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  WWW.DARWINRPG.COM
  by Dominic Covey
  Editor: Chris Davis
  Additional Editing:  Charles Rice, 
  Wayne Tonjes, John Shaw
  Cover Art: Dominic Covey
  Interior Art: Dominic Covey
  Layout: Chris Davis
  Playtesters: 
  Kevin Milhoan, Mladen Spasic, Sergey Kushch, Percy 
  Snyder, Will Nichols, Alex Kashyrin, Chris Covey, 
  Jake Schwab, Mike Guild, Andrew Ma, Murat Beydere, 
  Charles Baize, Chris Derner, Chris Hoover, Ryan 
  KellEy, CHARLES RICE, Ethan Ripplinger, John Shaw, 
  Aaron Wiggins
  
  2
  The Cave of Life
  Introduction
  The Cave of Life is a complete adventure setting 
  for the post-holocaust role-playing game, Darwin’s 
  World.  The adventure is set in the abandoned remains 
  of an old missile silo, ostensibly somewhere along 
  the fringes of the Grass Plains region, or somewhat 
  further north, perhaps in the Forbidden Lands - though 
  the game master (GM) may certainly set it anywhere 
  that is more convenient to his current campaign.
  Background
  The Cave of Life is meant to be an introductory 
  module, a good starting point for beginning a 
  campaign in Darwin’s World.  It briefly introduces the 
  players as members of a “primitive desert tribe”, on 
  a quest to prove their worth as warriors by entering 
  the fabled Cave of Life, in search of water for their 
  struggling community.  Should they prove able, they 
  will find the legendary water source as directed.  Once 
  they have secured the success of their mission, they 
  may become adventurous and continue to explore the 
  “cave”, though what they find deep within its recesses 
  may be more nightmarish then they ever imagined!
  Alternatively, The Cave of Life can serve as a base 
  of operations, a refuge, or for any other purpose the 
  players might come up with should they eventually 
  take it over as their own.
  Here are some other ways of introducing the player 
  characters to the old silo:
  The New Home
  An increase in raider activity, a prophesized era of 
  increased radioactivity in the area, or perhaps in 
  preparation for an exceptionally harsh nuclear winter, 
  the characters’ tribe has decided to abandon its old 
  village and find a new home - in the caves.  The 
  young, valiant PCs are called upon to delve into the 
  dark recesses of the fabled caves, map it thoroughly, 
  and document (and possibly destroy) any dangers they 
  find on their excursion.  The hope of the tribe is to 
  find the legendary water supply there intact, as well as 
  enough rooms and subterranean chambers to house the 
  entire community – to become a new “home”.  If they 
  can manage to get the old air filtration systems up and 
  running again, the caves could conceivably be used on 
  an indefinite basis - a permanent refuge for the tribe!
  The Impending Doom  
  Alternatively, the caves could be used separately 
  - not involving a “tribe’ at all.  Here is an example 
  - the characters, hounded by a pack of exceptionally 
  savage and well-armed raiders, must search for a 
  place to hide and find the “caves” in the process.  
  Unfortunately, they discover their would-be hideout 
  poses even more dangers!  The PCs soon realize that 
  they could conceivably retreat into the recesses of the 
  caves, playing cat-and-mouse on the foolishly-brazen 
  raiders who sloppily enter the complex in search of 
  them - leading them into traps, hazardous areas, etc.  
  This optional method of playing The Cave of Life has 
  the potential to be one of the most exciting.
  Hotel Hell  
  This optional setting puts a twist on the typical “find-
  shelter adventure”.  The characters, wandering the 
  wastes, see a radiation storm on the horizon, miles 
  high in the sky.  Knowing they cannot stay out in 
  the open to face the storm (the rain alone would eat 
  away their flesh), they find shelter by entering the old 
  abandoned silo.  As the storm swarms overhead, they 
  realize they will be here for perhaps days, and set out 
  to explore the complex.  Returning from a certain 
  venture, they find much of their foodstuffs gone, and 
  supplies ransacked, and the telltale signs of numerous 
  intruders.  They are not alone - another group has 
  taken shelter here from the storm as well.  To their 
  horror, they find that the group is actually a pack of 
  hideous ghouls, who have followed their scent into the 
  silo.  Unable to leave because of the acidic storm, they 
  are forced to either hunt the ghouls down and take 
  them out, or be picked off one by one by the stealthy 
  fiends.
