Move Silently and 
  Listen checks) are needed for the PCs to avoid being 
  detected.
  If the Purist patrol detects the party they 
  immediately attack.  They will retreat if two of their 
  number are wounded, taking their injured members 
  with them as the make an orderly withdrawal.
  Purist Soldiers (Patrol) (5):  HP 50.
  QUAKE! (EL VARIES)
  Use this encounter as a means of reinforcing in the 
  players’ minds the instability of the city, bringing to 
  life a sense that the Necropolis is a place on the verge 
  of destruction, if not by the inhabitants then at the 
  very hands of Nature itself.
  There are two types of Quake! encounter, a 
  mundane tremor and an outright earthquake.  The 
  two different types are detailed below; choose 
  whichever seems most ﬁtting or dramatic, as the case 
  may be.
  Tremor (EL 0):  At some point as the PCs are 
  walking, any animals present will begin to bark and 
  whine.  Seconds later the ground begins to shake, 
  causing bits of cracked masonry to fall from nearby 
  buildings, old signs to jiggle (and possibly fall over) 
  - but nothing serious.  The tremor lasts for 10-20 
  seconds before fading.
  Earthquake (EL 4):  This encounter begins like 
  Tremor, above, except that the shaking of the earth 
  soon becomes violent, picking up strength instead of 
  fading off.  When an earthquake strikes all characters 
  must immediately make a Reﬂex save at DC 15 or 
  be knocked prone, taking 1d2 points of damage.  In 
  
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  addition, if the PCs are indoors there is a 50% chance 
  that the structure they are in suffers a considerable 
  collapse that inﬂicts 8d6 points of damage to 
  everyone inside (Reﬂex save DC 18 for half damage), 
  and pins them until they can be dug out.  If the 
  characters are outside when the encounter occurs 
  there is no risk of being buried in a collapse, but 
  falling debris from nearby buildings will threaten 4d6 
  points of damage (Reﬂex DC 18 for half), but there is 
  no chance of being pinned by the rubble.
  This encounter should only ever occur once or 
  twice during the party’s visit to the Necropolis.
  RADIO TRICK (EL VARIES)
  Assuming the PCs have learned about the radio 
  broadcasts of the Hermit at Area #132, and listen to 
  their radio frequently, they receive a message over 
  the airwaves early in the evening.  The message is 
  ﬁlled with static and obviously comes from a low-
  power source, perhaps not far from where the PCs 
  are.  A garbled, shaky voice comes over the airwaves.  
  It pretends to be a frightened survivor (Sense Motive 
  against the speaker’s Bluff will recognize the voice 
  is lying), hiding out from “monsters” that have been 
  hunting it among the ruins.  It tells its listeners that it 
  is hiding out at a particular location (which happens 
  to be near where the party is currently listening), and 
  begs “someone - anyone” to come to its assistance.
  In reality the speaker on the radio is one of a band 
  of clever ghouls who, having heard the Hermit’s 
  voice on the airwaves, came up with a devious means 
  of catching new prey, using a radio of their own to 
  trick would-be saviors into walking into an ambush.
  If the PCs follow the ghoul’s directions they will 
  be led to a darkened building where an entire pack 
  awaits them.  A light will be left on in an upper story 
  window, but once the PCs go inside and start upstairs 
  the ghouls (who were hiding outside as well as in 
  the basement) will enter the building behind them, 
  preventing them from escaping.  Once they have 
  the PCs trapped, the ghouls move in for the kill, 
  swarming up the stairwells after the party...
  The ghouls are not above trying variations of this 
  trick over and over again.  Alternative lures include 
  using a captured female human to scream for help on 
  the radio (of course they will probably have eaten her 
  by the time the PCs arrive), or even masquerading as 
  a child to play on the PCs’ sympathy (of course, such 
  an attempt to pretend to be a child would result in a 
  penalty to the ghoul’s Bluff check).
  Necropolis Ghouls (5-14):  HP 12.
  Treasure:  The ghouls are not likely to have any 
  real treasure, though at least one of them will have a 
  portable CB radio and power cell.
  RANDOM NOISES (HARBOR) (EL 0)
  Strange noises echo through the harbor, detectable by 
  any PC making a Listen check at DC 12.  Determine 
  the exact nature of the noise by rolling on the table 
  below.
  D20
  Noises
  1-3
  Sound of something swimming past boat
  4-6
  Splash of water nearby
  7-9
  Splash of water in the distance
  10-12
  The groan of aging metal from a nearby wreck
  14-16
  Sound of seagulls
  17-19
  Echoing animal call from shore
  20
  Something scraping along the bottom of the 
  boat
  What the noises might mean for the party is entirely 
  up to you.  The noises can merely be atmospheric; 
  a tool to raise tension and fear; or you can develop 
  a simple roll on the table above into a full-ﬂedged 
  encounter.  It’s totally up to you.
  RANDOM NOISES (SEWER) (EL 0)
  As the PCs travel through the sewers allow each 
  character to make a Listen check at DC 12.  Those 
  who succeed hear strange noises, echoing through 
  the sewer tunnels.  Determine the exact nature of the 
  noise by rolling on the table below.
  D20
  Noises
  1-2
  Gurgling from a nearby waterway
  3-4
  Pattering of many tiny feet - rats?
  5-6
  Rumbling; the sound of a distant cave-in
  7-8
  Chittering noises that sound vaguely like 
  inhuman voices
  9-10
  Gentle splash, as if something slid carefully and 
  quietly into a nearby waterway
  11-12
  Splash of water, as if something “large” entered 
  a nearby waterway
  13
  Terrifying inhuman groans
  14
  Sound of humanoid feet - coming close
  15
  Sound of humanoid feet - running away
  16
  Blood-curdling scream somewhere in the 
  distance
  17
  Gunshot(s) somewhere in the distance
  18
  An animal’s scream, cut short by a sudden 
  splash of water
  19
  A splash, a scream, and an ungodly “roar”
  20
  Someone/something banging on exposed sewer 
  pipes (Morse code?)
  What the noises might mean for the party is entirely 
  up to you.  The noises can merely be atmospheric; 
  a tool to raise tension and fear; or you can develop 
  a simple roll on the table above into a full-ﬂedged 
  encounter.  It’s up to you.
  RANDOM NOISES (SURFACE) (EL 0)
  As the PCs travel down the eerily-empty streets of 
  the city, allow each character to make a Listen check 
  at DC 12.  Those who succeed hear strange noises, 
  
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  echoing down alleys and across the landscape of 
  twisted ruins.  Determine the exact nature of the noise 
  by rolling on the table below.
  D20
  Noises
  1-3
  Moaning - wind blowing through ruins
  4-6
  Unidentiﬁed animal call
  7-9
  Gunshot(s) somewhere in the distance
  10-11
  Tribal drums echoing in the distance
  12
  Hawk’s piercing screech overhead
  13
  Thunder - building collapsing nearby
  14
  Smashing of glass store windows - nearby
  15
  Sound of humanoid feet - coming close
  16
  Sound of humanoid feet - running away
  17
  Maniacal laughter
  18
  Vehicle engines - fading off
  19
  Blood-curdling scream somewhere in the 
  distance
  20
  Monstrous roar
  What the noises might mean for the party is entirely 
  up to you.  The noises can merely be atmospheric; 
  a tool to raise tension and fear; or you can develop 
  a simple roll on the table above into a full-ﬂedged 
  encounter.  It’s up to you.
  RAT DOG SCOUTS (EL VARIES)
  The area the PCs have wandered in is currently 
  being scoured by a group of ravenous sewer ghouls.  
  Assisting them in their search for prey are a handful 
  of rat dogs, which scout ahead of the ghouls, as 
  well as down side passages and even behind them, 
  looking, listening, and snifﬁng for any sign of 
  something edible.
  The PCs will stumble onto the rat dog scout(s) ﬁrst.  
  There will be 1-2 rat dogs.  Assuming the rat dog(s) 
  detects the PCs, as soon as it gets to act it will begin 
  to squeak loudly, before leaping on the prey, hoping 
  to tie the character down until the ghouls arrive.
  The 3-12 sewer ghouls will rush to the sounds of 
  the squeaking rat dog, arriving 1d6 rounds later.  The 
  total number of sewer ghouls should be divided in 
  two; the ﬁrst half will attack the party from the front 
  on the opening round of combat, while the other 
  half - using side passages and tunnels - will come up 
  behind the party one round later.
  Rat Dogs (1-2):  HP 11.
  Sewer Ghouls (3-12):  HP 22.
  RAT SWARM (EL VARIES)
  In this part of the city the rats are far more bold 
  than elsewhere, having come to acquire the taste for 
  human ﬂesh from their ghoul masters.  As the PCs 
  wander the ruins they cross paths with a massed 
  swarm of 30 rats; either picking through the garbage 
  on a particular street, living in the shadowy ruins of 
  an old building or basement, or simply pouring like a 
  living river from a nearby manhole or sewer entrance.
  The rats will move to attack the PCs on sight, and 
  will continue until destroyed.  During the combat 
  there is a 1 in 10 chance that the sounds of battle 
  draws the attention of a handful of ghouls (perhaps 
  2-5 total) as well, who will join the rats in attacking 
  the party.
  Rats (30):  HP 1 (see d20 Modern).
  Necropolis Ghouls (2-5):  HP 12. 
  ROPE WORM (EL 9)
  The PCs pass through a ﬁeld of broken stone, 
  the remains of a large complex of structures that 
  collapsed into rubble either in the Fall or from 
  earthquakes since.
  As the PCs pass through the ﬁeld they attract 
  the attention of a rope worm lurking nearby.  The 
  creature moves to attack the party while they are out 
  in the open, hoping to take at least kill one of them 
  and drag her carcass underground to be devoured.
  Rope Worm (1):  HP 58.
  RUIN PICKERS (EL VARIES)
  This encounter is similar to the encounter with the 
  Friendly Scav.  As the PCs make camp, or travel 
  through the ruins, they spot a small group of “ruin 
  pickers” - a small family of miserable mutant humans 
  who live by picking over the ruins for food to eat, 
  water to drink, and old discarded junk to wear or 
  trade at places like Den (Area #008) and Sanctuary 
  (Area #011).
  The ruin pickers consist of a somewhat lean man, 
  his disheveled wife, 1d3 sons, and 1d3-1 daughters.  
  While the man and his wife are mature adults, roll 
  1d12+7 for the age (in years) of each child.  The ruin 
  pickers are a family, but operate like a well-run outﬁt 
  in their day-to-day quest for food, shelter, and shiny 
  bits that might fetch a good price back “in town”.
  The ruin pickers will approach the PCs on a 
  friendly basis, offering to trade.  In addition to their 
  personal gear they will have a random number of 
  ﬁnds for sale.  To determine what these items are, 
  roll 1d4+1 times on the table below, then consult the 
  appropriate table for each.
  D10
  Table
  1-3
  Table 1:  Junk
  4
  Table 2:  Useful Stuff
  5-6
  Table 7:  Simple Food
  7
  Table 8:  Trade Goods
  8
  Table 9:  “Magic” Items
  9
  Table 10:  Survival Gear
  10
  Table 17:  Dead Bodies
  There is also a 20% chance that the husband is 
  destitute enough to be willing to sell his wife and/or 
  daughters to the PCs for a time, at a rate of 50 cp an 
  hour.
  
  230
  Ruin Pickers (3-7):  HP 20.
  Development:  There is a 1 in 10 chance that 
  the ruin pickers carry lice or some other parasite.  
  PCs doing any sort of deals with the ruin pickers 
  (including laying with them) must make a Fortitude 
  save at DC 15 or contract the vermin (roll this in 
  secret so the PCs don’t know what’s going on).  If the 
  PC in question does become infested, she suffers a -1 
  penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, and attribute 
  checks until she receives medical treatment from a 
  skilled physician.
  SCAVENGING BUGS (EL VARIES)
  The PCs hear the sounds of some unidentiﬁed 
  creatures working busily in the ruins.  If they explore 
  the noise they come across a small group of mutant 
  bugs from the Hive, hastily tearing apart the contents 
  of an old building.  Bugs can be seen stripping down 
  rusted cars in the street outside, while more of the 
  insects throw lamps, rotted clothing, and even entire 
  spring mattresses out of ﬁfth-story windows to other 
  bugs waiting on the sidewalk below.
  The bugs are busy with their scavenging and take 
  a -4 to all Listen and Spot checks to notice the PCs.  
  However, if they spot the PCs they immediately 
  move to attack, hoping to capture the PCs and take 
  them to the nearest bughill.
  Mutant Bugs (4-16):  HP 17.
  SCREAMERS (EL 9)
  This encounter only occurs at night.  As the PCs are 
  wandering the ruins by moonlight they see distant 
  glows up ahead, moving slowly through the rubble of 
  an old building, though from this distance they can’t 
  tell if its torchlight, a campﬁre, etc.
  If and when the party comes within 100 ft they 
  begin to hear a high-pitched wailing “siren” (almost 
  high enough to crack glass), coming from the 
  direction of the glows.  The siren doesn’t change or 
  falter, but persists as a constant sound that assaults 
  their ears.
  The PCs have stumbled on a group of screamers, 
  the radiated corpses of individual Ancients that have 
  been reanimated by unknown forces to walk again.  
  Mindless undead, the screamers walk the old city 
  streets, attracted by the biorhythms of living creatures 
  which they attempt to slay with their radiated attacks.
  If the PCs are spotted the screamers will attack, and 
  will pursue them wherever they go unless killed.
  Screamers (6):  HP 26.
  SERPENT GOD (EL 16)
  Entering a small intersection the PCs hear the sounds 
  of something large in the middle of feasting.  They 
  have a chance to take cover and see whatever is going 
  on.
  If the PCs get a good look they see a single Serpent 
  God ophidi in the middle of the intersection, currently 
  eating its most recently prey - a huge mutagon!  
  This is evidence, if the PCs don’t already realize it, 
  that even a single Serpent God is a tremendously 
  powerful foe!
  The Serpent God probably won’t notice cautious 
  PCs, but if it does it will merely watch them 
  with indifference, continuing with its meal.  It 
  will only ﬁght if the PCs attack it.  Uninterested 
  in conversation, if the PCs make a nuisance of 
  themselves by trying to communicate it is 50% likely 
  to just ﬁnish its meal and wander off (otherwise it 
  ﬁres off a warning shot to get them “scurrying like 
  rodents”).
  Serpent God Ophidi (1):  HP 195.
  SETTLERS (EL VARIES)
  The PCs spot a small group of men and women 
  moving cautiously through the ruins.  If the PCs 
  approach peacefully these prove to be settlers from 
  Sanctuary; if the PCs seem trustworthy, the settlers 
  may be convinced to guide the party back to that 
  village (see Area #011).  If the PCs attack, or seem 
  suspicious, the settlers open ﬁre before trying to ﬂee.
  Settlers (5-16):  HP 6.
  Treasure:  The settlers have little of value beyond 
  their muskets.  They are returning from a daily trip to 
  one of their community’s secret “gardens” located in 
  the ruins of a large building in the vicinity.  As such 
  they are likely to have a number of baskets ﬁlled with 
  fresh fruit and vegetables as well.
  SEWER GHOULS (EL 9)
  The party comes dangerously near to a group of 
  6 sewer ghouls prowling through the constricting 
  tunnels in search of rats and other prey.  Tougher and 
  sneakier than normal ghouls, if these creatures detect 
  the party they will move to ambush the PCs and take 
  them by surprise.
  Sewer ghouls always attack in a two-pronged 
  fashion, with half their number attacking from the 
  front and the other half from the rear.  This way their 
  surprised enemies can’t escape (unless they leap into 
  the sewer channel and swim away).
  Sewer Ghouls (6):  HP 22.
  SEWER INFERNUM (EL 1)
  The tunnels the PCs are passing through have 
  the odor of chemicals and gasoline.  A buildup 
  of debris and waste products has dammed a key 
  junction somewhere down the line, bringing the 
  ﬂow of sewage to a halt.  A silvery slick can be seen 
  
  231
  collecting in the stagnant sewer channels just a few 
  feet from where the party stands on a slippery ledge.
  The waters here are rich in oil, runoff from leaky 
  cars on the streets above and from Ancient-era 
  industry.  The ﬂammable waste has pooled here, 
  poisoning the waterway and making it potentially 
  ignitable.
  Applying a source of ﬂame to the waters in this 
  area will light the water on ﬂame.  There won’t be 
  an explosion, but the ﬁre will affect a 10-ft area 
  (centered on where it caught ﬁre), and spreads 
  outwards at a rate of 10 ft. per round.  Roll 1d4 and 
  multiply the result by 10 to determine just how far the 
  ﬂames will spread.
  The ﬂames will mostly be restricted to the oily 
  waters of the channel, but at your discretion the 
  ﬂames may creep up onto the oily ledges as well.  
  The PCs are only in danger if they fall in the water 
  with a lit torch in hand (it will cause the surface to 
  ignite); otherwise the ﬂammable waters might even 
  prove to be beneﬁcial (for instance, if they’re being 
  chased by a giant sewer croc).
  SEWER PURSUIT (EL VARIES)
  This “encounter” will actually take place over the 
  course of several hours, and perhaps even days.
  At some point the party’s movements will be 
  detected by a sewer ghoul living in the tunnels the 
  party just passed through.  A cunning creature, the 
  sewer ghoul remains hidden until the party passes, 
  before shadowing them at a reasonably safe distance.
  The sewer ghoul will follow the PCs through 
  the sewers for hours; even days if it has to, always 
  remaining far enough behind that though it remains 
  out of sight, it can hear their movements, voices, etc.  
  If the PCs make camp, or stop to rest, it stays put 
  until they are ready to move on again.
  As it goes the ghoul quietly attracts other ghouls in 
  the area to join in the “chase”, until before they know 
  it the party has a large group of sewer ghouls secretly 
  shadowing them!  Eventually, when the pack gets big 
  enough, the sewer ghouls move to attack.
  Though only one ghoul tracks the PCs at ﬁrst, 
  every hour there is a 50% chance that the pack grows 
  by 1d2 additional sewer ghouls.  When the number 
  of ghouls in the pack equals three times the number 
  of PCs (or if the PCs are detected trying to leave the 
  sewers), the ghouls come pouring down the tunnels to 
  swarm the party and devour them!
  For the PCs their best hope is to hear/spot the 
  ﬁrst ghoul tracker early on and deal with it before it 
  attracts others of its kind.  The longer they delay, the 
  more ghouls they’ll have to ﬁght off!
  Sewer Ghouls (1+):  HP 22.
  SEWER SCRIBBLINGS (EL 0)
  If the PCs are bold enough to travel using the sewers 
  of the Necropolis, they will ﬁnd more than just 
  ghouls and sewage-clogged waterways.  Before the 
  Fall a number of strange maverick groups called 
  the sewers home, and many of these left grafﬁti and 
  markers that now, after the Fall, provide a tantalizing 
  glimpse at the past.
  Whenever this encounter is rolled it indicates 
  the PCs pass the remnants of old writings or spray-
  painted grafﬁti on the walls of a given sewer tunnel.  
  Roll on the following table to determine what exactly 
  the grafﬁti reads:
  D12
  Grafﬁtti
  1-3
  Lewd messages, gang symbols, etc.
  4-6
  “The End Is Coming”
  7
  “Be good to your pet; someday soon he’ll be 
  holding the leash”
  8
  “The Jackal Rises!”
  9
  “Man’s Reign Shall Be Torn Down By The Beast”
  10
  “Zephaniah 2:15”
  11
  “Beware The Reckoning”
  12
  “He Awaits The 13”
  SLAVE TRAIN (EL 16)
  The PCs come across a slave train from the Broken 
  Ones empire moving through the ruins.  The slave 
  train is moving from one village or site to another, 
  and while in transit is under heavy guard.
  The slave train consists of 1d10+20 humanoid 
  slaves of the Broken Ones, being herded by 1 Lasher 
  per 10 slaves, plus 6 Broken One warriors and 1 
  giant mutant beastman, with the entire column 
  being led by a single Broken One elite.  There may 
  also be 2-4 Broken One commons in the slave train, 
  distributing water to the slaves as they rest or serving 
  as porters for the Broken One soldiers.  The slaves 
  are either laborers moving from one camp to another, 
  or else they are carrying cargo as human mules; this 
  cargo can range from stone blocks to scrap metal to 
  rare treasures recently uncovered among the ruins 
  (use your discretion).
  The slave column is busy getting from point A 
  to point B (wherever those might be, depending on 
  where the encounter occurs), so they won’t notice 
  the PCs unless the party acts foolishly or deliberately 
  makes itself known.  If the PCs are discovered the 
  Beastmen attack to drive them off; because they are 
  so cowed the slaves will not ﬁght to free themselves 
  even if it appears the PCs have a chance of winning.  
  
  232
  However, if freed they will be grateful, though 
  they have little to offer in compensation except the 
  belongings of their former masters.
  Slaves (21-30):  HP 10.
  Lashers (2-3):  HP 29.
  Broken One Warriors (6):  HP 40.
  Giant Mutant Beastman (1):  HP 92.
  Broken One Elite (1):  HP 68.
  STARVING ANIMALS (EL VARIES)
  The PCs spot malnourished animals shadowing 
  them through the animals.  The pack will consist of 
  a random grouping of animals, as determined with a 
  dice roll:
  D6
  Pack Type
  1-2
  3d6 small dogs (see d20 Modern)
  3-5
  2d6 medium-size dogs (see d20 Modern)
  6
  2d4 wolves (see d20 Modern)
  The animals will trail the PCs, hoping to pick up 
  scraps of food left behind.  After 1d4 hours they grow 
  restless, however, and will attack any pack animals 
  (or other animals) in the party’s company.  If driven 
  off they stay at a respectable distance, but still follow.
  That evening, when it gets dark, the animals will 
  attack hoping to take what food they can.  They 
  attack the PCs only to scare them off and/or tie them 
  down until one of their number can make off with a 
  pack of food or a bundle of rations.  They will not try 
  to kill the PCs unless there is no other way to curb 
  their starvation.
  STRANGE SPOOR (SEWER) (EL VARIES)
  As the PCs navigate a sewer tunnel one of their 
  number steps in the spoor of an unknown creature.  
  Still fresh, its presence indicates the creature that left 
  it is still nearby...
  Determine the nature of the creature that left the 
  spoor on the table below.
  D8
  Creature
  1
  1d3+1 Wild men
  2
  2d3 Probing waddlers
  3-4
  2d3 Sewer ghouls
  5
  2d3 Seers
  6-7
  2d10 Ratbites
  8
  1 Giant sewer croc
  Unless the PCs immediately turn back and go 
  the other way, they will encounter the creature in 
  question just 1d2 hours later.
  STRANGE SPOOR (SURFACE) (EL 
  VARIES)
  As the PCs wander through the ruins one of their 
  number steps in the spoor of an unknown creature.  
  Still fresh, its presence indicates the creature that left 
  it is still nearby...
  Determine the nature of the creature that left the 
  spoor on the table below.
  D8
  Creature
  1
  1d3+1 Wild men
  2-3
  3d4 Toxic raccoons (page 141, Terrors of the Lost 
  Paradise)
  4
  1d6+2 Ravening hounds
  5-7
  1d4 Necropolis ghouls
  8
  1 Mutagon
  Unless the PCs immediately turn back and go 
  the other way, they will encounter the creature in 
  question just 1d2 hours later.
  TRAPPED BUILDING (EL 2)
  The PCs enter a building ostensibly to search (or 
  looking for shelter), but soon ﬁnd it to be one of 
  several structures in the area deliberately trapped 
  by the mysterious Hermit living at Area #132.  
  Downright hateful of the ghouls that infest his part 
  of the city, he has turned many potential shelters into 
  deathtraps.
  The interior of the building appears to contain a 
  small storehouse of food - dozens of tins of canned 
  food sit against the far wall in a heap (in reality most 
  of the cans are empty, or ﬁlled with rocks).  However, 
  if the heap of cans is disturbed, a trap is triggered 
  that detonates a cluster of three frag grenades, bound 
  together by a coil of wire.
  Once the grenades have detonated, blowing the 
  pile of cans clear away, a crude message can be seen 
  scrawled on the wall:  “Tek Dat Ya Gooly Bazzas”.
  Fragmentation Grenade Trap (1):  Disable 
  Device DC 21, Search DC 21, three separate 
  detonations for 4d6 damage each (burst radius 20 ft., 
  Reﬂex save DC 15 for half).
  WALL CRAWLERS (EL VARIES)
  This encounter takes place while the PCs are 
  searching, or making camp.  Drawn by the sounds of 
  activity, or the party making camp, a group of 1d4+2 
  wall crawlers approaches their position, inquisitive 
  as to what the PCs are - and if they’re edible.  Wall 
  crawlers only eat wild men, and once they realize the 
  PCs aren’t these wild inhabitants of the Necropolis 
  they wander off.
  However, if the PCs attack the wall crawlers, are 
  few in number, or are especially wounded, the wall 
  crawlers may attack, at your discretion.
  Wall Crawlers (3-6):  HP 22 (see The Broken & 
  The Lost: New Terrors).
  