  The Cave of Life is especially ideal as an introductory 
  adventure, both because of its introductory beginning 
  (that is, the characters are partaking of their first 
  journey outside the tribe’s domain), as well as the 
  relatively low amount of artifacts and dangerous 
  creatures within.  Although no less a challenge to 
  accomplish, The Cave of Life is not likely to kill off 
  the characters or put them in a position where they are 
  incredibly powerful too soon in the campaign.
  You will notice that the actual task of retrieving 
  the water is relatively easy - if the PCs are able 
  to recognize where it’s located.  However, this is 
  intentional - no community would send its future 
  warriors off to certain death, as this would mean a 
  very low number of warriors indeed!  Instead, the PCs 
  should be encouraged by the ease of finding the water 
  cache and motivated to explore the complex for a 
  greater challenge.
  
  3
  The Cave of Life
  Players Introduction
  The Caves
  The legendary “Cave Of Life” has long been a part 
  of the local mythology and folklore; though its true 
  purpose has been lost to antiquity.  It is known, 
  however, that The Cave of Life was once a place 
  of great importance and secrecy in the times of the 
  Ancients (though again, no one knows exactly why), 
  and hence the mystery and fear surrounding it even 
  today.
  This fear, embedded in the minds of even the hard 
  desert raiders, has not been lost on the locals.  As a 
  part of their rites of manhood, when an adolescent 
  member of the tribe is to become a warrior in the eyes 
  of his people, he is sent to The Cave of Life to retrieve 
  no less than four flasks of water from its legendary 
  limitless source of water.
  This source of fresh clean water has long been 
  known, and was first exploited generations ago by 
  the tribesmen who braved this harsh and hazardous 
  region.  But they have also known, from time 
  immemorial, that strange dangers and creatures dwell 
  beneath the earth in The Cave of Life.
  Thus the characters find themselves arrayed in the 
  desert, under the hot setting sun.  Before them runs 
  an ancient cement pathway - a road - overgrown and 
  half-lost to the shifting sands.  The elders inform them 
  that this lost road will lead them to The Cave of Life, 
  where they will either find their destiny as warriors ... 
  or as victims to the dangers of the Ancients.
  The Cave of Life is, in fact, the remnants of 
  an ancient Titan I missile silo somewhere in the 
  American Midwest - now a vast desert of immense 
  proportions that stretches on (nearly) for eternity.  
  During the great cataclysm, the silo expended its salvo 
  of missiles and was itself bombed, but survived very 
  much intact.  Abandoned due to high radiation from 
  the attacks, the silo was forgotten until long after 
  mankind vanished as the dominant race on the planet.
  Since then, various groups have come and gone.  
  The silo was sometimes used as a temporary shelter 
  by passing wanderers, raiders, or caravans.  None 
  stayed long, and few cared to return, for rumors 
  persist that strange mutated creatures and other 
  dangers persist.
  Despite this, the old silo hides many treasures 
  that would be priceless in the wasteland, not the 
  least of which is the vast supply of drinkable water 
  that still remains in the complex from the times of 
  the Ancients.  This supply of water, and other odd 
  artifacts which are often discovered now and then, 
  have attracted the attention of the player characters’ 
  tribe ... among others.
  About The Caves
  There are a few notes that the GM should be aware 
  of about the construction and nature of the “caves”.  
  Since it was designed to hold a large amount of staff 
  for long periods of time, and to resist nuclear attack, 
  you should be aware of several vital things:
  Indestructibility.  All pipes, whether electrical, 
  hydraulic, etc, are mounted on spring mounts to allow 
  them great flexibility during seismic events.  This 
  prevented the silo from suffering damage during 
  natural tremors, as well as during bombings or direct 
  nuclear attack (it would prevent pipes from being 
  torn from their grounding).  It also prevents much of 
  the silo from collapsing despite its tremendous age.  
  Only massive shock and tremors (not even interior 
  explosions) are likely to cause a cave-in or collapse.
  Ventilation Shafts.  Nearly every room in the silo is 
  connected to the complex’s air filter, through a series 
  of tunnels and vents that hover just above every room.  
  All vents lead back to the filter, and are just three feet 
  in diameter.  It is conceivable that a character could 
  navigate these tunnels, but it would require crawling 
  the whole way.  As these were used solely for 
  ventilation purposes, no garbage or refuse will block 
  these access ways.
  Graffiti.  Graffiti has been scrawled nearly 
  everywhere on the interior of the silo - doors, 
  doorways, ladders, stairs.  Apparently the silo was 
  used and struck during the Great War, but through the 
  years desert scavengers and passing wanderers have 
  ventured into the place to explore.  The fate of the 
  writers, however, can only be guessed at, and most 
  The deserts of the post-holocaust world are a 
  dangerous place, where fresh water is scarce 
  and men brave enough to defend it even scarcer.  
  Storms of radiated wind, blights lasting years, 
  and the savage bands of mutated raiders - often 
  well equipped - are just some of the hazards that 
  threaten to squelch good men and communities 
  from rising from the ashes to find a new future.
  You and your fellows are a group of youths 
  who have been raised in a small desert 
  community in the wasteland.  You have seen 
  the efforts and toil of your forefathers to build 
  this small community into a hopeful future, and 
  you have lived well among the others behind 
  the adobe walls of your desert home.  Yet the 
  time comes when you and your friends, nearing 
  adulthood, will be required to pass the rite of 
  manhood that all warriors and heroes of your tribe 
  have taken since ages past.
  You must travel to the infamous Cave of Life, 
  and retrieve water from the endless supply said 
  to be hidden deep within the complex’s many 
  twisting caves.  You must brave the dangers of 
  the cave, its rumored denizens, and bring back at 
  least four full waterskins to your community so 
  that you can take your place among the worthy.
  
  4
  The Cave of Life
  messages are illegible due to time and decay (though 
  the GM may decide to devise messages or writings 
  that may have significance, should he be so creative).
  Flooding.  Invariably, the silo has flooded over time 
  in some places with natural groundwater.  This water 
  is generally not drinkable (to do so would result in 
  low-grade chemical contamination), is cold, and very 
  dark.  Anything living in a body of water in the silo is 
  unlikely to be noticed until it swims very close to the 
  surface.
  Powerless.  Unless otherwise stated, the power in 
  the complex has shut down (though the complex’s 
  main power source, located beneath the silo itself in 
  a series of unreachable tunnels, is still operating) and 
  computers, devices, and light systems will not work.
  Searching.  Searching any given stretch of tunnel or 
  room (Search DC 20), in addition to artifacts referred 
  to in the room description, will turn up one item on 
  the following table (roll randomly).
  Obviously, none of the items found are of 
  immediate value to the PCs, though industrious 
  players may surprise you and find feasible uses.
  Keyed Encounters (Area A-W)
  Entrance to the cave is accomplished through a single 
  portal at the cavern’s summit, an ancient hatchway 
  leading to the ruins of the installation above – all 
  but blasted flat by war, time, and the elements.  This 
  installation, completely gone now, nonetheless hides 
  the cave entrance, area A.
  A. Cave Entrance.
  This is the ancient hatchway that leads into The Cave 
  of Life - the characters roughly recognize it from 
  the descriptions of past warriors and heroes of their 
  tribe, all of whom are now near legendary.  The main 
  entrance, wherever it may have once lain, is now lost 
  in sand (see map), as are the main elevator doors (see 
  below).  This single hatch, ominous in its loneliness 
  among the ruins, is apparently the only way in.