  233
  SKAEL BOARDING PARTY (EL VARIES)
  This encounter will only occur if the PCs have 
  somehow acquired a boat.  The movements of their 
  craft will have attracted the attention of Skaels from 
  Area #053 or Area #054, who will try to board their 
  craft and take the PCs by surprise as soon as they get 
  the chance.
  The Skael boarding party (consisting of 1-12 
  creatures) will emerge from underneath the party’s 
  boat probably when they are docked or at anchor, 
  assuming themselves to be safe.  The Skaels will wait 
  until they think the PCs are either asleep, distracted, 
  or split up, before using stealth to climb on board and 
  attack from all sides.  The Skaels will ﬁght until two-
  thirds their number are killed before diving overboard 
  and swimming deep to get away.  If at all possible 
  they may grapple individual PCs to try and drag them 
  to a watery death beneath the waves.
  Skaels (1-12):  HP 20.
  SKAELS (EL VARIES)
  This encounter will only occur if the PCs have 
  somehow acquired a boat.  The movements of their 
  craft will have attracted the attention of Skaels from 
  Area #053 or Area #054.
  sAs the PCs row/motor along, allow each to make 
  a Spot check vs. a small group of Skaels skulking just 
  under the surface (the Skaels get a +4 bonus to their 
  Hide checks for being underwater).  The Skaels will 
  observe the party and swim after them, keeping their 
  distance but shadowing the party’s boat.  They will 
  not attack or attempt to board the party’s craft, being 
  too cowardly, but the PCs may catch sight of them 
  or hear them swimming after them when just out of 
  sight.
  The Skaels will only attack PCs who fall into the 
  water or who might be left alone on the shore or sent 
  by herself to explore a shipwreck.  When they do they 
  attack as a group, and will ﬂee if one of their number 
  is killed.
  Skaels (2-6):  HP 20.
  UNUSUAL WILDLIFE (EL VARIES)
  As the PCs wander the ruins they come across 
  (or are hunted by) some form of unusual wildlife 
  - tiger, gorilla, bear, etc.  These creatures, certainly 
  not native to this area in the world of the past, are 
  descended from animals that escaped the L.A. Zoo 
  during the chaos of the Fall.  These animals now live 
  wild and free, hunting among the desolate urban ruins 
  as if it were their native savannah (or jungle).  Some 
  may be slightly mutated (two heads, additional limbs, 
  fantastic coloration, etc.), but most are not.  In game 
  terms use the base statistics of their parent animal.
  To determine what type of animal the PCs stumble 
  upon, roll on the table below:
  D8
  Creature
  1-2
  Ape (see d20 Modern)
  3-4
  Bear (see d20 Modern)
  5-6
  Monkey (see d20 Modern)
  7-8
  Tiger (see d20 Modern)
  WEAPON ANIMATRON (EL 4)
  This encounter will only take place within the 
  Enclave of The Lost Children of Man.
  The Purists have set up a number of weapon 
  animatrons throughout their territory; while most 
  numerous along their frontier, other similar devices 
  dot the ruins all around their compound.
  Each of these animatrons is ﬁtted with an M-60 and 
  100 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.  They are usually 
  quite cleverly concealed (and camouﬂaged), requiring 
  a Spot check at DC 25 to notice - at least before it 
  starts ﬁring.  Purist animatrons are programmed 
  to ﬁre at anyone and anything passing within a 90 
  degree arc in front of them (xeno scouts and Purist 
  patrols know where these animatrons are hidden and 
  know how to approach them safely).  An animatron 
  will continue ﬁring until its opponent is killed, passes 
  out of range, or destroys it.
  Weapon Animatron:  HP 40.
  WEIRD WEATHER (EL VARIES)
  The Necropolis is known for bizarre weather 
  phenomenon, some of which is hazardous, and others 
  downright deadly.  Three types of “weird weather” 
  are described here, the dust storm, sandstorm, and 
  heat wave.  Use whichever seems most dramatic to 
  the current situation.
  Dust Storm (EL 1):  Because the streets and 
  buildings of the Necropolis are covered in an 
  unnatural dust from the nuclear attacks and ensuing 
  ﬁres that raged here centuries ago, the city is prone to 
  frequent dust storms.  This can happen at any time.
  When a dust storm hits the stuff is picked up off 
  of the streets and scoured off of nearby buildings, 
  creating a blinding - and suffocating - dust cloud 
  that covers anywhere from a few streets to an entire 
  neighborhood (in game terms, an entire hex is 
  affected).
  A dust storm works in a similar fashion to 
  sandstorms, except one cannot be predicted.  In 
  addition, anyone who can’t make it to cover suffers 
  only a single point of damage each round, and this 
  damage is non-lethal.  Creatures that do not breathe, 
  or wear protective masks, do not take damage.  
  Vision is reduced to 10 feet, but hearing is unaffected.  
  The typical dust storm in the Necropolis lasts for only 
  about 30 minutes.
  At the end of a storm anyone who did not take 
  cover will be covered in a layer of cloying grey dust, 
  
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  which smells and feels oily.  This dust is unusually 
  difﬁcult to remove, requiring vigorous scrubbing and 
  scouring.
  Sandstorm (EL 2):  Sandstorms are a particularly 
  hazardous weather phenomenon in the Necropolis, 
  just as they are elsewhere on the Twisted Earth.  
  However, in the Necropolis the towering skyscrapers 
  and congested maze of city blocks often channel 
  the force of these storms, making them much more 
  dangerous to those creatures living in the ruins.  In 
  addition, sandstorms in the Necropolis are often 
  fed by weather conditions far larger than they 
  appear, making storms that last for days, or even 
  weeks, a common occurrence.  As such, sandstorms 
  are much feared by the inhabitants of the ruins; 
  entire communities have been known to dry up, 
  become abandoned, or even disappear under tons 
  of accumulated sand as a result of a prolonged 
  sandstorm.
  A sandstorm encounter in the Necropolis pertains 
  to all of the rules of a standard sandstorm (see page 
  172 of Darwin’s World 2nd Edition).  However, in 
  especially built-up areas, the damage inﬂicted each 
  round is 1d4, instead of 1d2.  In addition, when 
  determining the duration (in days) of a Necropolis 
  sandstorm, if a 4 is indicated on the d4 roll, roll an 
  additional d4 and add this to the ﬁrst roll.  Each time 
  a 4 is rolled, roll again and add the indicated amount 
  to the previous dice roll.  It is thus possible to have 
  sandstorms that last for weeks!  In addition, unlike a 
  Dust Storm, a Sandstorm encounter, if rolled, affects 
  the entire city, not just a localized area.
  Sandstorms lasting more than a week have one 
  ﬁnal effect that lingers even after the storm has faded.  
  For 1d6+6 days after such a sandstorm, the PCs will 
  not encounter any natural animals (e.g. dogs, wolves, 
  etc.), as these creatures will have gone into hiding or 
  starved to death during the storm.
  Heat Wave (EL 1):  For the course of 1d3 days the 
  city is hit by a withering heat wave.  During this time 
  all creatures (PCs included) throughout the city are 
  affected as follows:
  Any strenuous activity undertaken during the day 
  requires the character in question to make a Fortitude 
  check at DC 12 or become fatigued.  If the character 
  is already fatigued, she instead becomes exhausted.  
  This only occurs during the day, however; during the 
  night time temperatures drop, reducing this risk to nil. 
  Some creatures may be immune to this danger, at the 
  GM’s discretion.
  In addition, water sources encountered in the ruins 
  have a cumulative 25% chance of being dried up 
  each day (you may want to alter the descriptions 
  of individual sites if necessary to reﬂect the lack of 
  water).
  WILD MEN (EL VARIES)
  This encounter can, and probably will, occur more 
  than once.
  Wherever the PCs are they have been noticed by 
  a small band of wild men living/resting/scavenging 
  in the area.  Curious but cautious, the wild men will 
  shadow the PCs to observe them.  They use their 
  Hide and Move Silently skills to remain unseen, and 
  will always hide if the PCs call out to them, ﬁre at 
  them, or pursue them.  They will also ﬂee if they 
  have to.
  The wild men will follow the PCs for 1d8 hexes 
  on the city map before growing bored and giving up, 
  disappearing into the ruins.  They will never confront 
  the PCs, but instead linger on the edge of their senses, 
  creating an eerie sense of being followed, at all 
  hours.  If the PCs camp at night, the wild men camp 
  nearby, without lights, with at least half their number 
  watching the PCs until dawn, before moving out 
  again (note that the wild men will not pursue the PCs 
  into areas that obviously risk their lives).
  The wild men will only show themselves if the 
  party suffers grievous losses after ﬁghting another 
  creature (or creatures).  Sensing the party’s weakness 
  (perhaps after half their number have fallen), the 
  wild men will converge to attack, hoping to kill at 
  least one PC to drag him off into the ruins to ﬁnd out 
  if he’s edible, and to steal the “shiny things” off his 
  back...
  Wild Men (2 per PC):  HP 18.
  WILD MEN & ROBOT (EL 5)
  The PCs are drawn to the sound of banging metal, 
  and garbled screams.  The sounds originate from a 
  small “battle” taking place in the ruins nearby.
  As the PCs watch they see an old industrial robot 
  in the center of an intersection, ﬂailing its arms about 
  wildly, trying to get something off of its back.  To 
  their amusement the PCs see what is aggravating the 
  robot:  a trio of wild men have jumped on it, and are 
  “bravely” trying to kill the “monster” with everything 
  they have.  One of the wild men is hooked around 
  the robot’s body and is trying to pry the metal plates 
  off with its ﬁngers; another is clinging to the arm like 
  glue, trying to bite off the robot’s ﬁngers but only 
  breaking its teeth in the process.  The last wild man 
  is on the robot’s back, using a club made from a large 
  bone to batter its “head” over and over again - to little 
  effect.
  These particular wild men have seen their 
  tribe hunted almost to extinction by the Androids 
  (who consider them “looters”).  They are getting 
  “vengeance” by ambushing any robots they come 
  across.  This is the ﬁrst they’ve gotten their hands on, 
  and they’re ﬁnding it to be more than they can chew!
  If the PCs sit and watch, eventually the wild men 
  
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  give up and run away.  The robot, however, heads off 
  towards Area #057 to join the work there.
  XENO SCOUT (EL 9)
  This encounter will only take place in the vicinity of 
  the Purist enclave.
  As the PCs make their way through the ruins they 
  pass within the ﬁeld of vision of a hidden xeno scout 
  from the Purist enclave.  These elite stalkers are 
  sent out by the Purists to patrol the frontier of their 
  enclave, living on their own for days, even weeks at a 
  time away from base, relying solely on their training 
  and wits.  Their orders are simple:  kill anyone 
  and anything they stumble upon.  If the intruder(s) 
  appears too difﬁcult to kill by himself, the xeno 
  scout has orders to slip away unseen and report the 
  intrusion back at the base.
  The xeno scout will be hidden, and is considered to 
  have taken a 10 due to advanced preparation, as well 
  as making use of nearby cover.  Roll to determine 
  what cover is available:
  D10
  Cover Available
  1-2
  One-quarter
  3-6
  One-half
  7-8
  Three-quarters
  9-10
  Nine-tenths
  Assuming the xeno scout spots the PCs he will 
  observe them for a while before deciding what to do; 
  his actions will either be to start sniping the party 
  from cover, or, if they seem too tough, will slip away 
  and head back to base.
  In the former case the PCs are in for a difﬁcult 
  game of cat-and-mouse.  The xeno scout will ﬁre 
  at them, remaining in cover to beneﬁt from his 
  advanced class’ increase to Hide checks and Defense.  
  In the latter case the PCs will never even know they 
  were spotted, but 2d6 hours later a patrol of Purists 
  will be sent to intercept them (for details on a Purist 
  patrol, see the Purist Patrol encounter).
  Xeno Scout (1):  HP 61. 
  RADIO MESSAGES
  Anyone traveling through the 
  Los Angeles Harbor, Domain 
  of The Flesh Eaters, or Enclave 
  of The Lost Children of Man 
  regions of the Necropolis has a 
  chance of stumbling onto one of the most bizarre 
  “phenomena” of the city, in the form of the Hermit’s 
  radio messages.
  Living alone in the heavily-fortiﬁed compound 
  of an old city radio station (see Area #132), the 
  Necropolis’ resident “hermit” long ago learned 
  how to turn on the transmitting tower to broadcast 
  messages.  Somewhat eccentric already, the old 
  codger came to enjoy hearing his voice sent out over 
  the airwaves.
  The Hermit has long come to believe he lives in 
  the city alone, isolated from intelligent human beings 
  (except for ghouls, Broken Ones, and giant bugs - all 
  of whom he rightfully fears), but he has never given 
  up hope.  He continues to use the transmitter tower 
  to attempt to contact other sane holdouts in the city - 
  the tower doesn’t have the range to reach beyond the 
  Necropolis - but so far he has been unsuccessful.
  Over time the Hermit has diversiﬁed his 
  broadcasts, if for no other reason than to amuse 
  himself.  A given broadcast could contain any sort 
  of message that suits the old man’s whimsy, sharing 
  with anyone who happens to be listening a bizarre 
  mix of weather reports, diatribes on his deepest 
  thoughts, and even warnings about the movement 
  of ghouls and other mutant beasts he’s personally 
  observed while out foraging for food.  Mimicking 
  the variety talk shows of the ancient past, the Hermit 
  broadcasts periodically just to hear his own voice and 
  remind himself that he isn’t dead.
  TUNING IN
  Player characters in the ruins may actually pick up 
  the Hermit’s radio broadcasts, at your discretion.  
  If they have working radios, and just happen to be 
  ﬁddling through the frequencies, they may “stumble” 
  onto one of his broadcasts during the week.  This 
  can be used for more than just ﬂavor (imagine their 
  excitement and surprise at hearing a legible voice on 
  the airwaves), but also to provide cryptic information 
  and real warnings that could help them avoid 
  potential party-killing dangers.
  The Hermit broadcasts roughly once each week, 
  though he’s learned to vary the timing of his 
  broadcasts by a few hours.  Personally terriﬁed of 
  ghouls, he is afraid they’ll somehow ﬁnd a way to 
  track his broadcasts down and ﬁnd out where he’s 
  transmitting from.  As a result, his broadcasts have 
  gotten shorter and shorter, but the hope of making 
  contact with other survivors in the ruins is too 
  tempting to stop altogether.
  Sadly, the Hermit is unable to receive messages, so 
  any attempt to contact him by radio will be unheard.
  ON THE AIR...
  When and if the PCs catch one of the Hermit’s 
  broadcasts you can choose a message from the 
  following examples, or devise your own.  Never use 
  individual messages more than once.
  • The Hermit warns of a recent ghoul sighting.  Since 
  he regularly slips out of his compound to scrounge 
  
  236
  for supplies in the ruins, he has learned to keep an 
  eye out for signs of the passage of ghouls.  He will 
  report any evidence on the air, hopefully alerting 
  other survivors to the movements of these “ghoulie 
  bastards”.
  • The Hermit gloatingly addresses any ghouls that 
  might be listening, asking if they've "lost any 
  recently".  He is referring to the explosive traps 
  he sets up throughout the ruins, hoping to blow 
  up ghouls whenever possible (see the random 
  encounter, Trapped Building).  He continues to 
  taunt the ghouls for a few minutes before going on 
  to something else.
  • The Hermit offers a commentary on the Hive's 
  expansion in the city, and describes having 
  observed, over the past few years, a number of 
  "enormous anthills" being constructed in the 
  eastern part of the city.  He also offers this advice:  
  “If you’re new here, know this:  we gotta BIG bug 
  problem.”
  • The Hermit offers his prediction for the week's 
  weather.  Having lived in the Necropolis his entire 
  life, the Hermit is actually 90% accurate with his 
  predictions.  You can use such a broadcast as a 
  way to warn the PCs of a coming heat wave, or a 
  sandstorm, for example.
  • Following a tremor or earthquake (random 
  encounter), the Hermit may go on the air to 
  comment, and even suggest that “the city is 
  doomed”, and that it is “slowly being reclaimed by 
  the Devils beneath the earth”.
  • Following the sighting of an aurora over the city, 
  the Hermit may go on the air to share his non-
  scientiﬁc take on what the auroras are, and what 
  they mean.  His diatribe ranges from "the contrails 
  of alien spaceships" to "evidence that the Earth was 
  knocked out of its orbit by the Fall and is slowly 
  being sucked into the Sun".
  • The Hermit engages his listeners with an alarming, 
  raving diatribe about having personally seen "ﬁsh-
  men" coming onto land by night along the shores 
  south of the city.  He's terriﬁed of what these 
  creatures might want on land, and if there are more 
  of them.  This message may seem crazy to the 
  PCs, but it not only alerts them to the presence of 
  another group living in the waters off of the city, 
  but it also gives a clue as to where the Hermit’s 
  hideout is located (near the ocean).
  • The Hermit sends out a general call to any 
  survivors that might be listening.  He arranges 
  a location where they can go to make contact 
  with him.  He warns them, however, that since 
  the ghouls learned to use the radio they've begun 
  sending fake messages of their own, to lure people 
  into traps.  If the PCs show up at the right place 
  at the right time, the Hermit may or may not be 
  present at your discretion, only emerging from 
  hiding when he’s sure they weren’t followed.  If the 
  PCs make peaceful contact, the Hermit may take 
  them back to his hideout where they can enjoy its 
  safety and the old man’s hospitality.
  • If nothing exceptional has happened all week, the 
  Hermit resorts to merely playing one of hundreds 
  of musical records around the old radio station.
  Don't just stick to these scripted messages, however; 
  the Hermit could easily report on things happening as 
  a result of the party’s actions.  For instance, if the PCs 
  have stirred up trouble with the Hive (causing them 
  to mobilize bug ﬂyers to chase after them), he will 
  have spotted the inordinate number of bugs in the sky 
  and will wonder aloud at what’s going on.  Similarly, 
  if he hears explosions, or the sounds of combat (the 
  result of the party doing battle anywhere in this 
  part of the city), he will make it known someone’s 
  “kicking butt” in his weekly broadcast.
  GENERIC STAT 
  BLOCKS
  The generic stat blocks for various 
  Necropolis denizens are presented 
  in this chapter.  Signiﬁcant individual NPCs are to 
  be found under the speciﬁc adventure location where 
  they are encountered.
  BROKEN ONE CAVALRY
  Elevated in the public eye, the horse riders of the 
  Broken Ones legions are almost worshipped as the 
  elite of the Warrior caste.  Indeed, their specialized 
  training, quickness in battle, and past record of wins 
  against the Hive and other foes has brought their 
  units much glory.  The typical cavalryman is a proud 
  and merciless warrior, but his ﬁghting skill doesn’t 
  suffer from his arrogance.
  Broken Ones Cavalry (Wolverine Genotype 
  Strong Hero 3/Guardian 6):  CR 9; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+9 plus 6d10+18; HP 74; Mas 16; 
  Init +2; Spd 20 ft; Defense 22, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 
  21 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +5 class, +6 equipment); BAB 
  +9; Grap +12; Atk +13 melee (1d8+7, lance), or +11 
  ranged (2d8, black powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, adrenaline 
  surge, claws, carnivore, reptile brain; AL Broken 
  Ones; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2; AP 4; Rep +2; Str 
  16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12.
  Occupation:  Herdsman (Handle Animal, Ride).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Adrenaline Control, 
  Bestial Genotype, Claws, Carnivore, Reptile Brain.
  
  237
  Skills:  Climb +6, Handle Animal +5, Jump +6, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +7, Listen +3, Ride +11, Spot 
  +3, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Ride-By Attack, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Spirited Charge.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (lance), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization (lance).
  Possessions:  Lance, legionnaire’s armor, black 
  powder riﬂe, 12 rounds of shot, horse (and trappings).
  BROKEN ONE COMMON
  A “common” is a beastman of the Broken Ones 
  empire, a civilian and citizen.  Attitudes and abilities 
  generally vary, but the typical common is dedicated 
  to his race and to seeing it dominate the ruins of 
  the Necropolis in the near future.  Like followers of 
  nationalistic movements of the pre-Fall world, they 
  are often willing to turn a blind eye to cruelty and 
  injustice for the good of the whole.  The sample NPC 
  shown here uses the Ape genotype, but every type of 
  beastman genotype can be found among the ranks of 
  the “commons”.
  Broken One Common (Ape Genotype Strong Hero 
  4):  CR 4; Large humanoid; HD 4d8+8 plus 3; HP 
  29; Mas 15; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 
  13, ﬂatfooted 12 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +3 class); BAB 
  +4; Grap +12; Atk +8 melee (1d6+5, sickle), or +4 
  ranged (by weapon); FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 15 ft; 
  SQ medical incompatibility, herbivore, muzzle; AL 
  Broken Ones; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2; AP 2; 
  Rep +0; Str 19, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 
  10.
  Occupation:  Craftsman (Craft [structural], Handle 
  Animal).
  Background:  Resentful (Ride).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, 
  Gigantism, Simian Deformity, Herbivore, Muzzle.
  Skills:  Climb +12, Craft (structural) +2, 
  Diplomacy -2, Disguise -5, Gather Information -2, 
  Handle Animal +3, Jump +6, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +1, Listen +3, Profession +3, Ride +3, Spot 
  +3.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Endurance, Filthy, Great Fortitude, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, 
  Weapon Focus (sickle).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Extreme 
  Effort.
  Possessions:  Sickle, ﬁlthy robes.
  BROKEN ONE ELITE
  While many die in the savage legions of the Broken 
  Ones, those that survive more than few battles 
  quickly become seasoned veterans worthy of the 
  title “elite”.  These beastmen are ferocious ﬁghters, 
  instinct-driven killers who know no fear and put 
  their experiences at war to good use butchering the 
  enemies of the Broken One empire.
  Broken One Elite  (Boar Genotype Strong Hero 
  3/Guardian 6):  CR 9; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 3d8+6 plus 6d10+12 plus 3; HP 68; Mas 15; 
  Init +2; Spd 20 ft; Defense 22, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 
  21 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +5 class, +6 equipment); BAB 
  +9; Grap +11; Atk +12 melee (1d12+6, greataxe), 
  or +11 ranged (2d8, black powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 
  5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, scent, 
  muzzle; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will 
  +3; AP 4; Rep +2; Str 15, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 12, 
  Wis 10, Cha 8.
  LEGIONNAIRE’S ARMOR
  The armor worn by soldiers of the Broken Ones empire varies depending on the particular beast-form of 
  each warrior, but they are all fashioned with a similar look:  a baroque covering of ornate plate, intricately 
  covered in ﬂuting and decorative frills designed to catch blood and gore.  Though it is stunningly 
  impressive, it also serves a more practical purpose:  both as protection, as well as to ensure the individual 
  Broken One soldier is never caught unarmed.  Legionnaire’s armor is often ﬁtted with retractable claw 
  bracers, as well as pop-up spikes concealed on elbows, feet, and knees.  As a result, even when swarmed 
  in close combat and his weapon taken from him, a Broken One’s armor will provide him with the means to 
  kill his foes.
  The wearer of a suit of legionnaire’s armor makes all unarmed attacks as if they were armed, and all 
  damage inﬂicted is considered lethal.  Legionnaire’s armor requires the Armor Proﬁciency (medium) feat.
  Armor
  Type
  Equip 
  Bonus
  Nonprof 
  Bonus
  Max Dex
  Penalty
  Speed
  Weight
  Cost
  Craft
  Legionnaire’s armor
  Tactical
  +6
  +3
  +1
  -6
  20
  20 lb.
  2,250
  25
  
  238
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Intimidate).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Hyper 
  Olfactory, Serrated Dental Development, Loner, 
  Muzzle.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Diplomacy -3, Disguise -6, 
  Gather Information -3, Hide +3, Intimidate +10, 
  Jump +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +9, Listen +5, Move 
  Silently +3, Spot +5, Survival +6, Swim +5.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Cleave, Great Cleave, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Toughness.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (greataxe), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (greataxe).
  Possessions:  Greataxe, legionnaire’s armor, black 
  powder riﬂe, 12 rounds of shot.
  BROKEN ONE WARRIOR
  Due to their continued patronage of gladiatorial 
  games, and the constant pursuit of war and 
  bloodshed, a savage warrior mindset has developed 
  among the society of the Broken Ones.  As a direct 
  result of Klaww’s violent rule, warfare has turned 
  each individual warrior into a proud and ferocious 
  ﬁghting machine, eager to endanger his life to prove 
  he is better than the next man - a testament to the 
  fact that Klaww’s inhuman policy (which continually 
  stresses “survival of the ﬁttest”) produces far superior 
  warriors than most communities in the Necropolis.
  Broken One Warrior (Wolf Genotype Strong Hero 
  3/Guardian 3):  CR 6; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+3 plus 3d10+3 plus 3; HP 40; Mas 13; Init +3; 
  Spd 20 ft; Defense 21, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 
  size, +1 Dex, +4 class, +6 equipment); BAB +6; Grap 
  +8; Atk +9 melee (1d8+4, longsword), or +9 ranged 
  (2d8, black powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; 
  SQ medical incompatibility, scent, carnivore, social 
  animal; AL Broken Ones; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will 
  +2; AP 3; Rep +1; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, 
  Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Intimidate).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Hyper 
  Olfactory, Serrated Dental Development, Carnivore, 
  Social Animal.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Hide +8, Intimidate +6, Jump 
  +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +5, Listen +3, Move 
  Silently +4, Spot +3, Survival +4, Swim +5.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), Bay 
  of the Pack [REW], Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (longsword).
  Possessions:  Longsword, legionnaire’s armor, 
  black powder riﬂe, 12 rounds of shot.
  BUGMAN
  The curious tribe of “Bugmen” live on the fringes 
  of Hive territory.  Unlike others who have grown to 
  fear the Hive, the Bugmen instead rely on the insects 
  as a food source, as well as for other things (such 
  as making weapons from their hardened shells).  
  The typical Bugman is a master of disguise, using 
  his chitin armor to look like a mutant bug from a 
  distance, both to strike fear into other tribals and to 
  avoid being attacked by bug ﬂyers.
  Bugman (Strong Hero 4):  CR 4; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 4d8+4; HP 22; Mas 13; Init +1; Spd 
  20 ft; Defense 19, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +1 
  Dex, +3 class, +5 equipment); BAB +4; Grap +6; Atk 
  +7 melee (1d10+4, great club), or +5 ranged (1d6+2, 
  sling); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL 
  Bugmen; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0; AP 2; Rep +0; 
  Str 15, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Slaver (Disguise, Intimidate).
  Background:  Tribal (Survival).
  Skills:  Bluff +4, Climb +5, Craft (structural) +3, 
  Disguise +10, Intimidate +5, Jump +5, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Deceptive, Power Attack, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Weapon Focus (great 
  club).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Possessions:  Great club, chitin armor [REW], 
  sling, 2d3 sling stones.
  BURROWER GHOUL
  These unusual ghouls are specialists in digging, 
  burrowing into the camps of their prey while they 
  sleep.
  Burrower Ghoul (Mutant Strong Hero 3/Horde 
  Warrior 2 [B&L]):  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 3d8+3 plus 2d10+2; HP 30; Mas 13; Init +2; 
  Spd 30 ft; Defense 15, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 13 (+0 
  
  239
  size, +2 Dex, +3 class); BAB +5; Grap+8; Atk +8 
  melee (1d8+5, claw), or +7 ranged (by weapon); Full 
  Atk +4/+0 (1d8+5, 2 claws); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 
  5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, claws, darkvision, 
  cannibalism, blindness in light; AL Burrowers; SV 
  Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 
  14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Predator (Move Silently).
  Background:  Tribal (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Claws x2, Sensitive 
  Sight, Cannibalism x2, Photosensitivity.
  Skills:  Climb +8, Craft (structural) +3, Hide 
  +4, Jump +6, Knowledge (Current Events) +2, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +2, Move Silently +8, Survival 
  +6, Tumble +4.
  Feats:  Pack Tactics [B&L], Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Rend, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Weapon Focus (claws).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Horde Warrior [B&L]):  Flank Attack 
  +1d6, Shared Glory.
  Possessions:  None.
  CALTECH HOLDOUT
  No longer resembling the scientists and students they 
  descended from, the lost holdouts beneath CalTech 
  have become primitive and feral.  They have never 
  lost the advanced gizmos cached their by their 
  ancestors, however, and many of them continue to 
  use advanced weapons such as lasers.
  CalTech Holdout (Dedicated Hero 1/Fast Hero 
  1):  CR 2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d6+1 plus 
  1d8+1; HP 11; Mas 12; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 
  16, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 14 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +4 
  class); BAB +0; Grap +1; Atk +1 melee (1d6+1, 
  cleaver), or +2 ranged (2d12, laser pistol); FS 5 ft by 
  5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL CalTech; SV Fort +2, Ref 
  +3, Will +3; AP 1; Rep +1; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, 
  Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Craftsman (Craft [structural], 
  Repair).
  Background:  Guardian (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Craft (structural) +1, Hide +4, Knowledge 
  (History) +2, Knowledge (Tactics) +2, Knowledge 
  (Technology) +6, Listen +6, Move Silently +4, 
  Repair +2, Spot +6, Survival +4, Treat Injury +4.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Futuristic Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Skill Emphasis 
  (Knowledge [Technology]).
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion.
  Possessions:  Cleaver, laser pistol, power clip.
  CARRION KNIGHT
  The Carrion Knights are a small community of 
  primitive pureblood humans living in the western 
  reaches of the city.  Living on the fringe of the 
  Broken Ones empire, the Carrion Knights have 
  developed a hatred for beastmen and have dedicated 
  themselves to “purifying” the city, to one day make it 
  safe for humanity to rise again.  The warriors of the 
  tribe ride trained carrion raptors as steeds, and wear 
  feathered headdresses that clearly identify them as 
  the ﬁghting elite.
  Carrion Knight (Strong Hero 3/Guardian 
  3):  CR 6; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 
  3d10+3 plus 3; HP 40; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 20, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +2 Dex, 
  +4 class, +4 equipment); BAB +6; Grap +8; Atk 
  +9 melee (1d8+4, battleaxe), or +8 ranged (1d6+2, 
  sling); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL 
  Carrion Knights; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2; AP 3; 
  Rep +1; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 
  13.
  Occupation:  Guide (Handle Animal, Ride).
  Background:  Tribal (Intimidate).
  Skills:  Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +3, Jump +4, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +2, Ride +9, Survival +3.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Mounted Archery, Mounted 
  Combat, Primitive Technology, Ride-By Attack, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness, Track.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (battleaxe).
  Possessions:  Battleaxe, leather armor, heavy 
  wooden shield, sling, 10 sling stones, one juju potion 
  (1d4+2).
  CORIUM PROSPECTOR
  Not well-loved wherever they go, corium prospectors 
  are a rough and rowdy bunch who tear through new 
  boomtowns like a tornado, following the desert trail 
  wherever rumors of corium mother lodes take them.  
  In the Necropolis they have come to make a home of 
  their own, a decrepit and sheltered little town named 
  “Den”.
  Corium Prospector (Mutant Strong Hero 4): CR 4; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 4d8+8; HP 26; Mas 14; 
  Init +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, ﬂatfooted 13 
  (+0 size, +0 Dex, +3 class); BAB +4; Grap +7; Atk 
  +8 melee (1d6+4, heavy pick), or +4 ranged (1d6+3, 
  sling); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility; AL Den; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will 
  
  240
  +2; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 
  13, Cha 12.
  Occupation:  Corium Prospector (Climb, Search).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Craft 
  [structural]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Gamma-Ray Visual 
  Sensitivity, Immune-System Abnormality.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Craft (structural) +2, Jump +5, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +1, Repair +1, Search +7.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Endurance, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Vulture, Weapon Focus (heavy pick).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Extreme 
  Effort.
  Possessions:  Heavy pick, sling, 2d3 sling stones, 
  corium lantern, 1d12 corium pieces.
  GHOST RAIDER
  Survivors of the fall of the Raider enclave in the 
  Necropolis, these savage men and women all descend 
  from the ﬁerce and psychotic vehicle-borne warriors 
  of the raider-king’s empire.  Dispersed after the Hive 
  destroyed their stronghold, they survive as scattered 
  individuals, survivors, and in rare cases, as small 
  “tribes” among the ruins.
  Ghost Raider (Mutant Post-Apocalyptic Hero 
  3/Ghost Raider 2):  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; 
  HD 3d8 plus 2d8; HP 22; Mas 10; Init +4; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 15, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 13 (+0 size, +2 Dex, 
  +3 class); BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d6+1, 
  cleaver), or +5 ranged (2d8, black powder riﬂe); FS 5 
  ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility; AL 
  none; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3; AP 4; Rep +1; Str 
  12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 7.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Radical (Drive).
  Mutations and Defects:  Multi-Faceted Eyes, 
  Aberrant Deformity.
  Skills:  Craft (mechanical) +4, Disguise -8, Drive 
  +10, Hide +7, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (tactics) +4, 
  Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Navigate +7, Repair 
  +10, Ride +3, Search +10, Spot +7, Survival +8.
  Feats:  Intuitive Mechanic, Mounted Archery, 
  Mounted Combat, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Track.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore, Survival Sense.
  Talents (Ghost Raider [REW]):  Vehicle 
  Tinkering, Shadow Vehicle.
  Possessions:  Black power riﬂe, 10 rounds of shot, 
  cleaver, canteen, Yamaha YZ250F dirt bike.
  GHOST RAIDER ELITE
  The most experienced ghost raiders have lost it all 
  - the glory of their former empire, their grasp of 
  technology...and their sanity.
  Ghost Raider Elite (Mutant Post-Apocalyptic 
  Hero 3/Ghost Raider 5):  CR 8; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8 plus 5d8; HP 36; Mas 10; Init 
  +4; Spd 30 ft; Defense 17, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 15 
  (+0 size, +2 Dex, +5 class); BAB +5; Grap +6; Atk 
  +6 melee (1d6+1, cleaver), or +7 ranged (2d8, black 
  powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility; AL none; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will 
  +1; AP 5; Rep +2; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 15, 
  Wis 8, Cha 14.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Radical (Drive).
  Mutations and Defects:  Multi-Faceted Eyes, 
  Aberrant Deformity.
  Skills:  Craft (mechanical) +4, Disguise -8, Drive 
  +15, Hide +10, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (tactics) 
  +7, Listen +2, Move Silently +10, Navigate +7, 
  Repair +10, Ride +3, Search +10, Spot +4, Survival 
  +8.
  Feats:  Intuitive Mechanic, Mounted Archery, 
  Mounted Combat, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Track, Vehicle Dodge, 
  Vehicle Expert.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore, Survival Sense.
  Talents (Ghost Raider [REW]):  Vehicle 
  Tinkering, Shadow Vehicle, Cheap Repair, Banshee 
  Wail.
  Possessions:  Black power riﬂe, 10 rounds of shot, 
  cleaver, canteen, Yamaha YZ250F dirt bike.
  GIANT MUTANT BEASTMAN
  In recent years the Broken Ones have begun to notice 
  an increase in freak births, born with gigantism 
  and “ogrish” traits.  Though far stupider than the 
  average feral beastman, these giant mutants often 
  grow to tremendous size and strength.  Chained, 
  collared, and even outﬁtted in oversized armor, 
  these huge brutes are typically used by the Broken 
  Ones to spearhead their armies.  Enormously tough, 
  they unquestioningly march into the fray while the 
  packs of lesser beastmen advance behind them, 
  smashing obstacles that lie in their army’s path.  The 
  giant mutant beastman shown below is based on a 
  rhinoceros genotype beastman, but other kinds are 
  common as well.
  
  241
  Giant Mutant Beastman (Ogrish [REW] 
  Rhinoceros Genotype Tough Hero 4/Strong 
  Hero 6):  CR 12; Huge Giant; HD 4d10+16 plus 
  6d8+24 plus 3; HP 92; Mas 19; Init +0; Spd 15 ft; 
  Defense 20, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 20 (-2 size, +0 Dex, 
  +6 class, +6 equipment); BAB +8; Grap +23; Atk 
  +15 melee (1d10+10, great club), or +7 ranged (by 
  weapon); FS 15 ft by 15 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, horns, quadruped; AL none; SV Fort 
  +11, Ref +3, Will +3; AP 5; Rep +2; Str 24, Dex 11, 
  Con 19, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Intimidate).
  Background:  Resentful (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Aberrant Horn 
  Development, Bestial Genotype, Gigantism, Loner, 
  Quadruped.
  Skills:  Climb +9, Craft (structural) +0, Hide -8, 
  Intimidate +10, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Cleave, Endurance, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Stomp [REW], Sunder, 
  Toughness, Weapon Focus (great club).
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Remain Conscious, 
  Second Wind.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash, Advanced Melee Smash.
  Possessions:  Great club, legionnaire’s armor, 
  chains.
  HERMAV
  The hermavs living in the Church of the Queen of 
  Angels (and prowling much of the Downtown area) 
  are a ruthless and malevolent faction, secretive 
  holdouts who have managed to survive through 
  merciless raiding and pillaging.  Murderers and 
  despicable rapists, they never willingly leave their 
  victims alive to tell the tale.
  Hermav (Mutant Fast Hero 4/Horde Warrior 5 
  [B&L]):  CR 9; Medium-size humanoid; HD 4d8+4 
  plus 5d10+5; HP 55; Mas 13; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 23, touch 21, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, +3 
  Dex, +8 class, +2 equipment); BAB +8; Grap +8; 
  Atk +8 melee (1d8, longsword), or +7 ranged (2d12, 
  sonic riﬂe B); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, adrenaline surge; AL Queen of 
  Angels Clan; SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +5; AP 4; Rep 
  +2; Str 11, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Resentful (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Adrenaline Control, 
  Aberrant Deformity.
  Skills:  Balance +10, Bluff +7, Climb +4, Disguise 
  -4, Drive +12, Hide +10, Intimidate +12, Jump +4, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Listen +6, Move Silently 
  +10, Pilot +5, Ride +4, Repair +3, Spot +6, Survival 
  +6.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Mounted Combat, Pack 
  Tactics [B&L], Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Primitive Technology, Ride-By Attack, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Track, Vehicle Expert.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion, Uncanny Dodge 1.
  Talents (Horde Warrior [B&L]):  Flank Attack 
  +1d6, Shared Glory, Flank Attack +2d6, Improved 
  Feint.
  Possessions:  Leather armor, sonic riﬂe B, power 
  backpack, longsword, two doses of stimshot B, battle 
  cycle.
  HIGH-LEVEL COMMAND ANDROID
  High-level command models possess numerous 
  upgrades that separate them from their low-
  level cousins, and have the tactical acumen of an 
  experienced battleﬁeld ofﬁcer.  Masters of the 
  battleﬁeld, an individual high-level command android 
  often exhibits the leadership ability and strategic 
  sense of the best human generals of the ancient past.
  High-Level Command Android (Android 
  Charismatic Hero 6/Strong Hero 2/Soldier 4):  CR 
  12; Medium-size Android Construct; HD 6d10 plus 
  2d10 plus 4d10 plus 7; HP 73; Mas 0; Init +2; Spd 
  30 ft; Defense 24, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 22 (+0 size, 
  +2 Dex, +6 class, +6 natural); BAB +8; Grap +10; 
  Atk +10 melee (1d6+3, riﬂe butt), or +12 ranged 
  (3d12+2, pulse laser riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 
  ft; SQ android traits, reduce cover on ranged attacks, 
  loud; AL Androids; SV Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +6; AP 
  6; Rep +3; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 0, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 
  15.
  Occupation:  Security Android (Intimidate, 
  Knowledge [Tactics]).
  Features and Deteriorations:  Armor Plating x2, 
  Targeting Computer, Damaged Voice Synthesizer, 
  Loud, Weak Joints.
  Skills:  Bluff -2, Computer Use +2, Demolitions 
  +4, Diplomacy -2, Intimidate +14, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +16, Listen +3, Move Silently -4, Navigate 
  +8, Perform -2, Search +4, Sense Motive +5, Spot 
  +7.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Advanced 
  Technology, Civil Authority [F/MG], Burst Fire, 
  Combat Martial Arts, Frightful Presence, Futuristic 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Hard-Eyed, Heroic Surge, Iron 
  Will, Lightning Reﬂexes, Urban Warfare [F/MG].
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate, 
  Inspiration, Greater Inspiration.
  
  242
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (pulse laser 
  riﬂe), Weapon Specialization (pulse laser riﬂe), 
  Tactical Aid.
  Possessions:  Pulse laser riﬂe, control rod, power 
  clip, power backpack.
  HORROR
  The “horrors” of the Necropolis are a race of ghastly 
  former experiments created by the mysterious 
  Serpent Gods, discarded like old toys by their former 
  masters.  Each of these serpentine monstrosities has 
  a passing resemblance to a humanoid, giving rise 
  to legends that they were, at some point, captives 
  of the Serpent Gods who were turned into these 
  mindless cannibal “things” for some bizarre reason.  
  It is unclear what the Serpent Gods are trying to 
  create, though these beings are certain to have been 
  a disappointment, rejected as they were for their 
  defective physical forms.
  This stat block was originally presented in The 
  Broken & The Lost:  Tribes of The Twisted Earth.
  Horror, Tough Hero 2:  CR 2; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 2d10+2 plus 5; HP 18; Mas 13; Init 
  +2; Spd 10 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 12 
  (+0 size, +2 Dex, +2 class); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk 
  +3 melee (1d3+2 non-lethal plus poison, unarmed), 
  or +3 ranged (1d6+2, acid excretion); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, acid attack, 
  poison; AL Horrors; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1; AP 
  1; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 
  10.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Acid Excretion Glands, 
  Neurotoxin Sting, Atrophied Cerebellum (Int), 
  Ophidianism [B&L].
  Skills:  Balance -4, Climb -3, Escape Artist +4, 
  Hide +5, Jump -4, Listen +3, Move Silently +5, Spot 
  +4, Survival +2, Swim -4.
  Feats:  Alertness, Filthy, Primitive Technology, 
  Stealthy, Toughness.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Robust.
  Possessions:  None.
  IMMORTAL RAIDER
  The Immortals are cocky, self-sure raiders who 
  believe it takes more than a few “ruin pickers” to 
  take them down.  Having only met scavs, scum, and 
  a bunch of oversized bugs in the city so far, they are 
  perhaps arrogant to a fault.
  Immortal Raider (Mutant Strong Hero 3/Raider 
  2):  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 
  2d10+2; HP 30; Mas 13; Init +3; Spd 25 ft; Defense 
  22, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +3 
  class, +7 equipment); BAB +5; Grap +7; Atk +7 
  melee (1d6+4, combat knife), or +9 ranged (2d6, 
  Ruger MP-9); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, regenerate 2 hp per 10 minutes, night 
  blindness; AL Immortals; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will 
  +2; AP 2; Rep +1; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 
  12, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Radical (Drive).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accelerated White Blood 
  Cell Activity, Night Blindness.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Drive +8, Intimidate +4, Jump 
  +4, Knowledge (Tactics) +0, Repair +1, Survival +3.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Weapon Focus (Ruger MP-9).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Raider):  Chaps and Chains +1, 
  Bloodthirsty Cry.
  Possessions:  Ruger MP-9, one box of 9mm 
  ammunition (32), tactical vest, combat knife.
  IMMORTAL RAIDER ELITE
  The cream of the Immortals are their elites, seasoned 
  killers who are formidable ﬁghting opponents both in 
  melee combat as well as in a prolonged ﬁreﬁght.
  Immortal Raider Elite (Mutant Strong Hero 
  3/Raider 2/Tough Hero 3):  CR 8; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 2d10+2 plus 3d10+3; HP 
  50; Mas 13; Init +3; Spd 25 ft; Defense 24, touch 
  17, ﬂatfooted 22 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +5 class, +7 
  equipment); BAB +7; Grap +9; Atk +9 melee (1d6+4, 
  combat knife), or +11 ranged (2d6, Ruger MP-9); FS 
  5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, 
  regenerate 2 hp per 10 minutes, night blindness; AL 
  Immortals; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +3; AP 4; Rep 
  +2; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Predator (Intimidate).
  Background:  Radical (Drive).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accelerated White Blood 
  Cell Activity, Night Blindness.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Drive +10, Intimidate +6, Jump 
  +4, Knowledge (Tactics) +0, Listen +3, Repair +1, 
  Spot +5, Survival +3.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Alertness, 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency 
  (medium), Improved Autoﬁre, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Weapon 
  Focus (Ruger MP-9).
  
  243
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Raider):  Chaps and Chains +1, 
  Bloodthirsty Cry.
  Talents (Tough Hero):  Remain Conscious, 
  Second Wind.
  Possessions:  Ruger MP-9, two boxes of 9mm 
  ammunition (64), tactical vest, combat knife, one 
  dose of stimshot B.
  LABOR ANDROID
  These generic support models were programmed to 
  perform all manner of tasks during the time of the 
  Ancients.  The Android movement in the Necropolis 
  uses them to construct fortiﬁcations, transport raw 
  materials to various work sites, and even repair and 
  rebuild other damaged robots.
  Labor Android (Android Smart Hero 2):  CR 
  2; Large Android Construct; HD 2d10 plus 23; HP 
  34; Mas 0; Init -2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 8, touch 8, 
  ﬂatfooted 10 (-1 size, -2 Dex, +1 class); BAB +1; 
  Grap +8; Atk +3 melee (1d6+3, metal baton), or -2 
  ranged (by weapon); FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 15 ft; 
  SQ android traits, DR 2/energy, loud; AL Androids; 
  SV Fort +0, Ref -2, Will +3; AP 1; Rep +1; Str 17, 
  Dex 7, Con 0, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Laborer Android (Craft 
  [mechanical], Craft [structural]).
  Features and Deteriorations:  Advanced 
  Materials, Behemoth, Telescopic Limbs, Damaged 
  Voice Synthesizer, Loud.
  Skills:  Bluff -4, Computer Use +9, Craft 
  (electronic) +7, Craft (mechanical) +10, Craft 
  (structural) +12, Demolitions +7, Diplomacy -4, 
  Knowledge (Civics) +7, Knowledge (Physical 
  Sciences) +7, Knowledge (Technology) +7, Move 
  Silently -8, Navigate +7, Perform -4, Repair +9.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Builder (Craft 
  [mechanical], Craft [structural]), Gearhead, 
  Toughness.
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Craft [structural]).
  Possessions:  Metal baton, technical scanner [F/
  MG], power cell, basic electronic toolkit.
  LASHER
  The Lasher is a former slave who has surrendered to 
  his lot in life and become a “trustee” in the Broken 
  One hierarchy.  Taking up the whip and scourge, he 
  ruthlessly punishes his fellow slaves at the order of 
  his Broken One masters.  Most Lashers are despised 
  by their fellow slaves, and when a slave revolt erupts, 
  they are usually the ﬁrst to be killed.
  Lasher (Strong Hero 4):  CR 4; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 4d8+8 plus 3; HP 29; Mas 14; Init +0; 
  Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, ﬂatfooted 13 (+0 
  size, +0 Dex, +3 class); BAB +4; Grap +6; Atk +6 
  melee (1d6+3, club), or +5 ranged (1d3+2, whip); FS 
  5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ varies; AL none; SV Fort 
  +6, Ref +1, Will +3; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 10, 
  Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Slave (Handle Animal, Perform).
  Background:  Tribal (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Varies.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Craft (structural) +3, Handle 
  Animal +2, Intimidate +1, Listen +6, Perform +1, 
  Profession +4, Sense Motive +4, Spot +6, Survival 
  +4.
  Feats:  Alertness, Endurance, Exotic Melee 
  Weapon Proﬁciency (whip), Great Fortitude, Power 
  Attack, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Toughness, Weapon Focus (whip).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Extreme Effort, Melee 
  Smash.
  Possessions:  Whip, club, loincloth.
  LOW-LEVEL COMMAND ANDROID
  Far more intelligent than their soldier android 
  cousins, those models designed for command duty 
  are given a higher level of artiﬁcial intelligence, 
  rivaling - and in many aspects surpassing - that of 
  human beings.  Though they are cold, emotionless, 
  and uncaring, their calculating brains allow them to 
  plot, re-plot, and adapt contingencies for the outcome 
  of every possible situation they encounter.
  Low-Level Command Android (Android 
  Charismatic Hero 4/Strong Hero 2/Soldier 2):  CR 
  8; Medium-size Android Construct; HD 4d10 plus 
  2d10 plus 2d10 plus 7; HP 51; Mas 0; Init +2; Spd 
  30 ft; Defense 22, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, 
  +2 Dex, +4 class, +6 natural); BAB +5; Grap +7; Atk 
  +7 melee (1d6+3, riﬂe butt), or +10 ranged (3d12+2, 
  laser riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ android 
  traits, reduce cover on ranged attacks, loud; AL 
  Androids; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +4; AP 4; Rep 
  +3; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 0, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Security Android (Intimidate, 
  Knowledge [Tactics]).
  Features and Deteriorations:  Armor Plating x2, 
  Targeting Computer, Loud, Weak Joints.
  Skills:  Computer Use +2, Intimidate +12, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +12, Listen +3, Move Silently 
  -4, Navigate +5, Search +3, Sense Motive +4, Spot 
  +6.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Civil Authority 
  [F/MG], Combat Martial Arts, Frightful Presence, 
  Futuristic Firearms Proﬁciency, Hard-Eyed, Iron 
  Will, Urban Warfare [F/MG].
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate, 
  
  244
  Inspiration.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (EnTech M-50), 
  Weapon Specialization (EnTech M-50).
  Possessions:  EnTech M-50 [R&U], control rod, 
  power clip, power beltpack.
  MERCHANT
  Merchants are rare in the Necropolis, but like any 
  dangerous frontier throughout human history, men 
  seeking wealth will risk virtually anything - including 
  their lives - in the pursuit of opportunities to make 
  it rich.  Most merchants in the Necropolis stick to 
  places like Den, enjoying the comfort of a secure 
  stockade while doing a brisk business with the locals.
  Merchant (Mutant Charismatic Hero 3/Trader 
  2):  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6+3 plus 
  2d6+2; HP 23; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 
  12, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 12 (+0 size, +0 Dex, +2 
  class); BAB +2; Grap +1; Atk +1 melee (1d6-1, riﬂe 
  butt), or +2 ranged (2d8, sawed-off shotgun); FS 5 
  ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, 
  immune to poison; AL none; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, 
  Will +5; AP 2; Rep +3; Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, 
  Wis 15, Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Merchant (Knowledge [Business]).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Diplomacy).
  Mutations and Defects:  Superior Kidney 
  Development, Syncope.
  Skills:  Bluff +12, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +6, 
  Gather Information +14, Intimidate +6, Knowledge 
  (Business) +10, Knowledge (Current Events) +3, 
  Knowledge (Streetwise) +3, Perform +4, Profession 
  (Trader) +6, Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +2, 
  Spot +6, Survival +3.
  Feats:  Deceptive, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Point Blank Shot, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Silver Tongue, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Fast-Talk, Charm.
  Talents (Trader):  Ear to the Ground, Money 
  Talks.
  Possessions:  Sawed-off shotgun, 2d6 rounds of 
  12-gauge ammunition, hand-made clothing, one 
  dose of rad-purge shot, one dose of stimshot A, 2d12 
  corium pieces.
  MUTANT
  Pathetic beings, “mutants” are physically and 
  mentally retarded creatures who are used as slaves 
  by merchants and the inhabitants of places like Den.  
  Idiots with little sense to speak of, they are probably 
  better off in the company of others (even those that 
  abuse them); their only other alternative is to become 
  prey to far less caring creatures in the city outside.
  Mutant (Mutant Strong Hero 1):  CR 1; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 1d8+2; HP 7; Mas 15; Init +1; 
  Spd 30 ft; Defense 12, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 11 (+0 
  size, +1 Dex, +1 class); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk +3 
  melee (1d3+2 non-lethal, unarmed), or +2 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, cannot be ﬂanked, extra arm; AL 
  varies; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1; AP 0; Rep -3; Str 
  14, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Slave (Climb, Perform).
  Background:  Feral (Hide, Listen, Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Additional Limb 
  Development (Arm), Multiple Eyes, Atrophied 
  Cerebellum (Int), Atrophied Cerebellum (Cha).
  Skills:  Climb +5, Hide +2, Listen +2, Move 
  Silently +2, Perform +0, Spot +3, Swim +4.
  Feats:  Athletic, Endurance, Filthy, Forsaken, Low 
  Proﬁle, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Extreme Effort.
  Possessions:  Rag clothes, 1d2 corium pieces.
  MUTANT BUG GUARDIAN
  The typical mutant bug guardian of the Hive is a 
  fearless ﬁghter, not hesitating to lay its life down for 
  the good of the many.  Armed with knobby weapons 
  created with organic parts, they skitter forward en 
  masse to overwhelm the enemies of the Hive.  They 
  are equally at home ﬁghting in the open as they are in 
  the conﬁned warrens of their colossal “bughills”.
  Mutant Bug Guardian (Mutant Bug Strong Hero 
  3/Guardian 1):  CR 5; Medium-size Monstrous 
  Humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 3d8+3 plus 1d10+1; HP 
  41; Mas 13; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; Defense 21, touch 16, 
  ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +3 class, +5 natural); 
  BAB +7; Grap +9; Atk +9 melee (1d6+4 plus poison, 
  bite), or +11 ranged (2d12, acid riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 
  5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ keen sight, hive mind, poison, 
  tremorsense; AL hive, Hive; SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will 
  +5; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, 
  Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Craft (structural) +5, Jump +6, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +6, Knowledge (Technology) 
  +5, Listen +2, Navigate +2, Repair +5, Spot +2, 
  Survival +4, Swim +6.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Futuristic Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, Room-Broom, Weapon 
  Focus (acid riﬂe).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2.
  Possessions:  Acid riﬂe (same stats as sonic riﬂe), 
  two power clips, two juju potion (1d4+5).
  