  Characters searching (DC 12) the area around the 
  hatch find the signs of past visits; an old campfire, its 
  fire logs lost to time; stone rubble with bare twisted 
  stone skeletal structuring peeking out from the sand 
  and reaching into the sky.  On a few of these stony 
  guardians can be seen graffiti, recent and old; a Search 
  check (DC 10) notices a familiar name (some past 
  figure many of the youngsters looked up to in their 
  tribe, before vanishing on his trial of manhood), 
  proclaiming he made it this far and was now entering 
  the Cave by the will of the Gods.  It is a chilling 
  reminder that he was never seen again.
  GM’s Note - The distant “pillars” are in fact the old 
  ventilation ducts that rose fifteen feet or so off the 
  ground (to prevent ground clutter from clogging them) 
  all over the site.  They are only a few inches wide 
  here, however, and so there is no chance of entering 
  through these musty ducts.  In addition, sand and dust 
  have clogged them over the decades, and thus they 
  provide little ventilation whatsoever.
  Roll
  Silo Finds
  1
  2d6 asbestos-lined 10’x1’ wiring pipes (worth 10 cp each).
  2
  Smashed computer console, roughly 3’x2’x5’ (worthless).
  3
  Wooden spool containing 2d100 yards of copper wiring (worth 2 cp per 20 yards).
  4
  Collection of 2d4 heavy-duty springs and coils (worthless).
  5
  Small box containing 2d12 replacement computer light bulbs (worth 2 cp each).
  6
  Box containing 2d4 replacement ceiling light bulbs (worth 15 cp each).
  7
  Pile of rubbish; 1d3 aluminum cans and other junk (worthless).
  8
  1d6 3’x0.5’ lead pipes (worth 5 cp each).
  9
  Pile of rusted and useless hydraulic machine parts (worthless).
  10
  Scavenged computer console minus screen, certain keys, etc (worth 50 cp).
  Following the words of your elders, half 
  concealed in deep spiritual poetry and deceptive 
  metaphors, you have at last found what must be 
  the entrance to the legendary Cave of Life.  Here, 
  the flat level expanse of nothingness suddenly 
  gives way to isolated bumps and rises, as if the 
  sands themselves were acting to hide some secret 
  just beneath their surface.  A few hundred paces 
  up ahead, silhouetted by the rays of the dying 
  sun, can be seen distant metal “pillars”, perhaps 
  fifteen feet high or so, jutting from the sand in the 
  distance.
  Nearby, amid the circle of rubble where the 
  wind cannot groom the sand completely flat, the 
  observant among you spot something of quieting 
  wonder – a section of cracked stone, cleared of 
  sand, at the center of which lies a huge “hatch” 
  of thick metal, almost as large as a man.  Jammed 
  open by thick flakes of age-old rust on its heavy 
  iron hinges, it seems to beckon your approach 
  with an almost “malevolent” impatience.
  This surely must be The Cave of Life.
  
  5
  The Cave of Life
  B. Entranceway.
  The outer entry chambers to the silo number three 
  separate “rooms”.  The shaft the PCs enter by is 
  actually the old emergency hatchway, which is 
  a narrow concrete tunnel with a rusted but intact 
  ladder running down its length to the small circular 
  room beneath – nearly forty feet, vertically.  Narrow 
  passages lead from each of these garbage-filled, 
  empty rooms to area C (area C being the third of the 
  rooms).
  The furthest chamber (formerly the main stairway), 
  set deeper down and into the rock, has all but 
  collapsed.  Dust from the desert outside manages to 
  powder the clammy floor here, causing footsteps to 
  echo with an odd crunching sound.  Inside, this final 
  chamber is completely black, the old placards on the 
  walls having decayed or faded into obscurity long ago. 
  The stairwell, which once connected to the surface via 
  a huge sliding concrete block, has rusted completely, 
  and is now buried under tons of collapsed concrete 
  and soil.  It is obvious there is no way to clear this 
  area.
   The central room, in which the PCs enter, is 
  likewise extensively damaged.  A huge block of thick, 
  cracked concrete has fallen down the tunnel and 
  obscured much of the final few feet of the shaft.  As 
  one descends by ladder, he must slide down the sloped 
  column of concrete to reach this level.  It is obvious 
  that leaving will not be easy. In fact, when the PCs 
  return, it requires a Climb check (DC 15) to scale back 
  up the smooth slab to reach the bottom rungs of the 
  shaft’s ladder.
  C. Elevator Shaft.
  The old “elevator” is merely an open cage that once 
  descended into the silo complex – for quick transport 
  of installation personnel.  A flight of stairs, in case 
  of emergencies (such as a power outage) leads along 
  the outside of the elevator, along the wall, as an 
  alternative method of descending the huge shaft.  The 
  actual elevator itself is enclosed in a metal cage, so 
  there is no danger of falling over the railing to one’s 
  death, but the elevator has long ceased to function. It 
  remains firmly in place at the top of the shaft, at the 
  landing leading to the entry chambers.  Thus, the stairs 
  must be used to enter the complex.
  Passage up and down the stairs is a precarious 
  undertaking, even for the nimble of foot, requiring 
  yet another Climb check (DC 10).  Any character 
  failing slips, trips, or simply falls straight through a 
  rusted section of stairs.  The fall deals 3d6 damage 
  and the unfortunate PC will need to swim to reach the 
  walkway at the bottom.
  If the characters mention that their characters 
  look up from the top platform, they will be able to 
  see up the elevator shaft to the huge concrete doors 
  high above, firmly closed (and buried under tons of 
  sand), with heavy rusted cables dangling downwards 
  like vines in a metal jungle.  These doors were once 
  capable of opening the passage of the elevator to the 
  silo surface, where large amounts of personnel or 
  other equipment could be loaded for quicker transport 
  to the levels below.
  These doors are now permanently shut (the 
  machinery used to open them has long rusted shut), 
  and far too heavy for even tons of sand and rubble to 
  punch through.
  D. Blast Doors.
  A narrow shaft, made of some remarkably smooth 
  stone – no doubt worked by some unknown hand 
  - descends into the cold darkness below.  One by 
  one you descend on old iron rungs set straight 
  into the stone, aware of the growing blackness 
  and increasing chill.
  Finally, at the bottom, you find what appears to 
  be a series of small empty chambers, each filled 
  with dust and accumulated debris - bits of stone, 
  rotted trash, and bundles of wiring, piping, and 
  twisted iron bars fused in some great catastrophe 
  long, long ago.
  Your footsteps echo eerily into the darkness, 
  but there is a slight comfort – a comfort in 
  knowing that past heroes of your people once 
  passed this way as well in search of the cave’s 
  eternal source of water.
  The cold and unfeeling silence of concrete has 
  given way to an even colder and more menacing 
  nothingness.  A metal platform sits here, ringed 
  by a slender, weakened railing of rusted iron, over 
  the edge of which you can only see plummeting 
  darkness with seemingly no end – up or down.  A 
  small set of rusted stairs appears to descend into 
  pitch blackness as well, running along the insides 
  of the inner wall - from this height, with your 
  meager lights (torch or lantern), your eyes can 
  barely see the level below where the stairs level 
  off, but you cannot make out any distinct features.
  Your long descent into darkness, though 
  precarious and terrifying, has finally come to an 
  end at the great central shaft’s end.  But the area 
  at the bottom of the rickety iron stairs is no less 
  cold and lifeless as the chambers above.  What 
  few lights you have illuminate the open metal 
  elevator shaft that continues on down past this 
  area as well into more darkness below. A careful 
  look over the edge shows a calm, black water has 
  filled up the shaft nearly to this level, and there is 
  no telling what lies further down the flooded shaft 
  
  6
  The Cave of Life
  The bottom of the shaft’s emergency stairs is a small 
  area where the old elevator could let off passengers/
  equipment before proceeding even further down 
  into the subterranean installation (most likely to old 
  maintenance or heavy machinery areas below).