  245
  MUTANT BUG THINKER
  Unlike with other communities, the “thinkers” of the 
  Hive are considered just as useful on the battleﬁeld 
  as they are the laboratory.  Master scavengers, these 
  highly-intelligent mutant bugs are often capable of 
  ﬁguring out Ancient devices, and employ them just as 
  they would technology created by their own species.  
  As a result they often lead massed formations of 
  swarm bugs and mutant bug guardians into battle, 
  putting their increased intelligence to good use.
  Mutant Bug Thinker (Mutant Bug Smart Hero 
  3/Fast Hero 2):  CR 6; Medium-size Monstrous 
  Humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 3d6+3 plus 2d8+2; HP 
  42; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 35 ft; Defense 22, touch 17, 
  ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +5 class, +5 natural); 
  BAB +5; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d6 plus poison, 
  bite), or +8 ranged (2d12, acid riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 
  ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ keen sight, hive mind, poison, 
  tremorsense; AL hive, Hive; SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will 
  +6; AP 3; Rep +1; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 16, 
  Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Computer Use +7, Craft (chemical) +9, 
  Craft (electronic) +7, Craft (mechanical) +7, Craft 
  (pharmaceutical) +7, Craft (structural) +9, Decipher 
  Script +13, Demolitions +6, Disable Device +10, 
  Hide +4, Investigate +7, Knowledge (Current 
  Events) +5, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) +6, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +6, Knowledge (Technology) 
  +8, Listen +3, Move Silently +4, Navigate +6, Repair 
  +6, Research +6, Search +6, Spot +3, Survival +2, 
  Tumble +8.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Alertness, Builder 
  (Craft [chemical], Craft [structural]), Futuristic 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Mimic [B&L], Point Blank 
  Shot, Room-Broom, Weapon Focus (acid riﬂe).
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Decipher Script), 
  Plan.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Possessions:  Acid riﬂe (same stats as sonic riﬂe), 
  two power clips, two juju potion (1d4+5), tool belt, 
  multipurpose tool, tech scanner [F/MG], power 
  beltpack.
  NECROPOLIS GHOUL
  Virtually every ruined city of the Twisted Earth 
  claims an abundant population of ghouls, and the 
  Necropolis is no exception.  Here, however, the 
  ghouls are often less feral, having developed a level 
  of intelligence and cunning that makes them far more 
  deadly than their more common kin in other cities.
  This stat block was originally presented in The 
  Broken & The Lost:  Tribes of The Twisted Earth.
  Necropolis Ghoul, Strong Hero 1/Fast Hero 1:  CR 
  2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d8+1 plus 1d8+1; 
  HP 12; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 35 ft; Defense 18, 
  touch 16, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +4 class, 
  +2 equipment); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk +4 melee 
  (1d10+3, great club), or +3 ranged (by weapon); FS 
  5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, 
  claws, albinism, cannibalism; AL Ghouls of the 
  Necropolis; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1; AP 1; Rep 
  +0; Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Claws, Serrated Dental 
  Development, Albinism, Cannibalism. 
  Skills:  Climb +5, Craft (structural) +2, Hide +7, 
  Jump +4, Knowledge (Tactics) +2, Move Silently +8.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Primitive Technology, Weapon 
  Focus (great club).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Possessions:  Bone great club, leather armor.
  NECROPOLIS GHOUL VETERAN
  Most ghouls are simple eating machines, moving 
  stealthily in packs in hopes of ambushing prey, 
  and then rushing forward to take their quarry 
  through sheer force of numbers.  A few ghouls rise 
  above the masses, as experience teaches them to 
  remain watchful and wary, thus making them more 
  successful hunters, trackers, and killers.
  This stat block was originally presented in The 
  Broken & The Lost:  Tribes of The Twisted Earth.
  Necropolis Ghoul Veteran, Strong Hero 3/Fast 
  Hero 2:  CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+3 
  plus 2d8+2; HP 28; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 35 ft; 
  Defense 18, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +2 Dex, 
  +6 class); BAB +4; Grap +7; Atk +8 melee (1d10+5, 
  greatclub), or +6 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 
  ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, claws, 
  albinism, cannibalism; AL Ghouls of the Necropolis; 
  SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 16, 
  Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Claws, Serrated Dental 
  Development, Albinism, Cannibalism.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Craft (structural) +2, Hide +12, 
  Jump +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +4, Listen +2, Move 
  Silently +12, Spot +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Power Attack, Primitive 
  Technology, Run, Stealthy, Weapon Focus 
  (greatclub).
  
  246
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Possessions:  Bone greatclub, leather armor.
  PALACE GUARD
  Grotesque and hateful creatures, hyena-genotype 
  beastmen comprise the elite “praetorian guard” of the 
  Palace in the City of the Broken Ones.  Sadistic and 
  malevolent, these bloodthirsty beasts giggle excitedly 
  as they wander the echoing halls of the Palace, 
  keeping an alert eye out for intruders and would-be 
  assassins.  Loyal only to the Emperor, they delight in 
  killing in his name.
  Palace Guard (Hyena Genotype Strong Hero 3/
  Guardian 7):  CR 10; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+3 plus 7d10+7; HP 63; Mas 13; Init +1; Spd 20 
  ft; Defense 23, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 22 (+0 size, +1 
  Dex, +6 class, +6 equipment); BAB +10; Grap +12; 
  Atk +13 melee (1d12+6, greataxe), or +11 ranged 
  (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, claws, darkvision, carnivore; AL 
  Klaww the Beastmaster; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4; 
  AP 5; Rep +2; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 12, 
  Cha 16.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Intimidate).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Bestial Genotype, Claws, 
  Sensitive Sight, Carnivore, Loner.
  Skills:  Climb +3, Hide +3, Intimidate +10, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +4, Listen +10, Spot +10.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency 
  (medium), Cleave, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Power Attack, Primitive Technology, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Track, Unsettling Cackle 
  [REW].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (greataxe), Tactical Aid, Weapon Specialization 
  (greataxe), Defender +4.
  Possessions:  Greataxe, legionnaire’s armor, signal 
  horn.
  PURIST CIVILIAN
  Pureblooded humans, the civilians of the Purist 
  Enclave are direct descendants of the Ancients, 
  preserved from radiation and mutation by the “Ark”, 
  their deep underground bunker in the south of the 
  city.  Most Purists are either trained to become 
  soldiers or scientists, so those that fall between these 
  categories are simply called “civilians”.  These folk 
  are typically members of the community who are 
  lacking in either technical aptitude or physical ﬁtness.  
  Unable to contribute as ﬁghters or thinkers, they are 
  usually given menial labor duties.
  Purist Civilian (Post-Apocalyptic Hero 4):  CR 4; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 4d8+8; HP 26; Mas 14; 
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 13 
  (+0 size, +1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk 
  +5 melee (1d6+2, farming tool), or +4 ranged (2d8, 
  Remington 700); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; 
  AL Purists; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2; AP 2; Rep 
  +0; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Repairmen (Craft [structural], 
  Repair).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Computer Use +2, Craft (structural) +7, 
  Knowledge (Technology) +11, Listen +10, Repair 
  +10, Spot +10.
  Feats:  Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Gearhead, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-
  Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Troglodyte.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Conserve, 
  Technologist.
  Possessions:  Remington 700, 2d10 rounds of 
  7.62mm ammunition, farming tool (shovel, hoe, etc.), 
  breath mask, rad tab.
  PURIST SCIENTIST
  Though most members of the Purist community are 
  slated to become soldiers, and thus dispense with any 
  formal education beyond military training, a small 
  core of dedicated scientists keep their enclave alive 
  despite the many dangers that surround their isolated 
  stronghold.  By and large these scientiﬁc minds are 
  restricted to the underground laboratories beneath 
  the compound, but every now and again they venture 
  out to perform ﬁeld research and take vital samples 
  of the city’s bizarre mutated ecology.  When they do, 
  however, they are almost always accompanied by a 
  bodyguard of alert soldiers.
  Purist Scientist (Smart Hero 3/Field Scientist 
  3):  CR 6; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6+3 plus 
  3d8+3; HP 31; Mas 13; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; Defense 
  17, touch 13, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +2 class, 
  +4 equipment); BAB +2; Grap +1; Atk +1 melee 
  (1d6-1, pistol butt), or +3 ranged (2d6, Beretta 92F); 
  FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; SV 
  Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5; AP 3; Rep +2; Str 8, Dex 
  13, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Knowledge [Earth 
  and Life Sciences], Research).
  Background:  Resurrector (Craft [chemical]).
  
  247
  Skills:  Computer Use +11, Craft (chemical) 
  +9, Craft (electronic) +8, Craft (pharmaceutical) 
  +8, Decipher Script +5, Demolitions +10, Disable 
  Device +10, Investigate +10, Knowledge (Behavioral 
  Sciences) +5, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) 
  +15, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +8, Knowledge 
  (Technology) +11, Repair +8, Research +12, Sense 
  Motive +4.
  Feats:  Armor Proﬁciency (heavy), Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium), 
  Attentive, Cautious, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Smart Hero):  Savant (Knowledge [Earth 
  and Life Sciences]), Plan.
  Talents (Field Scientist):  Smart Defense*, 
  Scientiﬁc Improvisation.
  Possessions:  Beretta 92F, one box of 9mm 
  ammunition (15), NBC suit, smoke grenade, rad tab, 
  PDA, power cell, ﬁrst aid kit.
  PURIST SOLDIER (BASE)
  The Purist cause is served by its elite cadre of 
  soldiers, dedicated men and women who keep alive 
  the military traditions of their forefathers through 
  martial training and discipline.  Caretakers of a 
  proud tradition (many of the founders of the Purist 
  enclave were ex-military personnel), in many ways 
  the soldiers of the Purist enclave resemble pre-Fall 
  soldiers, armed with surplus Ancient-era weapons 
  and body armor, and rigorously trained in the tactics 
  and techniques that made the armies of the Ancients 
  the formidable forces they were.  Individually these 
  soldiers are certainly competent and tough, but when 
  working as a unit they truly excel.
  Purist Soldier (Base) (Strong Hero 3/Soldier 
  4):  CR 7; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+6 plus 
  4d10+8; HP 50; Mas 14; Init +3; Spd 25 ft; Defense 
  23, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +4 class, 
  +6 equipment); BAB +6; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee 
  (1d6+3, bayonet), or +9 ranged (2d8+2, M16A2); FS 
  5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; SV Fort 
  +6, Ref +6, Will +3; AP 3; Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 16, 
  Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Craft (structural) +0, Demolitions +1, 
  Drive +5, Jump +3, Knowledge (History) +1, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Knowledge (Technology) 
  +2, Listen +3, Navigate +1, Repair +2, Spot +3, 
  Survival +3, Treat Injury +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (heavy), Armor 
  Proﬁciency (medium), Combat Martial Arts, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (M16A2), 
  Weapon Specialization (M16A2), Tactical Aid.
  Possessions:  M16A2, two boxes of 5.56mm 
  ammunition (60), bayonet, military combat suit, 
  molotov cocktail, rad tab, ﬁrst aid kit.
  PURIST SOLDIER (PATROL)
  When required to leave their underground bunker on 
  patrol the Purists insist their soldiers don NBC suits 
  to protect themselves - and the Enclave’s population 
  - from disease.  Though an NBC suit pales in 
  comparison to a military combat suit, these soldiers 
  do what is required of them without complaint.
  Purist Soldier (Patrol) (Strong Hero 3/Soldier 
  4):  CR 7; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+6 plus 
  4d10+8; HP 50; Mas 14; Init +3; Spd 20 ft; Defense 
  19, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +4 class, 
  +4 equipment); BAB +6; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee 
  (1d6+3, bayonet), or +9 ranged (2d8+2, M16A2); FS 
  5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; SV Fort 
  +6, Ref +6, Will +3; AP 3; Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 16, 
  Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Craft (structural) +0, Demolitions +1, 
  Drive +5, Jump +3, Knowledge (History) +1, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Knowledge (Technology) 
  +2, Listen +3, Navigate +1, Repair +2, Spot +3, 
  Survival +3, Treat Injury +2.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (heavy), Armor 
  Proﬁciency (medium), Combat Martial Arts, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (M16A2), 
  Weapon Specialization (M16A2), Tactical Aid.
  Possessions:  M16A2, two boxes of 5.56mm 
  ammunition (60), bayonet, NBC suit, molotov 
  cocktail, rad tab, ﬁrst aid kit.
  
  248
  RATMAN
  The ratmen from the Village of The Rat People were 
  once slaves in the empire of the Broken Ones, but 
  they escaped to freedom long ago, making a home for 
  themselves in the eastern reaches of the city.  These 
  simple survivalists are quite religious, but they have 
  a favorable attitude towards humans (and humanoid 
  mutants), and could be potential friends to the player 
  characters.
   
  Ratman (Rat Genotype Fast Hero 2):  CR 2; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+2; HP 11; Mas 12; 
  Init +2; Spd 35 ft; Defense 16, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 
  14 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +4 class); BAB +1; Grap +2; 
  Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, club), or +3 ranged (1d6+1, 
  javelin); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, muzzle, reptile brain; AL 
  Ratmen; SV Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2; AP 1; Rep +0; 
  Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Guide (Listen, Navigate).
  Background:  Tribal (Survival).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance, 
  Bestial Genotype, Hyper Olfactory, Muzzle, Reptile 
  Brain.
  Skills:  Balance +7, Diplomacy -2, Disguise -5, 
  Gather Information -2, Hide +11, Listen +6, Move 
  Silently +9, Navigate +3, Survival +5.
  Feats:  Filthy, Infested Fur [REW], Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy, 
  Track.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Possessions:  Club or cleaver, javelin.
  RUIN PICKER
  Desperate, hungry, and ﬁlthy, the inhabitants of the 
  Necropolis known as “ruin pickers” aren’t exactly 
  looters, and not skilled enough to be called scavs.  
  Wandering in small groups (often an entire family), 
  they barely get by through scrounging for junk and 
  trading it to passerby.  Often times they end up as 
  little more than prey for the city’s many monsters and 
  less scrupulous types.
  Ruin Picker (Mutant Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3):  
  CR 3; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d8+6; HP 20; 
  Mas 15; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, 
  ﬂatfooted 12 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +2 class); BAB +2; 
  Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6, machete), or +3 ranged 
  (1d8, spear); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility; AL none; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will 
  +3; AP 1; Rep -3; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 
  14, Cha 12.
  Occupation:  Wanderer (Diplomacy, Navigate).
  Background:  Ritual Preservationist (Knowledge 
  [Mutant Lore]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Multiple Stomachs, 
  Aberrant Deformity.
  Skills:  Disguise -5, Hide +3, Knowledge (Mutant 
  Lore) +2, Listen +4, Move Silently +3, Navigate +6, 
  Repair +1, Search +3, Spot +4, Survival +8.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Filthy, 
  Guide, Low Proﬁle, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore, Conserve.
  Possessions:  Spear, machete, rag clothes, 1d2 
  corium pieces.
  SCAV
  The Necropolis scav is many things - a loner, 
  wanderer, scrounger, forager, trader, diplomat, thief, 
  and cutthroat.  Whether he makes his living ﬁnding 
  junk in the ruins and selling it to other Necropolis 
  inhabitants, or simply murders those he crosses paths 
  with for whatever they’re carrying, he is a person 
  wise men never let their guard down around.
  Scav (Mutant Fast Hero 2/Post-Apocalyptic Hero 
  2/Scav 4):  CR 8; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+4 
  plus 2d8+4 plus 4d8+8; HP 52; Mas 14; Init +2; Spd 
  40 ft; Defense 24, touch 21, ﬂatfooted 22 (+0 size, 
  +2 Dex, +9 class, +3 equipment); BAB +5; Grap +6; 
  Atk +6 melee (1d6+1, machete), or +7 ranged (2d8, 
  5.56mm pipe riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility; AL none; SV Fort +6, Ref 
  +8, Will +4; AP 4; Rep +0; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, 
  Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Corium Prospector (Search, 
  Survival).
  Background:  Resentful (Navigate).
  Mutations and Defects:  Increased Movement, 
  Pituitary Deformation.
  Skills:  Bluff +3, Diplomacy +1, Disable Device 
  +2, Escape Artist +4, Gather Information +3, Hide 
  +7, Knowledge (Streetwise) +3, Knowledge (Tactics) 
  +1, Knowledge (Technology) +1, Listen +5, Move 
  Silently +7, Navigate +6, Search +11, Sleight of 
  Hand +5, Spot +5, Survival +12.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Dead Aim, Far Shot, Guide, 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Primitive Technology, 
  Radiation Sense, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Stealthy, Track.
  
  249
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Evasion.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore.
  Talents (Scav):  Scav Scan, Sneak Attack +1d6, 
  Scav Survival.
  Possessions:  5.56mm pipe riﬂe, 2d12 rounds of 
  5.56mm ammunition, machete, undercover vest, 
  canteen, 1d2 days of trail rations, survival kit, 1d2 rad 
  tabs, one dose of antitox, multipurpose tool, tool belt, 
  1d12 corium pieces.
  SECURITY ANDROID
  The standard model of security android from before 
  the Fall was designed to keep the peace against 
  an increasingly agitated public that strained at the 
  inevitable acceleration of government patrol over 
  their lives.  Though designed to subdue, the security 
  android’s heavy armor plating and integral targeting 
  computer made it a force to be reckoned with.  Many 
  surviving models suffer from weakening joints 
  due to advanced age, but they are still formidable 
  adversaries, especially when assembled in formation.  
  In the Necropolis they are nigh unstoppable.
  Security Android (Android Strong Hero 3):  CR 3; 
  Medium-size Android Construct; HD 3d10 plus 7; HP 
  24; Mas 0; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 18, touch 14, 
  ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +2 class, +4 natural); 
  BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk +6 melee (4d6+4, stun baton), 
  or +6 ranged (2d8, Bushmaster M-17S); FS 5 ft by 
  5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ android traits, reduce cover on 
  ranged attacks, loud; AL Androids; SV Fort +2, Ref 
  +3, Will +2; AP 1; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 0, Int 
  10, Wis 12, Cha 13.
  Occupation:  Security Android (Intimidate, Spot).
  Features and Deteriorations:  Armor Plating, 
  Electriﬁed Surface, Targeting Computer, Loud, Weak 
  Joints.
  Skills:  Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +4, 
  Move Silently -4, Spot +5.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Combat Martial 
  Arts, Peacekeeper [MRh], Peacemaker [MRh], 
  Weapon Focus (stun baton).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Possessions:  Stun baton, Bushmaster M-17S, two 
  boxes of 5.56mm ammunition (60), power beltpack.
  SETTLER
  Many of the inhabitants of the sheltered community 
  of Sanctuary were once colonists sent by the Cartel to 
  try and settle the ruins of the Necropolis, only to have 
  their efforts dashed by the many dangers of the city.  
  Some settlers still cling to a treacherous existence 
  here, coming together for mutual protection against 
  the monsters that dwell outside their community’s 
  walls...
  Settler (Mutant Post-Apocalyptic Hero 1):  CR 1; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d8+1; HP 6; Mas 13; 
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, ﬂatfooted 11 
  (+0 size, +2 Dex, +1 class); BAB +0; Grap +2; Atk 
  +2 melee (1d6+2, cleaver), or +2 ranged (2d8, black 
  powder riﬂe); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility; AL varies; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will 
  +1; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 
  12, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Herdsman (Navigate, Survival).
  Background:  Visionary Reinventor (Craft 
  [structural]).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance, 
  Negative Chemical Reaction.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Craft (structural) +1, Hide +3, 
  Listen +2, Move Silently +3, Navigate +2, Repair +1, 
  Search +1, Spot +2, Survival +4.
  Feats:  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Talents (Post-Apocalyptic Hero):  Necropoli 
  Lore.
  Possessions:  Black powder riﬂe, 10 rounds of 
  shot, leather armor, cleaver, 1d4 corium pieces.
  SEWER GHOUL
  Although many ghouls choose to live in the sewers, 
  “sewer ghouls” are members of the ghoul race who 
  are particularly adapted to life underground.  Sewer 
  ghouls are even more feral than their typical cousins, 
  and even among other ghouls are feared for their 
  toughness, stealth, and insidious “human-wave” 
  tactics.
  Sewer Ghoul (Mutant Strong Hero 2/Fast Hero 
  2):  CR 4; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+2 plus 
  2d8+2; HP 22; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 35 ft; Defense 
  22, touch 18, ﬂatfooted 20 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +6 
  class, +4 natural); BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee 
  (1d6+3, claw), or +5 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 
  5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical incompatibility, claws, 
  albinism, blindness in light, cannibalism; AL none; 
  SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 15, 
  Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Move Silently).
  Mutations and Defects:  Claws, Protective 
  Dermal Development, Serrated Dental Development, 
  Albinism, Cannibalism, Photosensitivity.
  Skills:  Climb +8, Hide +12, Move Silently +12, 
  Survival +3, Tumble +4.
  Feats:  Combat Reﬂexes, Dodge, Pack Tactics, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  
  250
  Slippery Foe [B&L], Stealthy, Track.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Possessions:  None.
  SIGHTLESS STALKER
  The average Sightless Stalker is a terrifying 
  opponent, emerging from the darkness in utter 
  silence, draped in the stitched skins of past victims.  
  Armed with a spiky, menacing club, the Sightless 
  Stalker warrior brutally beats his opponents to death 
  in a ﬂurry of blows.
  This stat block was originally presented in The 
  Broken & The Lost:  Tribes of The Twisted Earth.
  Sightless Stalker, Strong Hero 3:  CR 3; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 3d8+3; HP 17; Mas 13; Init 
  +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 14 
  (+0 size, +2 Dex, +2 class, +2 equipment); BAB 
  +3; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d6+5, club), or +5 
  ranged (1d6+3, javelin); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; 
  SQ medical incompatibility, scent, blindness; AL 
  Sightless Stalkers; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2; AP 
  1; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, 
  Cha 6.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Listen).
  Mutations and Defects:  Hyper Olfactory, 
  Nocturnal, Bizarre Pigmentation, Blindness.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Hide +8, Jump +5, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +2, Listen +7.
  Feats:  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Blind Fighting, 
  Primitive Technology, Track, Troglodyte, Weapon 
  Focus (club).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Possessions:  Club, three javelins, leather armor.
  SIGHTLESS STALKER ELITE
  More experienced Sightless Stalkers comprise the 
  “elite”, tribesmen who have learned to make deadly 
  traps out of the only abundant resource in their 
  lightless domain:  bone and gristle.  Many elites also 
  use larger weapons, often including axes made from 
  sharpened shoulder blades, with handles crafted from 
  the stiffened spinal columns of humanoid prey.
  This stat block was originally presented in The 
  Broken & The Lost:  Tribes of The Twisted Earth.
  Sightless Stalker Elite, Strong Hero 3/Tribal 
  Stalker 3:  CR 6; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  3d8+6 plus 3d10+6; HP 42; Mas 14; Init +2; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 18, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +2 
  Dex, +4 class, +2 equipment); BAB +6; Grap +9; Atk 
  +10 melee (1d12+5, greataxe), or +8 ranged (1d6+3, 
  javelin); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, blindness; AL Sightless 
  Stalkers; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3; AP 1; Rep +1; 
  Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Occupation:  Predator (Hide).
  Background:  Tribal (Listen).
  Mutations and Defects:  Hyper Olfactory, 
  Nocturnal, Bizarre Pigmentation, Blindness.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Disable Device +8, Hide +8, 
  Jump +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +2, Listen +10.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Blind Fighting, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Track, Troglodyte, Weapon 
  Focus (greataxe).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Tribal Stalker [B&L]):  Trap Making 
  1d6, Wounding Blow, Trap Making 2d6.
  Possessions: Greataxe, three javelins, leather 
  armor.
  SIGHTLESS STALKER PRIEST
  These malevolent madmen are the rulers of the 
  Sightless Stalker, submissive only to the great witch 
  doctor who presides over them all.  Each of these 
  mutants wears robes made from ﬂayed human ﬂesh, 
  and strange headdresses with a humanoid skull 
  mounted front, back, and on each side.
  Sightless Stalker Priest (Mutant Strong Hero 
  3/Charismatic Hero 5):  CR 8; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 5d6+5; HP 40; Mas 13; 
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 
  14 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +4 class); BAB +5; Grap +6; 
  Atk +6 melee (1d6+3, combat knife), or +9 ranged 
  (1d3+1, whip); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility, scent, nocturnal, blindness; 
  AL Sightless Stalkers; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3; 
  AP 4; Rep +3; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, 
  Cha 15.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Knowledge [Mutant 
  Lore], Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy]).
  Background:  Tribal (Listen).
  Mutations and Defects:  Hyper Olfactory, 
  Nocturnal, Bizarre Pigmentation, Blindness.
  Skills:  Climb +5, Craft (structural) +4, Craft 
  (visual art) +4, Craft (writing) +4, Hide +4, 
  Intimidate +12, Jump +5, Knowledge (Mutant Lore) 
  +6, Knowledge (Tactics) +4, Knowledge (Theology 
  and Philosophy) +5, Listen +1, Move Silently +4, 
  Tumble +5.
  Feats:  Blind-Fighting, Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency 
  (whip), Frightful Presence, Iron Will, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy, 
  Troglodyte, War Chant [B&L], Weapon Focus 
  (whip).
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate, 
  
  251
  Inspiration, Greater Inspiration.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft whip +1, combat 
  knife, disgusting ceremonial attire, one juju potion 
  (1d4+12).
  SIGHTLESS STALKER WITCHDOCTOR
  The leader of the Sightless Stalkers is their 
  witchdoctor, an insane mutant who claims to speak 
  with the shadows and has power over life and death.  
  The latter is certainly true, for this master of poisons 
  is able to cook up all manner of insidious natural 
  toxins to coat the barbs of his mastercraft whip.
  Sightless Stalker Witchdoctor (Mutant Dedicated 
  Hero 3/Juju Doctor 7/Charismatic Hero 5):  CR 
  15; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6+6 plus 7d8+14 
  plus 5d6+10; HP 91; Mas 15; Init +6; Spd 30 ft; 
  Defense 20, touch 20, ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +2 
  Dex, +8 class); BAB +7; Grap +8; Atk +8 melee 
  (1d6+1, combat knife), or +11 ranged (1d3+1 plus 
  poison, whip); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, nocturnal, blindness; AL 
  Sightless Stalker; SV Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +9; AP 
  7; Rep +7; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 
  15.
  Occupation:  Demagogue (Knowledge [Mutant 
  Lore], Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy]).
  Background:  Tribal (Listen).
  Mutations and Defects:  Hyper Olfactory, 
  Nocturnal, Bizarre Pigmentation, Blindness.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Craft (pharmaceutical) +12, 
  Craft (visual art) +8, Craft (writing) +8, Intimidate 
  +12, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) +7, 
  Knowledge (Mutant Lore) +3, Knowledge (Tactics) 
  +4, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) +14, 
  Listen +16, Sense Motive +1, Survival +5, Treat 
  Injury +16, Tumble +5.
  Feats:  Blind-Fighting, Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency 
  (whip), Frightful Presence, Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will, Juju Medicine, Medical Expert, Primitive 
  Poison Maker [B&L], Primitive Technology, Ritual 
  Scariﬁcation [B&L], Shaman [B&L], Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Troglodyte, War Chant [B&L], 
  Weapon Focus (whip).
  Talents (Dedicated Hero):  Skill Emphasis (Craft 
  [pharmaceutical]), Faith.
  Talents (Juju Doctor):  Juju Specialist +1, Brew 
  Potion (DW), Expert Healer, Juju Mastery, Juju 
  Specialist +2, Potion Mastery.
  Talents (Charismatic Hero):  Coordinate, 
  Inspiration, Greater Inspiration.
  Possessions:  Mastercraft whip +1, three doses of 
  curare, combat knife, disgusting ceremonial attire, 
  necklace of assorted car keys (these go to the vehicles 
  found at Area #090), two juju potions (1d4+12).
  SKAEL ELITE
  The strongest Skaels are warriors of considerable 
  skill, having survived the backstabbing and treachery 
  of their people for more than few years.
  Skael Elite (Skael Strong Hero 3/Guardian 1):  CR 
  5; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+2 plus 3d8+3 
  plus 1d10+1; HP 34; Mas 12; Init +5; Spd 20 ft, swim 
  40 ft; Defense 18, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 17 (+0 size, 
  +1 Dex, +3 class, +4 natural); BAB +5; Grap +6; 
  Atk +6 melee (1d4+3, claw), or +5 ranged (1d8+1, 
  spear); Full Atk +6 melee (1d4+3, 2 claws), +5 
  ranged (1d8+1, spear); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  aquatic reliance, low-light vision, cold resistance 10, 
  immunities; AL Skaels; SV Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +3; 
  AP 4; Rep +0; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 11, 
  Cha 6.
  Skills:  Hide +4, Knowledge (Tactics) +3, Listen 
  +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +5, Survival +2, Swim 
  +6.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Improved 
  Initiative, Power Attack, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2.
  Possessions:  Spear.
  SKAEL SCOUT
  Skaels often send lone members of their kind to 
  patrol the shores of the Necropolis, to keep an eye 
  out for the activities of the “land-dwellers”, as well 
  as to forage for food and other things not available 
  underwater.
  Skael Scout (Skael Fast Hero 3):  CR 4; Medium-
  size humanoid; HD 2d8 plus 3d8; HP 22; Mas 11; 
  Init +5; Spd 30 ft, swim 50 ft; Defense 19, touch 15, 
  ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +4 class, +4 natural); 
  BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d4+1, claw), or 
  +3 ranged (by weapon); Full Atk +4 melee (1d4+1, 
  2 claws), +3 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ aquatic reliance, low-light vision, cold 
  resistance 10, immunities; AL Skaels; SV Fort +4, 
  Ref +2, Will +4; AP 3; Rep +1; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 
  11, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Hide +7, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot 
  +6, Survival +3, Swim +4.
  Feats:  Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed, Improved 
  Increased Speed.
  Talents (Skulk):  None.
  Possessions:  None.
  