  The characters will ultimately be able to take in 
  the whole entirety of this new area as they first come 
  into the place.  The stairs and the elevator shaft both 
  continue on past this point, but water has flooded the 
  rest of the shaft, making it impossible to continue that 
  way.
  At the bottom of the stairs (and at the bottom of 
  the elevator shaft) lie the main blast doors that lead 
  into the main silo complex.  The doors are each a foot 
  thick of solid steel, operated by hand wheels; luckily, 
  the doors remain open, bearing heavy damage as if the 
  doors were battered and the lock mechanism cut out 
  with a metal torch long ago.
  A single person can pass through the narrow 
  opening between the two jammed doors at a time.
  E. Entrance Tunnel.
  The entrance tunnel is the first hint that the “Cave Of 
  Life” is not what it seems - the tunnel is obviously 
  reinforced (but for some unknown reason), and 
  not some natural cavern complex as might have 
  previously been thought.  This place is ancient, older 
  than the PCs surely and perhaps even older than their 
  people...
  The open blast doors lead directly into the entrance 
  tunnel of the complex; as the PCs pass beyond the 
  doors, they see a main tunnel leading off in each 
  direction.
  underwater.  The stairs, too, continue on under 
  the murky water, slipping out of sight due to the 
  weakness of your lights.
  Along the surface of the walls of this area, you 
  find a small alcove; here stands a pair of truly 
  gigantic metal doors, each several feet larger than 
  the tallest man, with powerful hand wheels on the 
  outer surface on each door.  The metal surface of 
  the doors is marked by old graffiti from unknown 
  visitors to the caves, no doubt many of which are 
  decades old.
  Luckily, the massive metal doors stand 
  permanently ajar; beyond, only darkness can be 
  seen.
  Beyond the massive portals of steel lies a strange 
  tunnel, itself leading off into more unrelenting 
  darkness.  Each person present gets a strange 
  sense here, as if you have entered a place 
  long...forgotten.  Indeed, the very nature of the 
  tunnel seems strange to your unaccustomed eyes 
  - not at all like the naturally occurring caves you 
  have seen or heard of in the desert.
  This tunnel is oval in its bizarre shape, and 
  seems to actually be made of a corrugated metal 
  - heavily rusted, but easily differentiated from the 
  stone you expected to see.
  Trash, bits of fallen stone, and lengths of 
  discarded pipe lie everywhere.  Your first careless 
  footsteps echo through the eerie emptiness, 
  answered only by the gloomy sound of dripping 
  water in the distance.
  
  7
  The Cave of Life
  F. Water Tanks.
  running out.
  Retrieving the water from 
  the great cavernous tanks is 
  not a simple matter, however; 
  the mass of pipes is greatly 
  confusing, and getting the 
  water to pour freely requires 
  one of three checks; a Craft 
  (mechanics) check at DC 16, a 
  Knowledge (Technology) check 
  at DC 18, or an Intelligence 
  check at DC 20. If failed, 1d10 
  gallons from the underground 
  tanks will be lost, per round, 
  until an entirely separate check 
  can be passed to turn the flow 
  off (you may want to keep track 
  if you plan to use the silo as 
  part of a long-term campaign).
  If the skill check ends in a 
  critical failure (any natural roll 
  of 1), the PCs have somehow 
  managed to activate a backup 
  system that channels the water 
  supply towards the Fuel Silo to flood that area (in 
  case of fire); 1d10x10 gallons will be lost per round, 
  pouring uselessly into the Fuel Silo, until turned off.  
  This latter effect can be very hazardous, however, 
  as there will be no way to tell that this process is 
  happening (the water comes out a great distance away 
  in the complex, and may not even be detected at all).
  Any successful Knowledge (Technology) check 
  indicates the PCs have figured the water system out 
  and can fill their skins and canteens as needed.
  Much to your collective surprise, a large alcove 
  lies here off from the main tunnel.  Peering 
  within, holding up lamps and torches, you see a 
  series of old rusted pipes leading from the roof 
  to a pair of gigantic, black, cylindrical tanks set 
  straight into the metallic wall.
  Murky water and runny mud pools on the 
  ground at the base of these giant metal tanks, 
  while a trickle of ice-cold water can be seen 
  dripping from various points on the old wall 
  pipes.
  This must be the legendary wellspring of your 
  people!
  This is, in fact, the same legendary source of endless 
  water the PCs have heard of throughout their lives; all 
  the greatest warriors of the past and the tribe’s most 
  notable heroes came here as part of their own rites of 
  manhood, taking their fill of the fresh clean water here 
  and leaving The Cave of Life alive.
  Each of these giant black tanks are actually just the 
  exposed ends of two huge sunken water reservoirs 
  - originally containing some 30,000 gallons of fresh 
  water for the occupants of the silo during “lock-
  down”.  Over the years, the supply has moderately 
  decreased, of course (though the locals have no 
  idea of this; they believe the water to be virtually 
  endless) to around 38,000 gallons between them both.  
  Obviously, there is no immediate threat of the supply 
  
  8
  The Cave of Life
  G. Communications Tunnel.
  The communications tunnel leads from the main 
  junction just inside the silo blast doors (area D) for 
  about 100 meters.
  H. Junction.
  This small room splits off to lead to the antenna silos 
  (areas I and J).  The room is entirely flooded with 
  scummy black water, and thus there is nothing to be 
  found within of value.
  It is impossible to access the tunnel to the right 
  except by entering the cold murky water and 
  swimming.  The tunnel to the left (leading to area I) 
  can be reached by daring the ledge of rusted pipes, 
  but this requires a Balance check (DC 16) for every 
  10’ traversed - or else the character falls into the 
  water.  Falling into the water, while not inflicting any 
  damage (other than a sudden and unexpected chill; 
  the water has remained out of the sun’s warmth for 
  decades), causes all objects on the person to become 
  wet (objects susceptible to being ruined from water 
  immersion will be ruined 75% of the time), and may 
  (50% of the time) attract the attention of the giant 
  mutant rats living in area J.
  I. Antenna Silo A.
  For those characters who can read the language of 
  the Ancients, there is an obvious sign on the massive 
  steel door that reads “ANTENNA SILO A/DANGER 
  HIGH PRESSURE”.  The meaning of this message 
  cannot be understood, of course, by such primitive 
  minds – in any event, whatever purpose this place 
  once served is now of no consequence – it is a 
  flooded, abandoned ruin.
  A close examination will show that the thick door 
  is actually rounded, allowing it to fit perfectly against 
  the cylindrical wall of the antenna silo - this is a 
  feature which allows the door to resist high pressure, 
  preventing it from being blown open by force from 
  outside.
  As stated, a set of short metal stairs leads up from 
  the waters to a central platform - formerly the antenna 
  array, mounted on an elevator that rose high up and 
  out of the complex.  Looking up, one can see the 
  tremendous height of this shaft, as well as old rusted 
  machinery and a second-story catwalk high overhead 
  that is no longer accessible - the old stairs having long 
  fallen away.
  GM Note - In Ancient times, the communications 
  antenna here was mounted on a movable elevator 
  platform.  When activated, the platform raised and the 
  doors to the shaft opened, deploying the antenna on 
  the surface.  In an attack, the antenna was, of course, 
  retracted to safety, the shaft doors closing in behind it.  
  The antenna has long been scavenged, and only rusted 
  pipes and metal parts remain.  Neither the lift nor the 
  door machinery works any longer.
  The machinery to operate the antenna lift is 
  located beneath the platform, mostly heavy hydraulic 
  equipment, under water.  The water in the room is 
  about seven feet deep, but despite being eerily dark, is 
  totally lifeless.
  This tunnel stretches off into darkness.  The walls 
  appear to be made of the same corrugated metal 
  as elsewhere in the “caves”.  Long sections of 
  rusted pipe line at least one whole section of the 
  tunnel, also stretching off into darkness.  You 
  can hear the sound of dripping water far in the 
  distance.