  252
  SKY WATCHER
  The backwards Sky Watchers are a curious group of 
  xenophobes who have lived at the old observatory 
  above the city in an unbroken line since the Fall.  
  Though they are relatively poor ﬁghters, they have 
  developed stealth and talents of observation in place 
  of martial skill.
   
  Sky Watcher (Mutant Fast Hero 2):  CR 2; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+2; HP 11; Mas 12; 
  Init +2; Spd 35 ft; Defense 16, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 
  14 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +4 class); BAB +1; Grap +2; 
  Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, cleaver), or +3 ranged (1d6+1, 
  sling); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, poison; AL Sky Watchers; SV Fort 
  +1, Ref +4, Will +2; AP 1; Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 14, 
  Con 12, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10.
  Occupation:  Academic (DW) (Decipher Script, 
  Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy])
  Background:  Tribal (Spot).
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance.
  Skills:  Decipher Script +1, Hide +8, Knowledge 
  (Theology and Philosophy) +1, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +8, Navigate +1, Spot +8, Tumble +6.
  Feats:  Alertness, Primitive Technology, Remove 
  Defect, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stargazer 
  [B&L], Stealthy.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed.
  Possessions:  Cleaver, sling, 2d4 sling stones, 1d2 
  baubles.
  SLAVE
  Slaves represent humanoids taken captive by one 
  group or another in the city, and made to work either 
  as slaves, soldiers, or even concubines.  Slaves can 
  be male or female, and usually have a great diversity 
  of physical traits due to the presence (or absence) of 
  mutation.  As such the statistics given here should 
  only be considered to represent one example of a 
  slave; feel free to use different statistics for slaves 
  that might be more important to your campaign.
  Slave (Strong Hero 1):  CR 1; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 1d8+2 plus 3; HP 10; Mas 14; Init 
  +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 11, touch 11, ﬂatfooted 11 (+0 
  size, +0 Dex, +1 class); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk +3 
  melee (1d3+2 non-lethal, unarmed), or +1 ranged (by 
  weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ varies; AL 
  none; SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 
  15, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Slave (Handle Animal, Perform).
  Background:  Tribal (Survival)
  Mutations and Defects:  Varies.
  Skills:  Climb +4, Craft (structural) +3, Handle 
  Animal +2, Listen +3, Perform +1, Profession +3, 
  Spot +3, Survival +3, Treat Injury +3.
  Feats:  Alertness, Endurance, Great Fortitude, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Toughness.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Extreme Effort.
  Possessions:  Loincloth, leg irons.
  SNIPER ANDROID
  While basic security androids were employed for a 
  wide variety of grudge work, special models were 
  also created by the Ancients to perform speciﬁc 
  tasks.  The androids of the Necropolis are known 
  to ﬁeld specialty “sniper androids”, security robots 
  programmed with special SWAT training to take out 
  potential adversaries at great range to reduce the 
  chance of collateral damage.  The Androids now use 
  these as elite killers and invisible sentries.
  Sniper Android (Android Strong Hero 3/Soldier 
  3):  CR 6; Medium-size Android Construct; HD 3d10 
  plus 3d10 plus 10; HP 44; Mas 0; Init +3; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 21, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 18 (+0 size, +3 
  Dex, +4 class, +4 natural); BAB +5; Grap +7; Atk +7 
  melee (1d6+4, riﬂe butt), or +9 ranged (2d12+2, M-
  24); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ android traits, low 
  light vision 30 feet, go wild 5%; AL Androids; SV 
  Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3; AP 3; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 
  16, Con 0, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11.
  Occupation:  Security Android (Listen, Spot).
  Features and Deteriorations:  Armor Plating, 
  Enhanced Photo Receptors, Infrared Photo Receptors, 
  Speech Loop, Wild.
  Skills:  Bluff -2, Climb +6, Craft (mechanical) +2, 
  Diplomacy -2, Jump +4, Knowledge (Tactics) +4, 
  Listen +8, Repair +2, Search +2, Spot +12, Swim +4.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Athletic, Combat 
  Martial Arts, Double Tap, Far Shot, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot.
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (M-24), Weapon 
  Specialization (M-24).
  Possessions:  M-24 [B&G], electro-optical 
  scope, three boxes of 7.62 caliber ammunition (15), 
  binoculars, walkie-talkie, power cell.
  TRIBAL WARRIOR
  The tribal warrior presented here represents the 
  typical warrior from the scattering of savage tribes 
  dotting the Necropolis ruins.  These cunning 
  survivors often use poison to defeat more powerful 
  opponents.  Individual choice of weapons, feats, and 
  skills may vary; if necessary; feel free to swap the 
  ones shown below for ones of your own choosing.
  
  253
  Tribal Warrior (Mutant Strong Hero 4):  CR 4; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 4d8+4; HP 22; Mas 14; 
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 17, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 15 
  (+0 size, +2 Dex, +3 class, +2 equipment); BAB +4; 
  Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d8+4, spear), or +6 ranged 
  (1d6+2, javelin); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  medical incompatibility, scent, phobia; AL varies; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2; AP 2; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 
  15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Slave (Handle Animal, Survival).
  Background:  Tribal (Hide).
  Mutations and Defects:  Hyper Olfactory, Phobia.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Handle Animal +3, Hide +6, 
  Jump +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +8, Survival +7.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Endurance, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Ritual Scariﬁcation [B&L], 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Track, War Chant 
  [B&L].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Possessions:  Spear, 1d3 javelins, leather armor, 
  one dose of putreﬁed blood [B&L].
  TRIBAL WARRIOR ELITE
  The veteran shown below represents a seasoned 
  tribal warrior, one who has survived more than a few 
  battles ﬁghting for his tribe’s survival in the ruins of 
  the Necropolis.
  Tribal Warrior Elite (Mutant Strong Hero 4/
  Guardian 2):  CR 6; Medium-size humanoid; HD 
  4d8+4 plus 2d10+2; HP 35; Mas 14; Init +2; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 18, touch 16, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +2 
  Dex, +4 class, +2 equipment); BAB +6; Grap +8; 
  Atk +9 melee (1d8+4, spear), or +8 ranged (1d6+2, 
  javelin); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ medical 
  incompatibility, scent, phobia; AL varies; SV Fort +5, 
  Ref +5, Will +2; AP 3; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 
  13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Slave (Handle Animal, Survival).
  Background:  Tribal (Hide).
  Mutations and Defects:  Hyper Olfactory, Phobia.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Handle Animal +3, Hide +6, 
  Jump +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +8, Listen +4, Spot 
  +4, Survival +8.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Endurance, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Ritual Scariﬁcation [B&L], 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Sworn Enemy (any) 
  [B&L], Track, War Chant [B&L].
  Talents (Strong Hero):  Melee Smash, Improved 
  Melee Smash.
  Talents (Guardian):  Defender +2, Weapon Focus 
  (spear).
  Possessions:  Spear, 1d3 javelins, leather armor, 
  one dose of putreﬁed blood [B&L], one juju potion 
  (1d4+2).
  URBAN PACIFICATION ROBOT
  Essentially scaled-down military security robots, 
  these “civil defense” models were created during the 
  time of the Ancients.  They serve as potent weapons 
  platforms intended to pacify public uprisings (i.e. 
  “riots”), as well as to defend sensitive areas and keep 
  them secure from being inﬁltrated, sabotaged, or 
  overrun.  To complete their mission they are armed 
  with weapons ranging from non-lethal paciﬁcation 
  devices to rockets capable of destroying light 
  vehicles, as well as armor protecting against small-
  arms ﬁre and IEDs.
  Urban Paciﬁcation Robot:  CR 9; Large Robotic 
  Construct; HD 10d10+20; HP 75; Mas -; Init -1; 
  Spd 40 ft.; Defense 23, touch 8, ﬂatfooted 23 (-1 
  size, -1 Dex, +15 natural); BAB +7; Grap +16; Atk 
  +11 melee (1d8+5, slam), or +9 ranged (1d6 plus 
  paralysis, stun pistol), or +9 ranged (4d10, hydra 
  70), or +7 ranged (special, net gun [F/MG]); Full Atk 
  +11/+6 melee (1d8+5, slam), or +9/+4 ranged (1d6 
  plus paralysis, stun pistol), or +9 ranged (4d10, hydra 
  70), or +7/+2 ranged (special, net gun [F/MG]); FS 
  10 ft. by 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; SQ Robotic Construct, 
  Command Level (IVM), DR 10/-, Energy Resistance 
  10, Computer Link, Internal Power Source, Infrared 
  Photo Receptors, Targeting Computer, Auto 
  Reloading; AL None; SV Fort -, Ref +2, Will -2; AP 
  5; Rep +0; Str 20, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1.
  Skills:  Computer Use +10.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Point Blank Shot, 
  Remote Computer Link, Room-Broom.
  WAR DROID
  War droids were designed to be the “generals” behind 
  android and robot formations, leading entire armies 
  with their super-advanced AI.  Each was also a virtual 
  “death machine” in its own right, equipped with an 
  arsenal of powerful weapons.  The war droid behind 
  the Androids faction in the Necropolis is their sole 
  leader, an ancient vehicle that is stuck on enforcing 
  its last protocol:  to maintain order.  It is armed 
  as a special variant, with laser miniguns [F/MG] 
  replacing its normal ballistic weaponry.
  War Droid:  CR 16; Huge Droid Construct; HD 
  15d10+40; HP 123; Mas -; Init -1; Spd 30 ft.; 
  Defense 30, touch 10, ﬂatfooted 30 (-2 size, -1 Dex, 
  +20 natural); BAB +11; Grap +29; Atk +14 ranged 
  (12d12, laser cannon), +14 ranged (4d10, hydra 70), 
  
  254
  or +14 ranged (5d12, laser minigun), or +19 melee 
  (2d6+10, slam); Full Atk +14 ranged (12d12, 2 laser 
  cannons), or +14 ranged (4d10, 2 hydra 70s), +14 
  ranged (5d12, 2 laser miniguns), or +19/+14/+9 
  melee (2d6+10, slam); FS 15 ft. by 15 ft.; Reach 10 
  ft.; SQ Robotic Construct, Command Level (IVM), 
  DR 10/-, Energy Resistance 10, Computer Link, 
  Internal Power Source, Infrared Photo Receptors, Bio 
  Sensor; AL Androids; SV Fort -, Ref +4, Will +7; AP 
  7; Rep +0; Str 30, Dex 8, Con -, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 
  10.
  Skills:  Computer Use +20, Demolitions +8, 
  Disable Device +10, Intimidate +8, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) +16, Listen +10, Navigate +10, repair +16, 
  Search +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Advanced 
  Technology, Burst Fire, Improved Autoﬁre, 
  Multitask, Remote Computer Link, Strafe.
  WILD MAN
  In the Necropolis wild men are even more agile than 
  in other destroyed cityscapes, due in no small part to 
  the unusual number of predators they must evade to 
  stay alive.  The sample wild man shown here reﬂects 
  this with its levels as a Fast Hero.
  This stat block was originally presented in The 
  Broken & The Lost:  Tribes of The Twisted Earth.
  Wild Man, Fast Hero 3:  CR 3; Small humanoid; 
  HD 1d8 plus 3d8; HP 18; Mas 10; Init +2; Spd 30 ft, 
  climb 30 ft; Defense 17, touch 17, ﬂatfooted 15 (+1 
  size, +2 Dex, +4 class); BAB +2; Grap -2; Atk +3 
  melee (1d6, club), or +5 ranged (1d6, javelin); FS 5 ft 
  by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ duck, spider climb; AL Wild 
  Men of the Necropolis; SV Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +1; 
  AP 0; Rep +0; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 11, 
  Cha 8.
  Occupation:  None.
  Background:  None.
  Skills:  Balance +5, Escape Artist +5, Hide +9 
  (+13 urban ruins), Jump +1, Listen +3, Move Silently 
  +7 (+11 urban ruins), Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +3, 
  Tumble +5.
  Feats:  Alertness, Duck, Run, Stealthy.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed, Improved 
  Increased Speed.
  Possessions:  Club, javelin.
  XENO SCOUT
  Most xeno scouts in the Necropolis come from the 
  Purist enclave, and include men (and rarely, women) 
  who have been expertly trained in survival and 
  stealth techniques.  The duties of these soldiers (who 
  comprise a unit known simply as “Team Foxtrot”) 
  are simple:  patrol the outer reaches of the Purist 
  enclave’s territory, and kill anything and everything 
  they encounter, to preserve the integrity of the Purist 
  frontier.  Like assassins and snipers, the elite soldiers 
  are highly-determined individuals who know their 
  efforts comprise the ﬁrst line of defense for their 
  sheltered community.
  Xeno Scout (Fast Hero 4/Soldier 2/Survivalist 
  1/Xeno Scout 2 [REW]):  CR 9; Medium-size 
  humanoid; HD 4d8+8 plus 2d10+4 plus 1d10+2 plus 
  2d8+4; HP 61; Mas 14; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; Defense 
  23, touch 20, ﬂatfooted 22 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +9 class, 
  +3 equipment); BAB +6; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee 
  (1d6, riﬂe butt), or +10 ranged (2d12+2, M-24); FS 5 
  ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ none; AL Purists; SV Fort 
  +6, Ref +11, Will +3; AP 3; Rep +1; Str 10, Dex 16, 
  Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8.
  Occupation:  Military (DW) (Knowledge 
  [Tactics]).
  Background:  Resurrector (Knowledge 
  [Technology]).
  Skills:  Balance +10, Climb +3, Hide +14, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +5, Listen +10, Move Silently 
  +14, Navigate +7, Spot +10, Survival +8, Swim +2.
  Feats:  Double Tap, Far Shot, Improved Initiative, 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Primitive Technology, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy, Track.
  Talents (Fast Hero):  Increased Speed, Improved 
  Increased Speed.
  Talents (Soldier):  Weapon Focus (M-24), Weapon 
  Specialization (M-24).
  Talents (Survivalist):  Called Shot +1d6.
  Talents (Xeno Scout [REW]):  Kill Quickly Kill 
  Quietly, Take Cover 1, Scout Sense 1.
  Possessions:  M-24 [B&G], three boxes of 7.62 
  caliber ammunition (15), binoculars, NBC suit, 
  ghillie suit, rad tab, canteen, survival kit, one dose of 
  antitox.
  NEW CREATURES
  Each day the hollow ruins of the 
  ancient Necropolis echo with 
  the sounds of unseen beasts, 
  battling against one other for 
  every inch of territory like titanic 
  dinosaurs of the prehistoric past.  By night, nocturnal 
  hunters shufﬂe through the darkness and pick over 
  the remains of each day’s battling, or watch hatefully 
  from hiding places throughout the rubble as passerby 
  wander unwittingly through their domains.
  This section details a collection of monsters 
  that are generally only seen among the ruins of 
  the Necropolis.  As such most of these strange and 
  unusual creatures are unique to this setting.
  
  255
  New Creature
  CR
  Varo Bat
  1/10
  Hand-From-Heaven
  1
  Hive Larva
  1
  Rat Dog
  1
  Skael
  1
  Swarm Bug
  1
  Dar Shark
  2
  Food Bug
  4
  Seer
  4
  Thunder Locust
  4
  Mirror Ooze
  5
  Bug Flyer
  6
  Super Ghoul
  7
  Rope Worm
  9
  Sewer Croc, Giant
  9
  Firebug, Giant
  12
  Tank Bug, Giant
  12
  Hive Mind
  15
  Serpent God, Medusa
  15
  Serpent God, Ophidi
  16
  Serpent God, Naja
  17
  Ogrish (Template)
  *
  BUG FLYER
  A relatively recent addition to the Hive’s arsenal 
  of bioengineered creations, “bug ﬂyers” are a form 
  of man-sized mutant insect capable of prolonged 
  ﬂight.  ‘Flyers are used extensively by the Hive as 
  scouts, not just for war but also for ﬁnding materials 
  they need (in abundance) to aid in their faction’s 
  continuing building projects.  In addition to ﬁnding 
  materials from high in the sky, ‘ﬂyers are strong 
  enough to lift remarkably heavy weights (such as 
  scrap metal, decaying furniture, etc) and carry them 
  aloft for extended periods of time.
  Bug ﬂyers are dangerous not only because they 
  can ﬂy, but because they also carry an incredibly 
  potent poison that is transferred with their stinger.  
  This poison allows ﬂyers to incapacitate human-
  sized targets so that they can be taken back to a Hive 
  “bug hill” to be impregnated as hosts for mutant bug 
  larvae.
  Bug ﬂyers resemble large wasps, though they 
  are usually a metallic blue, green, or gray in color, 
  with a sparkly sheen emanating from their oversized 
  insectoid wings.  Huge emerald eyes adorn the 
  creature’s head, which have up to one hundred 
  thousand facets apiece that give the ‘ﬂyer tremendous 
  visual capabilities.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Bug ﬂyers have the following Traits:
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Bug ﬂyers have darkvision with 
  a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Bug ﬂyers share a “hive mind” 
  with members of the same species, as well as certain 
  other mutant bugs employed as laborers, servants, or 
  soldiers.  If one is aware of danger, they all are.  If 
  one of them is not ﬂat-footed, none of them are.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A bug ﬂyers can automatically 
  sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in 
  contact with the ground or water.
  Immunities (Ex):  Bug ﬂyers are immune to mind-
  affecting effects.
  Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex):  Bug ﬂyers 
  gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to negate 
  the effects of massive damage.
  Poison (Ex):  A bug ﬂyer injects poison into its 
  victim with a successful sting.  The victim must 
  succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 17) or take initial 
  damage (paralysis for 1 minute); a second Fortitude 
  save must be made 1 minute later to negate the 
  poison’s secondary damage (paralysis for 1d2 days).
  Improved Grab (Ex):  To use this ability, the bug 
  ﬂyer must hit with its sting attack.
  Grappler:  Bug ﬂyers receive a +8 racial bonus to 
  Grapple checks.
  Bug Flyer:  CR 6; Medium-size Vermin; HD 4d8; 
  HP 18; Mas 10; Init +4; Spd 40 ft, ﬂy 20 ft (good); 
  Defense 22, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 18 (+0 size, +4 
  Dex, +8 natural); BAB +3; Grap +15; Atk +7 melee 
  (1d4+4 plus poison, sting); Full Atk +7 melee (1d4+4 
  plus poison, sting); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ 
  keen sight, hive mind, tremorsense, immunities, 
  resistance to massive damage, poison, improved grab, 
  grappler; AL Hive; SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +3; AP 
  0; Rep +0; Str 18, Dex 18, Con 10, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 
  9.
  Skills:  Listen +8, Spot +8.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  5-8 HD (Large).
  DAR SHARK
  These creatures appear to be relatively exclusive to 
  the radiated waters off of the Necropolis.  As such 
  they are almost unknown, though the Skaels that 
  share these poisoned waters have learned to fear 
  them.
  Dar sharks resemble natural sharks, except for 
  aberrant horn growths and jutting bone spurs running 
  the length of their bodies, which give it a tougher 
  than usual hide.  Most dar sharks are grayish in 
  color, allowing them to blend in with the waters 
  off the Necropolis, though dull black to light blue-
  gray colors are also not uncommon.  They almost 
  exclusively prowl the waters in packs, ﬁnding 
  strength in their numbers.  They have also developed 
  a hunger for virtually anything they can ﬁt in their 
  powerful jaws, and have been known to eat discarded 
  garbage - even metal - in the absence of meat.
  
  256
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Dar sharks have the following Traits:
  Aquatic:  Dar sharks move in water without 
  making Swim checks and cannot drown in water.
  Constrict (Ex):  With a successful grapple check a 
  dar shark may slowly squeeze the air out of its prey.  
  Each round that it maintains the grapple it halves the 
  number of rounds remaining that its prey can hold its 
  breath underwater.
  Grappler (Ex):  A dar shark receives a +5 species 
  bonus to grapple checks.
  Immunities:  Having adapted to life in a harsh 
  radiated environment, a dar shark is immune to 
  Moderate radiation (as well as heat generated by 
  radiation).
  Keen Scent (Ex):  A dar shark can notice creatures 
  by scent in a 180-foot radius and detect blood in the 
  water at ranges of up to one mile.
  Bonus Feat:  Dar sharks gain the bonus feat Sunder 
  even though they don’t meet the prerequisite.
  Dar Shark:  CR 2; Medium-size animal; HD 3d8+3; 
  HP 16; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd swim 60 ft; Defense 18, 
  touch 12, ﬂatfooted 16 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +6 natural); 
  BAB +2; Grap +8; Atk +4 melee (1d6+2, bite); Full 
  Atk +4 melee (1d6+2, bite); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 
  ft; SQ aquatic, constrict, grappler, immunities, keen 
  scent; AL none; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2; AP 0; 
  Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2.
  Skills:  Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +9.
  Feats:  Sunder.
  Advancement:  4-7 HD (Large).
  FIREBUG, GIANT
  Giant “ﬁrebugs” resemble enormous armored beetles 
  covered in thick plate and bristling with bizarre 
  sensory antennae, knobby appendages, and other 
  protrusions whose purposes are all integral to its 
  species’ unusual ability:  the spontaneous generation 
  of biologically-produced plasma.
  Giant ﬁrebugs were bioengineered by the cunning 
  and evil minds of the Hive’s scientist caste to enhance 
  their effectiveness in war – wars which brought them 
  into contact with enemies bearing superior weapons 
  such as muskets, machineguns, and even more 
  advanced arms.  To counter the shortcomings of their 
  materially-inferior race, the Hive modiﬁed a strain of 
  giant tank bugs, to great effect.
  The new species of giant bug is somewhat smaller 
  than its predecessor, but each is capable of generating 
  ﬂaming gouts which they spit in a stream reaching 
  well past one hundred feet.  This ﬁery spittle is one 
  of the most devastating attack forms known to man, 
  mutant, or android in the ruins of the Necropolis.
  Unlike giant tank bugs (which they now only 
  vaguely resemble), giant ﬁrebugs are uniformly black 
  in color, with glowing patches of mottling on their 
  much broader, egg-shaped shells.  This mottling in 
  fact denotes thin parts of their armor, through which 
  glows a coruscating rainbow of colors easily visible 
  in dim light or darkness.  This luminescence is a 
  biproduct of the lingering energy present in all living 
  ﬁrebugs.
  In addition to their characteristic, colorful shells, 
  bizarre whip-like antennae and elongated feelers 
  (between which periodically crackles fountains of 
  raw energy) clearly mark creatures of this type from 
  their cousins.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Giant ﬁrebugs have the following Traits:
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Giant ﬁrebugs have darkvision 
  with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Giant ﬁrebugs share a “hive 
  mind” with members of the same species, as well 
  as certain other mutant bugs employed as laborers, 
  servants, or soldiers.  If one is aware of danger, they 
  all are.  If one of them is not ﬂat-footed, none of them 
  are.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A giant ﬁrebug can 
  automatically sense the location of anything within 
  60 feet that is in contact with the ground or water.
  Immunities (Ex):  Giant ﬁrebugs are immune to 
  mind-affecting effects.
  Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex):  Giant 
  HIVE “SPECIES”
  The insectoid Hive dedicate their energies not just to the constant (some say mindless) task of building 
  ever-larger structures such as their bughills, but also to the creation of new and dangerous breeds of 
  insectoid creatures.  Bioengineers with few equals, the bugs of the Hive are adept at genetic manipulation, 
  creating many unique strains of giant insect to ﬁll specialized niches in their bizarre ecology.  Among these 
  are giant beetles used as “tanks” as well as beasts of burden, enormous bugs that can belch forth streams of 
  bio-plasma like enormous living ﬂamethrowers, and ranks of specialized soldier bugs that are both quick to 
  mature and quick to replace when they fall in battle.
  The standard insectoid of the Hive is a mutant bug, as detailed in Darwin’s World 2nd EditionL Terrors 
  of the Twisted Earth.  However, they have come to develop other bugs to complement their own strengths 
  and bolster their weakness; these new bug “species” are detailed in this book.
  
  257
  ﬁrebugs gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to 
  negate the effects of massive damage.
  Plasma Gout (Ex):  As a full-round action a giant 
  ﬁrebug can generate a gout of energy.  Once this 
  ability is used the ﬁrebug must wait 1d3 rounds to use 
  it again.
  Note that variations in individual giant ﬁrebugs 
  have shown that some gouts have different properties 
  than others.  A giant ﬁrebug’s Plasma Gout will thus 
  have one of two types of effects:
  Stream:  The plasma gout is propelled as a ranged 
  touch attack with a range of 200 ft, doing 8d10 points 
  of damage (half of this is ﬁre damage, half is energy 
  damage); no save.
  Glob:  The plasma gout affects a 10 ft diameter 
  area (as a spread) and has a range of 200 ft, doing 
  8d10 points of damage (half of this is ﬁre damage, 
  half is energy damage).  A Reﬂex save at DC 18 is 
  allowed for half damage.
  Latent Electrical Charge (Ex):  Any creature 
  within 5 ft of a ﬁrebug is automatically shocked 
  for 2d8 points of electrical damage (Reﬂex save 
  DC 15 for half).  This affects the ﬁrst creature to 
  come within 5 ft, and continues to pose a danger on 
  following rounds.  However, only one creature is 
  shocked per round, so if more than one creature is 
  within 5 ft of the ﬁrebug, determine randomly who is 
  affected.
  Giant Firebug:  CR 12; Huge Vermin; HD 10d8+40; 
  HP 85; Mas 19; Init -1; Spd 20 ft; Defense 21, touch 
  7, ﬂat-footed 21 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +14 natural); BAB 
  +7; Grap +22; Atk +12 melee (2d6+7, slam), +4 
  ranged (8d10, plasma gout); Full Atk +12 melee 
  (2d6+7, slam), +4 ranged (8d10, plasma gout); FS 
  15 ft by 15 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ keen sight, hive mind, 
  tremorsense, immunities, resistance to massive 
  damage, plasma gout, latent electrical charge; AL 
  Hive; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 
  24, Dex 9, Con 19, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Skills:  Climb +9, Listen +4, Spot +4.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  11-14 HD (Huge).
  FOOD BUG
  The “food bugs” of the Hive are huge wormy 
  maggots, bloated and obese, that produce food 
  for the entire colony.  They do this by consuming 
  waste materials and converting them into an edible 
  substance.  Specially adapted to this purpose, food 
  bugs feed off of ﬂesh, wood ﬁbers, plastic, rubber, 
  and even metals and chemicals, digesting these and 
  excreting a thick caramel-colored mucus from their 
  extended anuses that is collected and eaten by the 
  other insects of the Hive.  This grotesque goo has 
  the consistency and taste of baby-food, and though 
  visually the stuff seems repugnant, it is in fact highly 
  nutritious to all forms of organic life.
  Food bugs are not combative creatures, and are at 
  the mercy of those that come across them.  Because 
  of this, they are often only found at the heart of a 
  given Hive tunnel complex, protected by mutant 
  bugs, traps, and other Hive servitors.  If attacked 
  they can only defend themselves by thrashing about, 
  attempting to bite, or emitting a high-pitched squeal 
  for help that is often deafening.
  Food bugs appear to be huge, immobile “grubs”.  
  Enormous and fat, they are uniformly pasty white in 
  color; they do not appear to have eyes or other organs 
  on the exterior, only a serrated circular mouth on one 
  end and a bulbous, twitching colon on the other that 
  perpetually oozes the edible, taffy-like slime.  They 
  typically attach themselves to each other in neat rows 
  using a loosely-adhesive mucus, to make feeding 
  more convenient.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Food bugs have the following Traits:
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Food bugs have darkvision with 
  a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Food bugs share a “hive mind” 
  with members of the same species, as well as certain 
  other mutant bugs employed as laborers, servants, or 
  soldiers.  If one is aware of danger, they all are.  If 
  one of them is not ﬂat-footed, none of them are.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A food bug can automatically 
  sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in 
  contact with the ground or water.
  Immunities (Ex):  Food bugs are immune to mind-
  affecting effects.
  Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex):  Food bugs 
  gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to negate 
  the effects of massive damage.
  Scream (Ex):  As an attack action, a food bug can 
  emit an ear-piercing shriek to summon assistance, 
  audible out to 500 ft.  Anyone within 20 ft of the food 
  bug when it screams must make a Fortitude save (DC 
  18) or be stunned for 1d3 rounds.
  Food Bug:  CR 4; Large Vermin; HD 5d8+10; HP 
  32; Mas 14; Init -3; Spd 5 ft; Defense 10, touch 6, 
  ﬂat-footed 10 (-1 size, -3 Dex, +4 natural); BAB +3; 
  Grap +7; Atk +7 melee (1d8+4, bite); Full Atk +7 
  melee (1d8+4, bite); FS 5 ft by 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; 
  SQ keen sight, hive mind, tremorsense, immunities, 
  resistance to massive damage, scream; AL Hive; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +4; AP; Rep; Str 18, Dex 4, 
  Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Skills:  Listen +8, Spot +2.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  None.
  
  258
  HAND-FROM-HEAVEN
  The skies over the many dead cities of the Twisted 
  Earth are said to be home to nothing but the howling 
  wind, which pines night and day for the lost souls 
  who died in these vast urban ruins during the 
  Fall.  But in some old necropoli the few long-term 
  inhabitants know this is just a poetic myth; in reality 
  creatures live in the sky just as they do among the 
  ruins.
  One of the more benevolent ﬂying creatures of the 
  old necropoli are known as “hands from heaven”, an 
  equally poetic name for what otherwise appears to be 
  just a typical hawk.  In reality, however, these avians 
  are anything but.
  Hands-from-heaven are strange animals that are 
  said to have an unusual level of intelligence, as 
  well as what some superstitious folk call a “sense 
  of honor”.  It is said that if one treats a hand-from-
  heaven well (offering up gifts, for example, or merely 
  refraining from shooting it with an arrow despite the 
  hunger in one’s belly), these animals remember, and 
  return the favor in times of need.
  In truth these animals are smart, though in ways not 
  normally noticeable.  They resemble elegant hawks, 
  and hunt, swoop, and soar as typical animals do.  But 
  a character who willingly and openly does a good 
  deed for a hand-from-heaven will eventually ﬁnd the 
  favor returned.  Typical “good deeds” might include 
  leaving a portion of meat from a hunter’s kill for the 
  bird’s stomach; offering something shiny for its nest; 
  holding back on ﬁring on the creature as it ﬂies far 
  overhead; or replacing its nest full of eggs, intact, 
  once the hunter realizes it is in fact the nest of these 
  benevolent creatures.
  A hand-from-heaven will accept a gift by landing, 
  then staring long and hard at the giver before ﬂying 
  off, as if memorizing her face.  For the next few days 
  (or even weeks), the hand-from-heaven will keep 
  a watch on the giver from the skies - often unseen, 
  though its telltale screech marks its presence even 
  when it’s gone from sight.  The creature observes 
  the giver and, after a time, returns with something 
  - anything - it has seen elsewhere among the urban 
  ruins (since these creatures ﬂy, they see many places 
  and things not visible from the ground, and thus 
  know where many valuable or unique objects are 
  hidden in their particular territory - water sources, 
  lost treasure, etc.).
  A hand-from-heaven’s “reward” is usually 
  something useful to a given situation.  For example, if 
  it observes a character running out of water on a long 
  trek, it might snatch a small canteen from somewhere 
  distant and return, dropping it at the character’s feet.  
  If she appears to be starving, it might hunt some 
  small animal and bring her the kill to stave off death.  
  But their rewards can be even more remarkable.  A 
  hand-from-heaven might drop an old power clip, or 
  a box of ammunition, into a desperate character’s 
  hand just as she runs out of ammo in a pitched battle.  
  Swooping in from the sky, they are like miraculous 
  saviors in times of crisis (hence their name).
  Alternatively a hand-from-heaven’s reward might 
  not be material; it could instead be an action.  The 
  hand-from-heaven might secretly keep watch over 
  the character while she sleeps, letting off an ear-
  piercing shriek to wake her as predators approach her 
  campsite while she sleeps.  Other actions are possible 
  as well.  For example, if it sees a character trying to 
  escape a horde of ghouls by entering a building - but 
  is stopped by a locked door - the creature might ﬂy 
  in through an upper story window, ﬁnd the keylock, 
  and use its beak to open it from the other side.  Or, if 
  a foe is about to ﬁnish off a wounded character with 
  a powerful coup-de-grace, the bird might ﬂy in from 
  nowhere and snatch the foe’s weapon from his hand!
  Hands-from-heaven are rarely encountered, but 
  when they are it is considered good fortune.  But once 
  the creature returns the favor owed it will seldom be 
  seen again by that individual.
  Hands-from-heaven resemble large chestnut brown 
  hawks, with long trailing feathers tipped white or 
  black.  Its eyes are a piercing silver, and its clawed 
  talons somewhat enlarged for a bird its size, allowing 
  it to carry modest-sized objects for a great distance.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Hands-from-heaven have the following Traits:
  Skill Bonus:  Hands-from-heaven gain a +8 
  species bonus on Spot checks in daylight.
  Bonus Feats:  Hands-from-heaven gain the bonus 
  feats Improved Disarm and Strong Flyer.
  Hand-From-Heaven:  CR 1; Tiny mutated animal; 
  HD 1d8; HP 4; Mas 10; Init +3; Spd 10 ft, ﬂy 60 ft 
  (average); Defense 17, touch 15, ﬂatfooted 14 (+2 
  size, +3 Dex, +2 natural); BAB +0; Grap -9; Atk 
  +1 melee (1d4-1, claw); Full Atk +1 melee (1d4-1, 
  claw); FS 2 1/2 ft by 2 1/2 ft; Reach 0 ft; SQ none; 
  AL none; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +0; 
  Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 10.
  Skills:  Listen +6, Spot +6 (+14 in daylight).
  Feats:  Improved Disarm, Strong Flyer.
  Advancement:  2-3 HD (Small).
  HIVE LARVA
  All forms of Hive insect (mutant bugs, bug ﬂyers, 
  tank bugs, and even hive minds) start as larvae, 
  featureless, grub-like parasites that require physical 
  development inside a warm, living host.  Spawned 
  by a Hive Mind, these larva are carried carefully by 
  mutant bug workers to be placed inside victims of the 
  Hive, usually humanoids and other warm-blooded 
  mammals, where the larva can be allowed to grow.
  
  259
  When a Hive larva “hatches”, it does so by literally 
  eating its way out of its host, “exploding” outwards 
  in a stream of blood and half-chewed gore.  The larva 
  itself is born with tremendous strength and durability, 
  being able to shrug off blows that would normally 
  kill a mature mutant bug.  This ability to seemingly 
  ignore damage is eventually lost as the creature 
  grows older, eventually metamorphosizing into 
  whatever speciﬁc breed of Hive bug its genes dictate.
  A typical larva resembles a chunky, ropy worm, 
  with numerous thin centipede-like legs (most of these 
  wither and fall off as the creature grows).  It has no 
  eyes, using antennae to sense its surroundings, and a 
  lamprey-like mouth with vicious fanged mandibles 
  that allow it to burrow through ﬂesh.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Hive larvae have the following Traits:
  Damage Reduction (Ex):  A Hive larva has 
  damage reduction 5 against all forms of physical 
  attack.
  Fast Healing (Ex):  A Hive larva heals 5 hit points 
  per round until it reaches maximum hit points.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Hive larva share a “hive mind” 
  with other species of the Hive.  If one is aware of 
  danger, they all are.  If one of them is not ﬂat-footed, 
  none of them are.
  Immunities (Ex):  Giant tank bugs are immune to 
  mind-affecting effects.
  Metamorphosis (Ex):  Though a Hive larva begins 
  life with the Vermin type, it may eventually transform 
  into a Monstrous Humanoid (if it is fated to become a 
  mutant bug or swarm bug).
  Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex):  Giant tank 
  bugs gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to 
  negate the effects of massive damage.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A Hive larva can 
  automatically sense the location of anything within 
  60 feet that is in contact with the ground or water.
  Bonus Feat:  Hive larvae receive the bonus feat, 
  Improved Initiative, even though Vermin do not 
  normally get feats.
  Hive Larva:  CR 1; Diminutive Vermin; HD 2d8+4; 
  HP 13; Mas 14; Init +6; Spd 20 ft, burrow 5 feet; 
  Defense 18, touch 16, ﬂat-footed 16 (+4 size, +2 Dex, 
  +2 natural); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk +7 melee (1d6+2, 
  bite); Full Atk +7 melee (1d6+2, bite); FS 1 ft by 1 
  ft; Reach 0 ft; SQ DR 5/-, fast healing 5, hive mind, 
  immunities, metamorphosis, resistance to massive 
  damage, tremorsense; AL Hive; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, 
  Will -1; AP +0; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int -, 
  Wis 9, Cha 3.
  Skills:  Listen +4, Survival +4.
  Feats:  Improved Initiative.
  Advancement:  None.
  HIVE MIND
  The true masterminds behind the “Hive” are its hive 
  minds, enormous insectoid “slugs” who act as living 
  “psychic switchboards”.  Essentially enormous 
  brains, each hive mind serves as a central node for 
  communication and the senses.  It is unclear exactly 
  how this phenomenon operates, but at the heart of 
  it each hive mind is essentially a hub, tapped into 
  every single insect creature in the Hive (from the 
  lowest food grub to the mutant bug workers and 
  giant tank bugs lumbering into battle).  Able to share 
  their senses, command them through telepathic 
  thought, and coordinate with other Hive armies miles 
  away, the hive mind’s amazing capabilities are truly 
  mystifying.
     The typical hive mind’s sheer size is tremendous, 
  standing almost two stories high with a girth greater 
  than an Olympic-sized swimming pool.  A hive 
  mind looks like a gigantic viscid caterpillar, bloated 
  beyond believable dimensions, carried along by 
  hundreds of tiny bug legs running the length of its 
  underside.  Giant pores leak a slimy excretion all over 
  its tumor-encased body segments, while a collection 
  of ten or twelve spider-like eyes dominate its “head”.  
  Great pink and green veins crisscross its entire body, 
  making the entire creature look like a huge, mobile 
  “brain”.
     Though enormous, the hive mind is capable of 
  sudden bursts of speed, allowing it to escape from 
  immediate danger.  Most hive minds dwell in deep 
  caverns beneath Hive “bughills”, rarely emerging to 
  see the light of day.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Hive minds have the following Traits:
  Burst of Speed (Ex):  Once every ten rounds the 
  hive mind can generate a tremendous burst of speed, 
  increasing its ground movement to 60 ft (base).
  Damage Reduction (Ex):  A hive mind has 
  damage reduction 5 against all forms of physical 
  attack.
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Hive minds have darkvision 
  with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Hive minds share a “hive mind” 
  with members of the same species, as well as certain 
  other mutant bugs employed as laborers, servants, or 
  soldiers.  If one is aware of danger, they all are.  If 
  one of them is not ﬂat-footed, none of them are.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A hive mind can automatically 
  sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in 
  contact with the ground or water.
  Immunities (Ex):  Hive minds are immune to 
  mind-affecting effects.
  Psychic (Ex):  Hive minds are innately psychic, 
  and are able to manifest abilities equivalent to the 
  mutation Neural Telepathy.
  
  260
  Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex):  Hive minds 
  gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to negate 
  the effects of massive damage.
  Bonus Feat:  Hive minds receive the bonus feats, 
  Charm Person, Domination, Lie Detector, Mental 
  Communication, and Psychic Interrogation, even 
  though Vermin do not normally get feats.  The DC to 
  resist any of these abilities is 10 + half the creature’s 
  HD.
  Hive Mind:  CR 15; Gargantuan Vermin; HD 
  18d8+108; HP 189; Mas 22; Init -2; Spd 20 ft, 
  burrow 10 ft; Defense 20, touch 4, ﬂat-footed 20 (-
  4 size, -2 Dex, +16 natural); BAB +13; Grap +37; 
  Atk +21 melee (2d8+12, slam); Full Atk +21 melee 
  (2d8+12, slam); FS 20 ft by 20 ft; Reach 15 ft; 
  SQ burst of speed, DR 5/-, keen sight, hive mind, 
  tremorsense, immunities, resistance to massive 
  damage; AL Hive; SV Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +11; AP 
  0; Rep +0; Str 35, Dex 6, Con 23, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 
  23.
  Skills:  Diplomacy +9, Listen +4, Sense Motive 
  +4, Spot +4.
  Feats:  Charm Person, Domination, Lie Detector, 
  Mental Communication, Psychic Interrogation.
  Advancement:  19-23 HD (Colossal).
  MIRROR OOZE
  Related to both the blob and terrestrial efﬂuvium, the 
  mirror ooze is a smaller form of ooze that seems to be 
  far more abundant, especially in areas formerly taken 
  up by vast industrial complexes.  Resembling a pool 
  of liquid metal, the mirror ooze is only found in the 
  most polluted areas, where heavier elements used in 
  pre-Fall manufacturing and production have changed 
  the very nature of the environment.
  The mirror ooze is an animate creature, though 
  when inactive it will often look simply like a highly-
  reﬂective pond.  When it is roused to action - to 
  consume nearby prey - it begins to shift and move, 
  slithering towards its prey like a living mass of 
  mercury.
  The strange substance of a mirror ooze has 
  corrosive qualities, burning ﬂesh and even inorganic 
  matter with equal potency.  Thus, the area in which a 
  mirror ooze lives often appears unnaturally deformed; 
  metal objects lie about fused together, and even the 
  earth seems corroded.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Mirror oozes have the following Traits:
  Acid (Ex):  A mirror ooze secretes a digestive 
  acid that quickly dissolves organic material and 
  metal.  Any melee hit deals acid damage.  A mirror 
  ooze’s acidic touch deals 40 points of damage per 
  round to wood or metal objects.  Armor or clothing 
  dissolves and becomes useless immediately unless it 
  succeeds at a Reﬂex save (DC 19).  The acid cannot 
  harm stone.  A metal or wooden weapon that strikes 
  a mirror ooze also dissolves immediately unless it 
  succeeds at a Reﬂex save (DC 19).
  Blindsight (Ex):  A mirror ooze has blindsight 
  with a range of 60 feet.
  Ooze:  Oozes are immune to mind-affecting 
  effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, gaze attacks, visual 
  effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on 
  sight.  Oozes are not subject to critical hits, ﬂanking, 
  or the effects of massive damage.
  Reﬂective (Ex):  Because of its mirror-like 
  composition, any light-based attack (such as a laser 
  beam or an optic emission) against a mirror ooze 
  reﬂects off of it, doing no damage.  In addition, any 
  time such an attack is made against a mirror ooze the 
  attacker must make a Reﬂex save at DC 19 to avoid 
  the attack being reﬂected back at her and striking her 
  instead.
  Sonic Immunity (Ex):  Mirror oozes take no 
  damage from sonic weapons or sonic attacks.
  Mirror Ooze:  CR 5; Large ooze; HD 6d10+27; HP 
  60; Mas -; Init -1; Spd 20 ft, swim 20 ft; Defense 8, 
  touch 8, ﬂatfooted 8 (-1 size, -1 Dex); BAB +4; Grap 
  +12; Atk +8 melee (1d8+5 plus 1d4 acid, slam); Full 
  Atk +8 melee (1d8+5 plus 1d4 acid, slam); FS 10 
  ft by 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ acid, blindsight, ooze, 
  reﬂective, sonic immunity; AL none; SV Fort +2, Ref 
  +5, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 21, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 
  -, Wis 14, Cha 3.
  Skills:  Hide -5.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  7-9 HD (Large), 10-12 (Huge).
  OGRISH (TEMPLATE)
  Though they aren’t unique in this capacity, the 
  beastman species on the Twisted Earth appears to 
  introduce an inordinate number of freakish births 
  with each passing year.  These freaks often develop 
  inordinate gigantism, taking on monstrous size, 
  strength, and invulnerability - but at a cost to mental 
  development and the neglecting of social traits.
  “Ogrish” is a template that is most often seen 
  among beastmen, indicating a particularly large, 
  powerful - and stupid - member of the species.
  TEMPLATE TRAITS
  “Ogrish” is a template that can be added to any 
  humanoid of Medium-size or larger (hereafter 
  referred to as the base creature).  An ogrish creature 
  has all the base creature’s characteristics except as 
  noted here.
  Size and Type:  The creature’s size increases to 
  by one step, affecting Defense, attack rolls, Grapple 
  
  261
  checks, and Hide checks.  Fighting space and reach 
  are also altered as a result.  See Table 8:1: Creature 
  Sizes of d20 Modern for modiﬁers based on size.  An 
  ogrish creature’s type changes to giant.
  Speed:  An ogrish creature’s land speed decreases 
  by 5 feet.
  Attacks:  An ogrish creature’s unarmed attacks 
  now inﬂict lethal damage.  An ogrish creature may 
  choose to inﬂict nonlethal damage, but doing so 
  provides a -4 penalty to attack rolls.
  Abilities:  +6 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, -2 Int, -2 Wis, 
  -2 Cha.
  Challenge Rating:  Base creature’s CR +2.
  Level Adjustment:  +2.
  RAT DOG
  The ghouls of the Necropolis are known to breed 
  these disgusting animals, which by all appearances 
  must be some monstrous evolution of the common 
  rat.  Grown to the size of a dog, these enormous, 
  misshapen creatures also seem to play a role in 
  ghoul society similar to mundane canines in human 
  cultures.  Treated like pets by some ghouls, and 
  trained to ﬁght by others, these mangy, ﬂea-ridden 
  animals are always found wherever ghouls are, 
  either as accepted members of the ghoul pack or as 
  pathetic stragglers following along in hopes of eating 
  whatever its masters leave behind.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Rat dogs have the following Traits:
  Flea Cloud (Ex):  Any creature that comes within 
  5 feet of a rat dog must make a Fortitude save at DC 
  11 or suffer a -1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls 
  and skill checks for the next 1d4 rounds.  Ghouls (and 
  super ghouls) appear to be immune to this effect.
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Rat dogs have darkvision with a 
  range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Scent (Ex):  This ability allows the rat dog to 
  detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, 
  and track by sense of smell.
  Skill Bonus:  Rat dogs gain a +2 species bonus on 
  Survival checks when tracking by scent.
  Rat Dog:  CR 1; Medium-size Mutated Animal; HD 
  2d8+2; HP 11; Mas 12; Init +2; Spd 40 ft; Defense 
  13, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 11 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +1 
  natural); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+3, 
  bite); Full Atk +3 melee (1d6+3, bite); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ ﬂea cloud, keen sight, scent; AL none 
  or owner; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +0; 
  Str 15, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +1 (+3 when 
  tracking by scent), Swim +5.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  None.
  ROPE WORM
  Rope worms are a peculiar menace of the Necropolis, 
  and there is no reasonable explanation for how such 
  strange entities came to be.
  No one has ever actually seen a rope worm, 
  other than the creature’s “tentacles”, long worm-
  like extensions that burst from the ground to grasp 
  and tear at unsuspecting prey.  These tentacles 
  are universally described as black and oily, but 
  it is unclear if these tentacles are the creatures 
  themselves (as is commonly believed), or are merely 
  the extensions of a burrowing main mass that has 
  heretofore evaded being dug up and scrutinized.  It 
  is so far impossible to tell, as rope worms generally 
  tend to ﬂee when threatened by injury, preventing a 
  carcass of any kind from being unearthed.
  Whatever a rope worm really looks like, it is 
  nonetheless an insidious hunter, moving unseen - and 
  unheard - under the earth, using advanced senses to 
  ﬁnd its surface-dwelling prey.  When it chooses to 
  attack it almost always takes its victims by surprise, 
  its tentacles pushing through the ground to lash 
  viciously at the target and tear her to ribbons.  Those 
  who are particularly unfortunate may even be drawn 
  underground, never to be seen again...
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Rope worms have the following Traits:
  Draw Underground (Ex):  A victim incapacitated 
  (brought to zero or less hit points) through injury 
  by a rope worm’s tentacle grapple may be pulled 
  underground by the creature as a full-round action.  
  A creature drawn away in this fashion must check 
  against suffocation as if drowning.
  Rend (Ex):  If the rope worm inﬂicts damage 
  on a single victim for two rounds in a row, on the 
  following round it may rend that victim as a free 
  action for 4d4+8 points of slashing damage.
  Sensitivity to Pain (Ex):  A rope worm that loses 
  more than two-thirds its starting hit points in a given 
  encounter will emit a cacophony of high-pitched 
  shrieks before ﬂeeing, drawing its tentacles back 
  underground.  Victims currently being grappled by 
  the creature will be released, and victims drawn 
  underground will be “vomited” back to the surface.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A rope worm can 
  automatically sense the location of anything within 
  200 feet that is in contact with the ground or water.
  Wormy Tentacles (Ex):  When a rope worm 
  attacks it throws out dozens of black tentacles that 
  break through the soil and attempt to grasp anything 
  within reach.  All creatures currently within the 
  rope worm’s ﬁghting space, as well as within the 
  rope worm’s reach, must make a grapple check each 
  round, opposed by the grapple check of the rope 
  
  262
  worm.  If a victim is grappled, on the following round 
  the rope worm may make another grapple check to 
  inﬂict 2d4+4 points of bludgeoning damage.
  Rope Worm:  CR 9; Huge aberration; HD 13d8; HP 
  58; Mas 11; Init +9; Spd burrow 40 ft; Defense 13, 
  touch 13, ﬂat-footed 8 (-2 size, +5 Dex); BAB +9; 
  Grap +25; Atk special; Full Atk special; FS 15 ft by 
  15 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ Draw Underground, Rend, 
  Sensitivity to Pain, Tremorsense, Wormy Tentacles; 
  AL none; SV Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +8; AP +0; Rep 
  +0; Str 27, Dex 21, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 4.
  Skills:  Hide +3, Listen +8, Move Silently +11, 
  Spot +8.
  Feats:  Alertness, Improved Initiative, Run.
  Advancement:  14-16 HD (Huge), 17-20 
  (Gargantuan).
  SEER
  A seer is a rare inhabitant of the sewers beneath the 
  Necropolis, most commonly restricted to the areas 
  most adversely affected by the careless pollution of 
  the Ancients.  The animals are relentless predators, 
  possessed of strange but deadly mutations that 
  make them a much greater threat than their humble 
  appearance would suggest.
  A seer resembles a desiccated canine, its 
  parchment-dry skin - bare and hairless - drawn so 
  tight over its bones it seems truly skeletal.  Looking 
  like a mummiﬁed dog, the seer’s eyes glow with 
  a bright blue radiance that betrays not only the 
  presence of a weak lifeforce, but also its surprising 
  power.
  A seer hunts for food like any other miserable 
  survivor on the Twisted Earth, but it has developed 
  the ability to generate deadly beams of energy with 
  its eyes.  These beams shoot from the animal’s 
  skeletal skull like brilliant blue laser pulses, burning 
  ﬂesh instantly on contact.
  Seers only congregate in small packs and are 
  generally quite lethargic, rarely wandering from a 
  small, jealously-guarded “domain”.  Once an intruder 
  is detected, however, the animals rise to pursue with 
  a passion for the kill that closely mirrors human 
  sadism.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Seers have the following Traits:
  Eyebeams (Ex):  Once per round as an attack 
  action a seer may generate a laser pulse from its eyes 
  as a ranged touch attack.  This pulse has a base range 
  of 100 feet and inﬂicts 2d12 points of energy damage 
  on a successful hit.  Alternatively, once per round 
  the seer can deﬂect one light-based attack targeting 
  it (such as a shot from a laser riﬂe) with a successful 
  Reﬂex save (DC 20), but only if it hasn’t used its 
  eyebeams yet during the round.
  Scent (Ex):  This ability allows a seer to detect 
  approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track 
  by sense of smell.
  Skill Bonuses:  Seers receive a +4 species bonus on 
  Survival checks when tracking by scent.
  Seer:  CR 4; Medium-size mutated animal; HD 
  5d8+5; HP 27; Mas 13; Init +4; Spd 30 ft; Defense 
  16, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 12 (+4 Dex, +2 natural); 
  BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +5 melee (1d6+1, bite), or +8 
  ranged (2d12, eyebeams); Full Atk +5 melee (1d6+1, 
  bite), or +8 ranged (2d12, eyebeams); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ eyebeams, low-light vision, scent; AL 
  none; SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 
  12, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7.
  Skills:  Hide +5, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Spot 
  +4, Survival +1 (+5 when tracking by scent).
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  6-8 HD (Large).
  SERPENT GOD
  Rivaled only by the Hive in their mastery of genetic 
  science, the “Serpent Gods” have toyed with 
  biological manipulation for generations, in a strange 
  (perhaps even obsessed) quest to create the “perfect 
  race”.  Possessed of vastly-advanced intellects, as 
  well as a sense of superiority that borders on the 
  most extreme form of racism, the Serpent Gods 
  have worked tirelessly, and with endless patience, to 
  distill the genetic work of their Zoogenic Corporation 
  creators into what they perceive to be the ultimate 
  evolution:  the perfect being.
  Through their genetic tampering the Serpent Gods 
  have developed three primary “castes”, tiers of varied 
  breeds that all share some characteristic similar to 
  their Ancient-era progenitors.  Though many of their 
  own creations are imperfect and are thus discarded 
  (ending up as “Horrors”), enough are successful 
  that they are permitted to live and develop into full-
  ﬂedged Serpent Gods.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  All Serpent Gods have the following species Traits in 
  common.
  Darkvision (Ex):  All serpent gods have 
  darkvision with a range of 120 feet.
  Fast Healing (Ex):  All serpent gods have fast 
  healing, though the amount healed per round varies 
  by breed.
  Frightful Presence (Ex):  A serpent god can 
  unsettle foes with its mere presence.  The ability 
  takes effect automatically whenever the serpent god 
  attacks or charges.  Creatures within a radius of 30 
  
  263
  feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD 
  than the serpent god.
  A potentially affected creature that succeeds at a 
  Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + serpent god’s Charisma 
  modiﬁer) remains immune to the serpent god’s 
  frightful presence for one day.
  On a failure, creatures with 4 or fewer HD become 
  panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more 
  HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds.  All serpent god 
  breeds are immune to the frightful presence of their 
  race.
  Longevity (Ex):  All serpent gods are possessed 
  with an unnatural longevity, and barring death by 
  injury, may live for 150 years or more.
  Tail Sweep (Ex):  A serpent god can sweep with 
  its tail as a standard action.  The sweep affects a half 
  circle with a diameter of 10 feet, centered on the 
  creature’s rear.  Creatures within the swept area are 
  affected if they are one or more sizes smaller than 
  the serpent god.  The sweep acts as a bull rush, rolled 
  individually for each creature in the area of effect, but 
  instead of being pushed back creatures affected are 
  knocked prone.
  Telepathy (Ex):  All serpent gods are mildly 
  telepathic.  When one serpent god senses danger, all 
  serpent gods within 500 ft. become aware of which of 
  their number is threatened, and in which direction to 
  head to assist.
  MEDUSA
  A Serpent God medusa resembles the greater breeds 
  of that race:  an elongated and winding serpent of 
  unearthly size, covered in iron-hard scales with 
  thorny barbs and protrusions, with six coiling and 
  writhing tentacles sprouting from its body where 
  a human’s shoulders might be.  Unlike the other 
  breeds of Serpent God, the medusa’s crown of 
  tentacles resemble actual serpents (sans eyes), with 
  each ending in a fanged mouth.  The medusa uses 
  these serpentine tentacles to strike out at foes, each 
  injecting the creature’s withering poison on its 
  victims.  Because of this mutation it cannot generally 
  manipulate objects or use manufactured weapons, 
  and though their caste cannot contribute to the 
  advancement of the race, they are still quite useful as 
  powerful guardians.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Serpent God medusae have the following species 
  Traits.
  Acid Spittle (Ex):  A serpent god medusa can 
  use its multiple tentacle mouths to spit globs of acid 
  at range.  As a full attack action it may make 1d6 
  individual ranged attacks (divided among any number 
  of targets), each with a range increment of 200 feet 
  (and otherwise treated as a thrown weapon).  These 
  attacks are considered splash weapons (see d20 
  Modern), doing 3d10 acid damage on a direct hit or 
  2d6 acid damage to all creatures within 5 ft of the 
  point of impact (no save).
  Fast Healing (Ex):  A serpent god medusa heals 
  3 hit points per round until it reaches maximum hit 
  points.
  Poison (Ex):  The serpent god medusa’s poison 
  is delivered with any successful bite or tentacle bite 
  attack.  The Fort save DC is 31 (initial damage 2d6 
  Str, secondary damage 2d6 Str).
  Serpent God:  A serpent god medusa has the 
  species traits common to all serpent gods.
  Serpent God Medusa:  CR 15; Gargantuan 
  Aberration; HD 14d8+98; HP 161; Mas 25; Init +5; 
  Spd 40 ft, climb 30 ft; Defense 30, touch 7, ﬂat-
  footed 29 (-4 size, +1 Dex, +23 natural); BAB +10; 
  Grap +30; Atk +18 melee (4d6+12 plus poison, bite), 
  or +18 melee (2d4+6 plus poison, tentacle bite); Full 
  Atk +18 melee (4d6+12 plus poison, bite) and +18 
  melee (2d4+6 plus poison, 6 tentacle bites), or +7 
  ranged (1d6 acid spittle); FS 20 ft by 20 ft; Reach 15 
  ft; SQ acid spittle, darkvision, fast healing 3, frightful 
  presence, longevity, poison, tail sweep, telepathy; AL 
  Serpent Gods; SV Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +12; AP 0; 
  Rep +0; Str 35, Dex 12, Con 25, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 
  16.
  Skills:  Climb +18, Decipher Script +7, Hide -
  5, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Ancient Lore) +4, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +7, Listen +13, Move Silently 
  +5, Sense Motive +9, Spot +13.
  Feats:  Constrict, Great Fortitude, Improved 
  Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Multiattack, 
  Multiattack.
  Advancement:  15-17 HD (Gargantuan).
  OPHIDI
  The ophidi, though gargantuan, are neither stupid 
  nor slow, possessed of a keen wit and genius-level 
  intellect.  An ophidi resembles an enormous snake 
  of black or grayish-black color (the better to hide 
  among shadows with) and tremendous length, with 
  eerie and malevolent eyes that glow a lambent violet 
  in the dark.  The creature has no arms, but instead has 
  six coiling tentacles that sprout from the main body 
  where shoulder might be on a human.  An ophidi 
  uses these tentacles to manipulate its surroundings, 
  as well as to operate objects normally intended for 
  humanoids, such as weapons.  The sample serpent 
  god ophidi shown below uses a typical sampling 
  of weapons, but an individual creature’s choice of 
  weapons (and feats) may vary.
  
  264
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Serpent God ophidi have the following species Traits.
  Fast Healing (Ex):  A serpent god ophidi heals 
  5 hit points per round until it reaches maximum hit 
  points.
  Poison (Ex):  The serpent god ophidi’s poison is 
  delivered with a successful bite attack.  The Fort save 
  DC is 31 (initial damage 1d6 Dex, secondary damage 
  1d6 Dex).
  Serpent God:  A serpent god ophidi has the 
  species traits common to all serpent gods.
  Serpent God Ophidi:  CR 16; Gargantuan 
  Aberration; HD 17d8+119; HP 195; Mas 24; Init 
  +3; Spd 40 ft, climb 30 ft; Defense 34, touch 9, 
  ﬂat-footed 31 (-4 size, +3 Dex, +25 natural); BAB 
  +12; Grap +31; Atk +19 melee (4d6+11 plus poison, 
  bite), or +12 ranged (3d12, laser riﬂe), or +12 ranged 
  (4d8, gauss automatic riﬂe), or +12 ranged (3d10, 
  gyrojet riﬂe), or +11 ranged (10d6, M72A3 LAW), 
  or +11 ranged (special, RPG-16); Full Atk +19 melee 
  (4d6+11 plus poison, bite), or +8 ranged (3d12, 2 
  laser riﬂes) and +8 ranged (4d8, gauss automatic riﬂe) 
  and +8 ranged (3d10, gyrojet riﬂe) and +7 ranged 
  (10d6, M72A3 LAW) and +7 ranged (special, RPG-
  16); FS 20 ft by 20 ft; Reach 15 ft; SQ darkvision, 
  fast healing 5, frightful presence, longevity, poison, 
  tail sweep, telepathy; AL Serpent Gods; SV Fort +14, 
  Ref +8, Will +13; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 32, Dex 16, Con 
  24, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 16.
  Skills:  Climb +17, Decipher Script +8, Disable 
  Device +8, Hide -3, Intimidate +11, Knowledge 
  (Ancient Lore) +8, Knowledge (Tactics) +8, 
  Knowledge (Technology) +10, Listen +9, Move 
  Silently +9, Repair +8, Sense Motive +7, Spot +9.
  Feats:  Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency (rocket 
  launchers), Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 
  Multidexterity, Multiweapon Fighting, Weapon Focus 
  (laser riﬂe), Weapon Focus (gauss automatic riﬂe), 
  Weapon Focus (gyrojet riﬂe).
  Possessions:  Two laser riﬂes, one gauss automatic 
  riﬂe, one gyrojet riﬂe, one M72A3 LAW, one RPG-
  16, two radiation grenades (for RPG), three power 
  beltpacks, one box of gauss ammo (50), one box of 
  gyrojet ammo (30).
  Advancement:  18-20 HD (Gargantuan).
  NAJA
  If the Serpent Gods have a “ruling caste”, the naja 
  would be it; these massive serpent monsters are 
  super-intelligent even by human standards.  Their 
  great size, awesome prowess, and powerful minds 
  are the result of genetic engineering in the twilight 
  era of the Ancients, from whence their race was ﬁrst 
  spawned.  The naja have continued the work of their 
  human forebears, obsessed and driven to continue 
  creating life as if they were, in fact, actual gods.  A 
  naja resembles a tremendous snake with iron-gray 
  hide, like thick overlapping sheaves of metal, and a 
  ruff of thin tendrils with which it manipulates even 
  the ﬁnest objects, such as computers and intricate 
  devices.  A naja’s head betrays its connection to 
  the single individual who was behind the Serpent 
  Gods’ creation; though their individual faces are 
  scaly, deformed, and snake-like, all naja seem to be 
  identical twins, their distorted facial features vaguely 
  resembling the eccentric, ever-grinning madman, 
  Ronald Bernard.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Serpent God naja have the following species Traits.
  Fast Healing (Ex):  A serpent god naja heals 7 hit 
  points per round until it reaches maximum hit points.
  Poison (Ex):  The serpent god naja’s poison is 
  delivered with a successful bite attack, or whenever 
  another creature comes into physical contact with it 
  (such as when grappling or hit by an unarmed attack).  
  The Fort save DC is 31 (initial damage 1d6 Con and 
  1d6 Wis, secondary damage 1d6 Con and 1d6 Wis).
  Serpent God:  A serpent god naja has the species 
  traits common to all serpent gods.
  Serpent God Naja:  CR 17; Gargantuan Aberration; 
  HD 19d8+152; HP 237; Mas 26; Init +8; Spd 40 ft, 
  climb 30 ft; Defense 35, touch 10, ﬂat-footed 31 (-
  4 size, +4 Dex, +25 natural); BAB +14; Grap +31; 
  Atk +19 melee (4d6+9 plus poison, bite), or +15 
  ranged (special, blaster), or +15 ranged (5d10, HPM 
  riﬂe), or +15 ranged (3d10, plasma pistol), or +14 
  ranged (8d6, plasma grenade); Full Atk +19 melee 
  (4d6+9 plus poison, bite), or +11 ranged (special, 
  blaster) and +11 ranged (5d10, HPM riﬂe) and +11 
  ranged (3d10, plasma pistol) and +10 ranged (8d6, 
  3 plasma grenades); FS 20 ft by 20 ft; Reach 15 ft; 
  SQ darkvision, fast healing 7, frightful presence, 
  longevity, poison, tail sweep, telepathy; AL Serpent 
  Gods; SV Fort +16, Ref +10, Will +14; AP 0; Rep +0; 
  Str 28, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 24, Wis 16, Cha 18.
  Skills:  Climb +13, Computer Use +17, Craft 
  (Electronic) +13, Decipher Script +13, Disable 
  Device +11, Hide -8, Intimidate +8, Knowledge 
  (Ancient Lore) +11, Knowledge (Earth & Life 
  Sciences) +15, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +11, 
  Knowledge (Tactics) +11, Knowledge (Technology) 
  +15, Repair +19, Research +21, Sense Motive +7.
  Feats:  Gearhead, Great Fortitude, Improved 
  Initiative, Multidexterity, Multiweapon Fighting, 
  Point Blank Shot, Room-Broom, Studious, Weapon 
  Focus (blaster), Weapon Focus (HPM riﬂe), Weapon 
  Focus (plasma pistol).
  
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  Possessions:  Blaster, HPM riﬂe, plasma pistol, 
  magnetic shield C, six plasma grenades, six 
  minifusion cells, power beltpack, multipurpose tool.
  Advancement:  20-21 HD (Gargantuan).
  SEWER CROC, GIANT
  There are many dangerous monsters living in the 
  sewers of the world’s lost necropoli, though most of 
  these are smaller creatures, driven to the safety of 
  this damp and awful underworld by more powerful 
  surface predators.  But there are other nightmare 
  things living in the sewers, carryovers from ancient 
  times when animals - like garbage - were dumped 
  into the sewers to be forgotten and erased.  Many of 
  these monsters lived on, and with the accumulation 
  of toxic waste and industrial sludge, grew enormous 
  and mutated.  Long after the Fall many such 
  creatures continue to exist, evolving to become the 
  underworld’s top predators.
  The giant sewer croc resembles an enormous 
  crocodile of gargantuan size, with a scaly body 
  ranging from a muddy brown to oily black, allowing 
  it to hide particularly well in its environment.  
  Deformities, such as extra eyes and vestigial legs, 
  are frequently exhibited by these creatures (a product 
  of their poisoned habitat).  Webbing between the 
  creatures’ claws, and an iguana-like ﬁn along the 
  back and tail, allow it to swim swiftly and elegantly 
  through tepid sewer waters - much to the surprise of 
  those who might otherwise mistake it as slow and 
  clumsy by its sheer size.  Most dangerous of all, 
  however, is the giant sewer croc’s bite, for not only 
  is its mouth ringed with jagged teeth - but it is also 
  teeming with billions of toxic bacteria.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Giant sewer crocs have the following Traits:
  Acid Resistance:  A giant sewer croc ignores the 
  ﬁrst 10 points of damage dealt by acid.
  Aquatic:  Giant sewer crocs can move in water 
  without making Swim checks and cannot drown in 
  water.
  Diseased Bite (Ex):  A creature taking damage 
  from a giant sewer croc’s bite must make a Fortitude 
  save at DC 14 or contract hantavirus (see d20 
  Modern).
  Improved Grab (Ex):  To use this ability, a giant 
  sewer croc must hit an opponent of its size or smaller 
  with its bite attack.  If it gets a hold, the giant sewer 
  croc grabs the opponent with its mouth and drags it 
  into deep water, attempting to pin it to the bottom.
  Skill Bonus:  Giant sewer crocs gain a +12 species 
  bonus on Hide checks when submerged.
  Giant Sewer Croc:  CR 9; Gargantuan mutated 
  animal; HD 12d8+48; HP 102; Mas 19; Init +1; Spd 
  20 ft, swim 40 ft; Defense 13, touch 7, ﬂatfooted 12 
  (-4 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural); BAB +9; Grap +32; Atk 
  +18 melee (2d10+17, bite), or +18 melee (2d8+17, 
  tail slap); Full Atk +18 melee (2d10+17, bite), or +18 
  melee (2d8+17, tail slap); FS 20 ft by 20 ft; Reach 
  15 ft; SQ acid resistance, aquatic, diseased bite, 
  improved grab, low-light vision; AL none; SV Fort 
  +12, Ref +9, Will +5; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 34, Dex 12, 
  Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2.
  Skills:  Hide -4 (+0 when submerged), Listen +5, 
  Spot +5.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  13-18 HD (Gargantuan).
  SKAEL
  This race of aquatic creatures has lived close to the 
  California coast, speciﬁcally just off the ruins of Los 
  Angeles, at least since the time of the Fall.  Originally 
  one of the more successful experiments of a pre-
  Fall bioengineering corporation, the Skaels were 
  speciﬁcally bred as underwater workers intended 
  for use in the construction of vast, interconnected 
  undersea agro-domes and hatcheries off the American 
  coast that, it was hoped, would bolster the dwindling 
  resources of the American food industry.
  With the Fall the ﬂedgling progenitors of this 
  dim-witted race managed to escape conﬁnement and 
  make their way to the sea.  Over time they evolved 
  due to the radiation of the waters off the Necropolis, 
  and have become a ghastly degenerate species of 
  cannibalistic sea predators.  Luckily for most the 
  Skaels have an apparent timidity and cowardice, and 
  only come on land to hunt in rare circumstances.  
  Even then, they are more likely to ﬂee if they cannot 
  ambush their prey - as well as outnumber them.
  A Skael resembles a lanky humanoid covered in 
  a slick and slimy skin with ﬁne metallic blue scales.  
  They have enormous ﬁsh-like eyes, the color of 
  which runs from neon yellow to dead white.  Certain 
  members of the Skael race have large crests and bony 
  ridges as well; these usually denote more powerful 
  creatures, which often congregate in large tribes to 
  prey on weaker members of their species.
  SKAEL CHARACTERS
  Skael characters start with no background or 
  occupation.  They start with no Technology feat 
  (similar to Feral) but receive the bonus feat outlined 
  in the Skael Traits below.  Skaels gain Hide, Spot, 
  and Swim as permanent class skills.  In addition, they 
  
  266
  have the following racial ability modiﬁers:  +1 Str, +1 
  Dex, -2 Int, -4 Cha.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Skaels have the following Traits:
  Aquatic:  A Skael moves in water without making 
  Swim checks and cannot drown in water.  A Skael 
  can move freely between water and land at will, but 
  exposure to air causes her to suffer 1d4 points of 
  lethal damage each hour if she fails a Fortitude save 
  (DC 17).  This save is made at the end of each hour.
  Low-Light Vision:  A Skael can see twice as far 
  as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and 
  similar conditions of poor illumination.  She retains 
  the ability to distinguish color and detail under these 
  conditions.
  Cold Resistance:  A Skael has cold resistance cold 
  10.
  Immunities:  Having adapted to life in a harsh 
  radiated environment, a Skael is immune to Moderate 
  radiation (as well as heat generated by radiation).
  Bonus Feat:  A Skael receives Stealthy as a bonus 
  feat.
  Skael:  CR 1; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8; HP 
  9; Mas 11; Init +5; Spd 20 ft, swim 40 ft; Defense 15, 
  touch 11, ﬂatfooted 14 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural); 
  BAB +1; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4+1, claw), or 
  +1 ranged (by weapon); Full Atk +2 melee (1d4+1, 2 
  claws), +1 ranged (by weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 
  5 ft; SQ aquatic, low-light vision, cold resistance 10, 
  immunities; AL Skaels; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +2; 
  AP 0; Rep +0; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 11, 
  Cha 6.
  Skills:  Hide +3, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot 
  +4, Survival +2, Swim +3.
  Feats:  Improved Initiative, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy.
  Possessions:  None.
  Advancement:  By character class.
  Level Adjustment:  +1.
  SUPER GHOUL
  Unique to the highly-survivable and adaptable ghoul 
  tribes of the sprawling Necropolis basin, the so-called 
  new breed of “super ghouls” are a mutant strain of 
  the common ghoul that appear to have one unusual 
  trait in common:  a freakish form of gigantism.
  Though their size already makes them exceptional, 
  super ghouls are in fact far more removed from their 
  fellows than their mere size suggests.  In addition 
  to being bigger and stronger, super ghouls are often 
  highly intelligent, possessed with a cunning that 
  goes beyond the usual animal hunting instincts of the 
  typical ghoul.  Able to learn from enemies, and adapt 
  their tactics, they have also been known to ﬁgure out 
  complicated devices and, in some instances, even to 
  read signs and discover how to reactivate and operate 
  items of technology.
  A super ghoul resembles a monstrous green, blue, 
  or grey-skinned mutant, gangly and misshapen, 
  with bony limbs and appendages that seem to have 
  grown at different speeds, resulting in a grotesquely 
  disproportioned collection of body parts.  Like most 
  ghouls, super ghouls are sensitive to sunlight, but 
  their luminous, yellow cat-like eyes are highly-
  adapted to the darkness to compensate.  Super ghouls 
  ﬁght with tremendous strength in melee, and hurl 
  rocks (or any other heavy object they can lift) with 
  incredible force at range.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Super ghouls have the following Traits:
  Photosensitive (Ex):  A super ghoul suffers from 
  complete blindness in natural or bright light.
  Thermal Sight (Ex):  A super ghoul’s eyes can 
  sense lingering heat sources, even if just traces.  This 
  allows a super ghoul to detect any living, warm-
  blooded creature within 60 ft, regardless of cover, 
  concealment, or invisibility.  In addition, this also 
  provides the super ghoul with a +8 racial bonus to 
  Survival checks when attempting to track a living 
  creature.
  Rock Throwing (Ex):  Super ghouls receive a 
  +1 racial bonus to attack rolls when throwing rocks 
  and other large and heavy objects.  These throwing 
  weapons generally have a base damage of 2d6, and a 
  10 ft range increment.
  Super Ghoul:  CR 7; Large Giant; HD 9d8+27; HP 
  67; Mas 17; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 
  10, ﬂat-footed 13 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural); BAB 
  +6; Grap +16; Atk +11 melee (1d10+6, greatclub), 
  +7 ranged (2d6+6, thrown rock); Full Atk +11 melee 
  (1d10+6, greatclub), +7 ranged (2d6+6, thrown rock); 
  FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; SQ photosensitive, 
  thermal sight, rock throwing; AL none; SV Fort +9, 
  Ref +4, Will +5; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 23, Dex 12, Con 
  17, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12.
  Skills:  Climb +8, Decipher Script +4, Hide +1, 
  Jump +8, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Search +4, 
  Spot +4, Survival +6 (+14 when tracking).
  Feats:  Cleave, Power Attack, Track.
  Advancement:  By character class.
  SWARM BUG
  A new breed of smaller insect has begun to appear 
  in the Hive.  Born in vast clutches of tiny eggs, they 
  are possessed with a rapid metabolism which allows 
  them to breed and grow quickly.  These new soldiers 
  are easy to generate and move quickly up to the front 
  lines of the Hive’s frontier, marching for hours or 
  
  267
  days on end without tire.  Their dexterity and innate 
  intellect make them ideal for using more advanced 
  ranged weaponry as well, dispensing altogether with 
  natural attacks.
  A typical swarm bug resembles a giant ant, with 
  a chitinous carapace of deep crimson or cherry red 
  color, as well as armored mandibles and antennae.  
  Two enormous black eyes that glitter like crystal 
  peer out from underneath an impressive armored 
  horn adoring its head.  Most swarm bugs carry the 
  bioengineered weapons of the Hive into battle.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Swarm bugs have the following Traits:
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Swarm bugs have darkvision 
  with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Swarm bugs share a “hive mind” 
  with other species of the Hive.  If one is aware of 
  danger, they all are.  If one of them is not ﬂat-footed, 
  none of them are.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A mutant bug can 
  automatically sense the location of anything within 
  60 feet that is in contact with the ground or water.
  Bonus Feats:  Swarm bugs receive the bonus feat, 
  Advanced Technology, as well as Shot On The Run, 
  even though they do not meet the prerequisite.
  Swarm Bug:  CR 1; Medium-size Monstrous 
  Humanoid; HD 3d8+3; HP 17; Mas 13; Init +2; 
  Spd 40 ft, burrow 10 feet; Defense 18, touch 12, 
  ﬂat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural); BAB +3; Grap 
  +3; Atk +3 melee (1d3 nonlethal, unarmed) or +5 
  ranged (2d12, acid riﬂe); Full Atk +3 melee (1d3 
  nonlethal, unarmed), or +5 ranged (2d12, acid riﬂe); 
  FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ keen sight, hive mind, 
  tremorsense; AL Hive; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +3; 
  AP +0; Rep +0; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 
  9, Cha 9.
  Skills:  Balance +8, Climb +6, Jump +4, Hide +4, 
  Listen +1, Move Silently +4, Search +3, Spot +1, 
  Survival +1.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Futuristic Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Shot On The Run.
  Possessions:  Acid riﬂe (same stats as sonic riﬂe), 
  power clip (2), juju potion (1d4+5).
  Advancement:  By character class.
  TANK BUG, GIANT
  Gigantic creatures, these massive and bulky 
  land titans are truly formidable members of the 
  Necropolis’ most unusual (and feared) faction, the 
  so-called “Hive”.  Giant tank bugs have long served 
  as mobile “fortresses” for the Hive, often moving in 
  large formations, slow and methodically, through the 
  ruins as the vanguard of Hive armies.  Sometimes 
  smaller mutant bugs will ride these giants, or build 
  small “war towers” atop them to mount heavier 
  weapons that only beasts of this size can carry 
  for extended periods.  Their sheer durability and 
  powerful strength make them ideal as war mounts.
  Giant tank bugs are colossal creatures of armored 
  chitin, their entire domed bodies made of overlapping 
  segmented plates that are literally harder than steel.  
  Giant tank bugs are typically black, cola brown, or 
  metallic gray in color, with glittering black eyes just 
  barely visible in the front beneath rows of segmented 
  head plating.  Their hulking armor allows them to 
  withdraw their more vulnerable appendages under 
  layers of armor plate, in much the same manner as 
  a turtle, if endangered by swarms of faster-moving 
  enemies.
  Giant tank bugs are slow, steady, and powerful.  
  Generally only called on to ﬁght in large-scale 
  battles, they eagerly scuttle forward to attack by 
  smashing into an enemy’s ranks, or else simply 
  rolling over masses of infantry to barrel through their 
  lines.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Giant tank bugs have the following Traits:
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Giant tank bugs have darkvision 
  with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Giant tank bugs share a “hive 
  mind” with members of the same species, as well 
  as certain other mutant bugs employed as laborers, 
  servants, or soldiers.  If one is aware of danger, they 
  all are.  If one of them is not ﬂat-footed, none of them 
  are.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A giant tank bug can 
  automatically sense the location of anything within 
  60 feet that is in contact with the ground or water.
  Immunities (Ex):  Giant tank bugs are immune to 
  mind-affecting effects.
  Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex):  Giant tank 
  bugs gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to 
  negate the effects of massive damage.
  Giant Tank Bug:  CR 12; Gargantuan Vermin; HD 
  16d8+96; HP 168; Mas 22; Init -2; Spd 20 ft, burrow 
  20 ft; Defense 22, touch 4, ﬂat-footed 22 (-4 size, 
  -2 Dex, +18 natural); BAB +12; Grap +36; Atk +20 
  melee (2d8+12, slam); Full Atk +20 melee (2d8+12, 
  slam); FS 20 ft by 20 ft; Reach 15 ft; SQ keen sight, 
  hive mind, tremorsense, immunities, resistance to 
  massive damage; AL Hive; SV Fort +11, Ref +8, Will 
  +10; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 34, Dex 7, Con 22, Int -, Wis 
  10, Cha 9.
  Skills:  Climb +14, Listen +4, Spot +4.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  17-18 HD (Gargantuan).
  
  268
  THUNDER LOCUST
  “Thunder locusts” are a special breed of giant 
  insect engineered by the Hive as highly-specialized 
  warriors.  They appear as giant locusts with powerful 
  springing legs, thin membranous “wings” folded up 
  behind them, and a hard chitinous carapace that is 
  mottled gray and brown - allowing them to blend into 
  the urban environment of the Necropolis.
  Thunder locusts get their name from their ability 
  to ﬂutter their wings at a supersonic speed, creating a 
  deafening pulse of powerful sonic energy that extends 
  outwards from the creature.  This pulse is strong 
  enough to act as a long-distance signal, but up close it 
  can also shatter glass, deafen, and even disrupt living 
  tissue and cause severe physical damage.
  Thunder locusts typically serve as special forces in 
  Hive armies.  Though able to kick powerfully with 
  their spring-legs, thunder locusts prefer to leap right 
  into an enemy formation and let off a sonic blast like 
  a “living grenade”.
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Thunder locusts have the following Traits:
  Keen Sight (Ex):  Thunder locusts have darkvision 
  with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.
  Hive Mind (Ex):  Thunder locusts share a “hive 
  mind” with members of the same species, as well 
  as certain other mutant bugs employed as laborers, 
  servants, or soldiers.  If one is aware of danger, they 
  all are.  If one of them is not ﬂat-footed, none of them 
  are.
  Tremorsense (Ex):  A thunder locust can 
  automatically sense the location of anything within 
  60 feet that is in contact with the ground or water.
  Immunities (Ex):  Thunder locusts are immune to 
  mind-affecting effects.
  Resistance to Massive Damage (Ex):  Thunder 
  locusts gain a +5 species bonus on Fortitude saves to 
  negate the effects of massive damage.
  Sonic Blast (Ex):  As a standard action a thunder 
  locust can generate a pulse of deafening sound to 
  affect everything within 40 ft of it.  This sonic blast 
  inﬂicts 4d6+4 points of sonic damage.  In addition, 
  a Fortitude save (DC 17) must be made or those 
  within the area of effect are dazed for 1d2 rounds.  
  Even if the save is made, those in the area of effect 
  are deafened for 1 hour.  Once this ability is used the 
  thunder locust must wait 1d4 rounds to use it again.
  Sonic Immunity (Ex):  Thunder locusts are 
  immune to sonic damage and sound-based effects.
  Skill Bonus:  Thunder locusts receive a +8 racial 
  bonus to Jump checks.
  Thunder Locust:  CR 4; Medium-size Vermin; 
  HD 3d8; HP 13; Mas 10; Init +2; Spd 40 ft, ﬂy 20 
  ft (poor); Defense 20, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 18 (+0 
  size, +2 Dex, +8 natural); BAB +2; Grap +4; Atk 
  +4 melee (1d4+2, slam); Full Atk +4 melee (1d4+2, 
  slam); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ keen sight, hive 
  mind, tremorsense, immunities, resistance to massive 
  damage, sonic blast, sonic immunity; AL Hive; SV 
  Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 
  14, Con 10, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Skills:  Jump +10, Listen +6, Spot +4.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  4-6 HD (Large).
  VARO BAT
  These abnormally large, furry bats are found 
  throughout the eastern reaches of the Necropolis, 
  where their species has managed to thrive despite 
  the suffocating presence of the Hive, a faction whose 
  very existence has driven many other creatures from 
  the ruins.  The varo bat manages to survive through 
  a unique evolutionary trait, having developed special 
  glands that secrete an unusual “musk” that seems 
  to overload the brains of Hive insects - effectively 
  making the varo bat completely invisible to their 
  senses.  Other creatures could conceivably harvest 
  this musk and use it to avoid bug sentries and patrols, 
  or even to inﬁltrate Hive bughills to save abducted 
  comrades...
  While they are openly hunted in other parts of 
  the Necropolis basin, the varo bat thrives in Hive 
  territory since here there are virtually no predators to 
  thin their numbers.
  A varo bat resembles a large bat, but with pinkish 
  membranes for wings and white, gray, or pink bodies 
  that are often mottled with warts and irregular 
  patches of discolored ﬂesh.  A varo bat’s entire head 
  resembles an elongated snout, apparently lacking any 
  eyes (though in reality two miniscule eyes do sit way 
  back on the animal’s head, usually hidden behind two 
  hooded, hairy lids).
  SPECIES TRAITS
  Varo bats have the following Traits:
  Blindsight (Ex):  Varo bats can “see” by emitting 
  high-frequency sounds, inaudible to most other 
  creatures, that allow them to locate objects and 
  creatures within 30 feet.  Ultrasonic noise forces 
  the varo bat to rely on its weak vision, which has a 
  maximum range of 5 feet.
  Musk (Ex):  Varo bats are completely invisible to 
  insectoid creatures of all kinds.  Varo bat musk can 
  be collected and re-used; a single bat’s glands have 
  enough musk to affect one Medium-sized creature, 
  but the musk loses potency 2d3 hours after being 
  extracted from the bat’s body.
  Skill Bonuses:  Varo bats receive a +4 species 
  bonus on Listen and Spot checks.  These bonuses are 
  lost if the varo bat’s blindsight is negated.
  
  269
  Vapors (Ex):  A varo bat lair often contains 
  explosive methane vapors created by the 
  accumulation of guano.  An exposed ﬂame has a 1 in 
  4 chance of igniting such a pocket, which explodes 
  as an area effect equal to the size of the lair, inﬂicting 
  1d6 points of ﬁre damage per 10 ft of space ignited 
  (Reﬂex save DC 15 for half damage).  For example, 
  igniting a 30 ft by 30 ft cave ﬁlled with varo bat 
  guano would inﬂict 9d6 points of damage to everyone 
  within.
  Varo Bat:  CR 1/10; Diminutive mutated animal; 
  HD 1/4d8; HP 1; Mas 10; Init +2; Spd 5 ft, ﬂy 40 
  ft (good); Defense 16, touch 16, ﬂat-footed 14 (+4 
  size, +2 Dex); BAB +0; Grap -17; Atk none; Full Atk 
  none; FS 1 ft by 1 ft; Reach 0 ft; SQ blindsight 30 ft, 
  musk, vapors; AL none; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2; 
  AP +0; Rep +0; Str 1, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, 
  Cha 4.
  Skills:  Listen +9, Move Silently +6, Spot +9.
  Feats:  None.
  Advancement:  None.
  NEW TREASURE 
  TABLES
  Various encounter areas in the 
  Necropolis call for random rolls to 
  determine the treasure the PCs ﬁnd while searching.  
  No less than seventeen categories of generic treasure 
  are cited in this book:  Junk, Useful Stuff, Clothing, 
  Consumables, Lost Knowledge, Juju, Simple Food, 
  Trade Goods, “Magic” Items, Survival Gear, Scav 
  Attire, Armor, Civilian Weapons, Military Weapons, 
  Rare Military Weapons, Vehicle Contents, and Dead 
  Bodies.
  For Junk, Useful Stuff, Clothing, Consumables, 
  Lost Knowledge, and Juju, use the tables presented 
  in the RPGObjects GM supplement “Scav Swag”; 
  this useful resource presents a more than adequate 
  selection of random ﬁnds that are suitable for the 
  Necropolis.
  For Simple Food, Trade Goods, “Magic” Items, 
  Survival Gear, and Scav Attire, use the tables 
  presented under Survivors In The Necropolis (a 
  separate chapter in this sourcebook intended to help 
  players make characters from the Necropolis).
  The categories of Armor, Civilian Weapons, 
  Military Weapons, Rare Military Weapons, 
  Vehicle Contents, and Dead Bodies are new to the 
  Necropolis.  The ﬁrst four reﬂect the fact that a great 
  deal of ﬁghting during the Fall took place in the 
  city.  As such, many of these ancient artifacts still 
  lay where they were dropped, or where their owners 
  were killed during the Final War.  Vehicle Contents 
  is a generic table intended to allow the quick 
  generation of ﬁnds in old civilian cars, trucks, etc. 
  (police cars and ambulances have their own “treasure 
  tables”).  Finally, Dead Bodies is intended to allow 
  you to generate the contents of a given corpse on the 
  street, but the items on this table are generally quite 
  common ﬁnds, and possess little value.
  Tables for determining ﬁnds of these types are 
  included below.
  TABLE 12: ARMOR
  Armor ranges from uniforms to actual protective 
  gear.  Use this table to determine what the corpses 
  of dead soldiers might be wearing, or for other rare 
  ﬁnds.
  FOR EASE OF REFERENCE
  Just for ease of reference, the treasure tables in this book are listed in sequence after those presented in 
  Scav’s Swag, as follows:
  Table No. 
  Type 
   
   
  Table No. 
  Type
  Table 1  
  Junk [SS] 
   
  Table 10  
  Survival Gear
  Table 2  
  Useful Stuff [SS]  
  Table 11  
  Scav Attire
  Table 3  
  Clothing [SS] 
   
  Table 12  
  Armor
  Table 4  
  Consumables [SS] 
  Table 13  
  Civilian Weapons
  Table 5  
  Lost Knowledge [SS] 
  Table 14  
  Military Weapons
  Table 6  
  Juju [SS] 
   
  Table 15  
  Rare Military Weapons
  Table 7  
  Simple Food 
   
  Table 16  
  Vehicle Contents
  Table 8  
  Trade Goods 
   
  Table 17  
  Dead Bodies
  Table 9  
  “Magic” Items
  
  270
  Roll
  Item
  01-03
  Riot shield
  04-05
  Large shield - ﬁreman’s portable ﬁre 
  barrier; as large shield with ﬁre resistance 
  10
  06-08
  Camo fatigues - no protective value
  09-11
  Camo fatigues, with web belt; belt pouch 
  contains 1d2 fully-charged power clips
  12-14
  Camo fatigues, with web belt; belt pouch 
  contains gas mask
  15-17
  Camo fatigues, with web belt; belt pouch 
  contains 1d2 ready syringes with 50% 
  chance of stimshot A and 50% chance of 
  antitox
  18-20
  Silvery nylon bodysuit; ﬁeld scientist’s 
  worksuit - no protective value
  21-23
  Leather jacket with spikes, studs, and 
  chains, with large gang symbol displayed 
  prominently on back
  24-26
  Easily-concealed civilian model kevlar 
  vest - light undercover shirt
  27-29
  “Urban Protector”-brand pull-up pouch 
  vest
  30-32
  Police-issue concealable vest for 
  undercover work
  33-35
  Police-issue undercover vest
  36-38
  Camouﬂaged light-duty vest
  39-41
  Police-issue light-duty vest
  42-44
  WWII-era ﬂak jacket - tactical vest
  45-47
  Police-issue tactical vest
  48-49
  Heavy vest with “SWAT” stenciled on 
  back - special response vest
  50-51
  Heavy vest with “ATF” stenciled on back 
  - special response vest
  52-53
  Full-body armor with “SWAT” stenciled 
  on back - forced entry unit
  54-55
  Metal armor covered in gang symbols, 
  feathers, and other primitive fetishes - 
  advanced metal armor
  56-57
  White metal armor (Foundationists 
  symbols) - advanced metal armor
  58-59
  Metal harness belt - energy shield A
  60-61
  Metal harness belt - magnetic shield A
  62-63
  Glossy and shiny metal armor - lazab 
  armor
  64-66
  Standard-issue police patrol armor - civil 
  security suit
  67-68
  Private corporate security body armor - 
  civil security suit
  69-70
  Industrial acid-resistant coveralls - treat 
  as NBC suit without NBC protection, but 
  with acid resistance 10
  71-72
  Airﬁeld ﬁre crew’s ﬁreproof suit - treat 
  as NBC suit without NBC protection, but 
  with ﬁre resistance 10
  73-74
  NBC suit - military issue with urban 
  camouﬂage
  75-76
  Environment suit - civilian suit; no internal 
  oxygen supply but features an attachment 
  for building-size air systems
  77-78
  Full-body armor with “SWAT” stenciled 
  on back - special security suit
  79-80
  Full-body armor with “Bomb Squad” 
  stenciled on back - special security suit
  81-84
  Military combat suit with empty pistol 
  holster
  85-88
  Military combat suit with pistol holster 
  containing a laser pistol with a full power 
  clip
  89-92
  Military combat suit with pistol holster 
  containing a gauss pistol with a full clip 
  and power clip
  93-96
  Military combat suit with power beltpack 
  - random charge
  97-98
  Clear plastic body armor - plastex
  99
  Unidentiﬁable jumble of parts; 
  disassembled Mk I Ares powered armor 
  - Repair check DC 30 + 650 cp in raw 
  materials to ﬁx
  00
  Unidentiﬁable jumble of parts; 
  disassembled Mk I Hermes powered scout 
  armor - Repair check DC 30 + 650 cp in 
  raw materials to ﬁx
  TABLE 13: CIVILIAN WEAPONS
  All civilian weapons have a 25% chance of being 
  found with 1 full box of ammunition (or in the case 
  of powered weapons, the smallest size power source 
  needed to power it).
  Roll
  Item
  01-04
  Beretta 92F
  05-06
  Calico M100
  07-08
  Colt Double Eagle
  09-12
  Colt M1911
  13-14
  Colt Python
  15-16
  Dart pistol
  
  271
  17-18
  Derringer
  19-20
  Desert Eagle
  21-22
  FA Casull
  23-26
  Glock 17
  27-28
  Glock 20
  29-30
  Hand stunner
  31-34
  Ingram MAC10
  35-38
  Pathﬁnder
  39-43
  Ruger Service-Six
  44-45
  S&W M29
  46-47
  SITES M9
  48-49
  Stun pistol
  50-53
  TEC-9
  54-55
  Walther PPK
  56-57
  AR-7 Explorer
  58-59
  Beretta M3P
  60-61
  Browning BPS
  62-63
  Calico Liberty 50
  64-65
  Dart riﬂe
  66-67
  M1 Garand [B&L]
  68-69
  M1903 Springﬁeld [B&L]
  70-71
  M4 Carbine
  72-74
  Mossberg
  75-76
  Remington 700
  77-78
  Remington 1100 [B&L]
  79-80
  Remington Streetsweeper
  81-84
  Sawed-off shotgun
  85-88
  Uzi
  89-90
  Winchester 94
  91-92
  Sentinel-6 [R&U]
  93-94
  Dynaco DMP-500 [R&U]
  95-96
  TechSport R-13 [R&U]
  97-98
  TechSport PR-23 [R&U]
  99-00
  Freedom-56 [R&U]
  TABLE 14:  MILITARY WEAPONS
  All military weapons have only a 10% chance of 
  being found with 1 full box of ammunition (or in the 
  case of powered weapons, the smallest size power 
  source needed to power it).
  Roll
  Item
  01-03
  GSh-18
  04-06
  Maser pistol
  07-09
  MP-443 Grach
  10-12
  PSM
  13-15
  Sa.23
  16-18
  Skorpion
  19-22
  AK-47
  23-26
  AKS [B&L]
  27-29
  AN-94
  30-32
  Barrett Light Fifty
  33-36
  Bizon
  37-39
  Bushmaster M-17S
  40-42
  Dazzle riﬂe
  43-45
  FN P-90
  46-48
  HK CAWS
  49-52
  HK G-3
  53-56
  HK MP5
  57-59
  HK MP5K
  60-62
  HK PSG1
  63-65
  Jackhammer Mk3A1
  66-69
  M16A2
  70-73
  M4 Carbine
  74-76
  Maser riﬂe
  77-80
  OC-14 Groza
  81-84
  QBZ-95
  85-87
  Ruger MP-9
  88-90
  Steyr ACR
  91-93
  Steyr AUG
  94-96
  Steyr IWS-2000
  97-00
  VSS Vintorez
  TABLE 15:  RARE MILITARY WEAPONS
  All rare military weapons have only a 10% chance of 
  being found with 1 full box of ammunition (or in the 
  case of powered weapons, the smallest size power 
  source needed to power it).
  Roll
  Item
  01-04
  Chainsword
  05-07
  Energy pike
  08-10
  Power sword
  11-13
  Shock gloves
  14-16
  Power Axe [F/MG]
  17-19
  Blaster
  20-22
  Flame pistol
  23-26
  Gauss pistol
  27-30
  Gauss submachinegun
  31-34
  Laser pistol
  35-37
  Plasma pistol
  38-40
  Atom gun
  
  272
  41-43
  Electro-saw thrower
  44-46
  EMP riﬂe
  47-50
  Gauss automatic riﬂe
  51-54
  Gauss riﬂe
  55-57
  HPM riﬂe
  58-60
  Infra-red riﬂe
  61-63
  Ion ray
  64-67
  Laser riﬂe
  68-70
  Meson cannon
  71-74
  Pulse laser riﬂe
  75-76
  Ramjet riﬂe
  77-78
  Sonic riﬂe - NLW
  79-80
  Sonic riﬂe B
  81-82
  UH radiation riﬂe
  83-84
  X-Laser
  85-86
  LSV [F/MG]
  87-88
  LV-94 [F/MG]
  89-90
  PSV-99 [F/MG]
  91-92
  DMP-2000 [R&U]
  93-94
  Patriot Systems & Tech PST-30P [R&U]
  95-96
  Patriot Systems & Tech PST-2010 [R&U]
  97-98
  EnTech M-20 [R&U]
  99-00
  EnTech M-50 [R&U]
  TABLE 16:  VEHICLE CONTENTS
  Sometimes it will be necessary to determine the 
  contents of an abandoned vehicle.  Use this table in 
  just such a case.
  Note that not every abandoned vehicle will warrant 
  a roll on this table.  In fact, you may limit one roll on 
  this table for every 10-50 vehicles encountered.
  Roll
  Item
  01-03
  Road ﬂares - 1d4 in number
  04-05
  Penlight ﬂashlight
  06-07
  Camera - with 1 roll of ﬁlm (roll 1-50 
  disposable, 51-75 35mm, 76-00 digital)
  08-09
  Trunk full of discount clothing - 2d4 
  complete sets
  10-11
  Trunk full of cigarette cartons - 240 
  cigarettes total (10 cp each)
  12-13
  Rosary
  14-16
  1d100 coins, random kinds - between seat 
  cushions
  17-18
  Stolen bags of money from pre-Fall bank 
  heist - $500,000 in cash
  19-20
  Dog/cat carrying cage
  21-22
  Leopard-skin seat covers
  23-25
  Fuzzy dice
  26-28
  Baby seat
  29-30
  Bobble-head ﬁgurine
  31-32
  Virgin Mary statue
  33-34
  Cartons of rotted food - 1d10 in number
  35-36
  Trunk full of newspapers
  37-38
  Child’s stuffed animal
  39-40
  Zebra-striped seat covers
  41-42
  Cigarette lighter
  43-44
  Thermos
  45-47
  Sunglasses - with case
  48-49
  Tire repair kit
  50-52
  Spare tire
  53-55
  Car jack, manual
  56-57
  C.B. radio
  58-59
  Basic mechanical toolkit
  60-62
  First aid kit
  63-65
  Standard ﬂashlight
  66-68
  Pack of 2d4 cigarettes
  69-70
  Spare 5-gallon can of gasoline - full
  71-73
  Spare 5-gallon can of gasoline - empty
  74-75
  Garden tools - 1d3 assorted tools
  76-79
  Chemical light sticks - 2d3 in number
  80-82
  Emergency blankets - 1d2 in number
  83-84
  Cardboard box containing 2d3 cans of 
  preserved food
  85-86
  Cardboard box containing 2d3 ready 
  meals
  87-88
  Cardboard box containing 2d10 1-liter 
  bottles of water
  89-91
  Random Civilian Weapon concealed in 
  glove compartment or trunk - w/one box 
  ammunition
  92-93
  Trunk full of stolen electronics (1 TV, 
  1d2 VCRs, 1d3 DVD players)
  94-95
  Trunk full of sealed plastic bags - 1d100 
  hits of marijuana
  96-97
  Mapbook - map of local city
  98-00
  Identity card (roll 1-75 stage IC, 76-00 
  stage IIC)
  TABLE 17:  DEAD BODIES
  Players will want to ﬁnd something on the dead, and 
  you can’t get away with saying “every corpse has 
  been looted” forever.  This table is intended to allow 
  you to quickly generate the contents of pockets, 
  purses, etc. on a typical dead body.
  
  273
  Note that not every dead body will warrant a roll 
  on this table.  In fact, you may limit one roll on this 
  table for every 50-100 corpses/skeletons encountered.
  Roll
  Item
  01-04
  Wallet - contains 1d100 dollars, badly 
  rotted
  05-08
  Wallet - empty
  09-12
  Pocket change - 1d20 coins
  13-14
  Loaded dice - 1d2 in number
  15-17
  Handbag or purse - contains 1d3 other rolls 
  on this table
  18-21
  Key chain with 1d6 keys
  22-25
  Wristwatch - broken and unrepairable
  26-27
  Pocket mirror
  28-29
  Gold tooth
  30-31
  Necklace w/locket
  32-34
  Necklace
  35-38
  1d2 earrings
  39-40
  Fancy ring
  41-44
  Wedding band
  45-46
  Rusted bracelet
  47-48
  Walkie-talkie - professional
  49-50
  Lipstick tube
  51-52
  Concealed weapon - random pistol, rusted 
  and unrepairable
  53-55
  Rusted pocket knife
  56-57
  Rubber bands - 2d6 in number
  58-60
  Ballpoint pen - doesn’t write
  61-63
  Folded-up grocery list
  64-66
  Hand-written directions - leads somewhere 
  in city (GM’s discretion where)
  67-69
  Monogrammed handkerchief
  70-71
  Broken hand stunner - unrepairable
  72-73
  Unsmoked joint
  74-75
  Hearing aid with half power cell
  76-78
  Pair of eyeglasses
  79-80
  Nail ﬁle
  81-84
  Pack of cigarettes - 1d4 in number (10 cp 
  each)
  85-88
  Cigarette lighter - 1d4-1 uses left
  89-92
  Cell phone - dead power cell
  93-94
  High-pitched dog whistle - keeps normal 
  dogs at bay for 1 rnd when blown as 
  standard action
  95-97
  Brass knuckles
  98-00
  Blackjack (treat as slungshot [B&L])
  USE YOUR CREATIVITY
  The treasure tables presented here are relatively short 
  compared to the ones in Scav’s Swag.  To prevent 
  the re-occurrence of the same items over and over 
  again, if you roll the same item twice either move 
  the result up or down one step, taking the next item 
  instead, or simply replace that ﬁnd with one of your 
  own creation.  In this way the tables serve only as a 
  preliminary source of ﬁnds, but become endless as 
  you add your own artifacts to the list of possibilities.
  
  274
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  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original 
  material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based 
  on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, 
  Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  The Ruin At The End Of The World, Copyright 2006, RPGObjects; Author 
  Dominic Covey
  OPEN GAMING CONTENT
  Designation of Product Identity: The following terms are designated as 
  product identity as outline in section 1(a) of the Open Gaming License: 
  Darwin’s Word, Twisted Earth, Denizens of the Twisted Earth, Terrors of the 
  Twisted Earth, Artifacts of the Ancients, Cave of Life, Benders, Brethren, 
  Brotherhood of Radiation, The Cartel, Children of the Metal Gods, Clean 
  Water Clans, Far Traders, Enthropist, The Foundationist, The Movement, 
  Paradise Believers, Ravagers, The Savants, Doomriders, Brethren Follower, 
  Brotherhood of Radiation, Foundationist Paladin, Sister of the Desert, Willy 
  World, Abberant, Black Hand, Blessed Ladies, Children of Adam, Coiled 
  Dragon, Geek Squad, Ghouls, Guardsmen, Swarm, Highwayman, Horse 
  Clans, Hospitlars, Howlcats, Learned, Mariners, Militiamen, Nyr Men, 
  Pariah, White Knight.
  Designation of Open Gaming Content: The following sections of The Ruin 
  At The End Of The World are designated as open gaming content except 
  for terms deﬁned as product identity above.  All illustrations, pictures, and 
  diagrams are Product identity and property of RPGObjects™.
  The Introduction: Closed Content
  The Reaches, Dead City, The Hive, LA Harbor, Pasadena, Domain of the 
  Flesh Eaters, Domain of the Broken Ones, Enclave of the Lost Children 
  of Man, Downtown, Sewers, Factions of the Necropolis, Random 
  Encounters Sections:  NPC and Creature static blocks are open content.  
  The new rules sidebars are open content.  The remaining text is closed 
  content.  
  Radio Messages: All text is Closed Content
  Generic Stat Blocks: All text is Open Content
  New Creatures: Creature descriptions are Closed Content.  The creature 
  traits and stat blocks are Open Content.
  New Treasure Tables: All text is Open Content.
  
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