  Your long and careful progress down the narrow 
  tunnel seems to have panned out somewhat - 
  you stand at the junction of two tunnels, a small 
  stone room reinforced by a jumble of old rusted 
  pipes and cables, the purpose of which is long 
  forgotten.  The room here seems to have flooded 
  long ago, as a deep level of calm black water 
  fills the entire room; metal steps lead from your 
  elevated tunnel entrance and into the water below.  
  A narrow “ledge” of stacked pipes leads off along 
  one wall to the right tunnel; the other tunnel has 
  no such ledge.
  You hear water dripping from both directions.
  The flooded tunnel you have been following leads 
  to what appears to be a dead end.  Lifting a light 
  reveals, with murky dimness, a large iron portal at 
  the corridor’s far end, standing only slightly open 
  - just wide enough for a slender person, perhaps, 
  to slip through.
  Entering with great caution, abandoning your 
  bulkier gear outside, you see the chamber here to 
  also be flooded like the rest of this section of the 
  caves; the water appears deeper here, however, 
  and much darker.
  This cavern is smoothly cylindrical in nature, 
  extending far up and into impenetrable darkness, 
  the concrete walls ringed with rusted metal pipes, 
  a maze of cables, etc.
  A short metal platform (with a submerged stair 
  leading from beneath the water to the platform’s 
  level) sits in the center of the room almost like an 
  island.
  
  9
  The Cave of Life
  J. Antenna Silo B.
  This antenna silo is almost identical to area I; all 
  the machinery was long ago abandoned as well, and 
  the same damage seems to have consumed the place.  
  However, on the platform and on the odd surfaced 
  pipe thrives a pack of mutated rats, refugees from 
  the inhospitable deserts above, which will attack any 
  creature intruding into their secret lair!
  Mutated Rats (5):  CR 1/3; Small animal; HD 
  1d8+1; hp 5; Mas 12; Init +3; Spd 30 ft., climb 20 ft., 
  swim 10 ft.; Defense 15, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+1 
  size, +3 Dex, +1 natural); BAB +0; Grap –4; Atk +4 
  melee (1d4, bite); Full Atk +4 melee (1d4, bite); FS 
  5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ scent, low-light vision; 
  AL none or owner; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; AP 0; 
  Rep +0; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4.
  Skills: Climb +11, Hide +8, Move Silently +4, 
  Swim +11.
  Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite).
  K. Environment Control Room.
  This area is filled with ancient, decaying machines 
  that once ran the air and water systems, as well as the 
  four original diesel power generators (each capable of 
  producing 1 megawatt), that powered the silo complex 
  during the reign of the Ancients.  The chamber itself 
  is a hollow sphere, a two-story structure with sound 
  baffling hangings on the ceiling and a floor made of 
  metal wire mesh (thus the floor, unlike the ceiling, is 
  not curved).  The shape of this place was intended to 
  protect from seismic shock during a nuclear attack; 
  obviously, it has proven a successful design.
  A large metal catwalk runs around the middle of 
  this room, forming a narrow “second level” (the level 
  at which the entrance tunnel connects to the room), 
  off of which stretch old air circulation tunnels.  From 
  the catwalk, one can look down on the silent, rusted 
  machines below without concern.
  The machinery here, as elsewhere, is useless junk 
  - any attempt by a single PC (or even a small group) 
  will generally NOT be sufficient to activate the old 
  machinery and make the complex “livable”, despite 
  their best efforts.  Conceivably this equipment could 
  be brought into working order, but not without 
  substantial replacement parts, diesel fuel, and 
  technical know-how – something the group is unlikely 
  to possess.
  The tunnels leading off from the upper-level 
  catwalk lead to area L.
  L. Air Duct.
  The tunnel here leads to the main air filtration systems 
  of the complex.  At the end of the tunnel lies a small 
  room, dominated by a gigantic fan (larger than a 
  man) that once blew fresh, refined air throughout the 
  whole complex - but which is now dormant.  Long 
  metal gutters guide miles and miles of plastic-coated 
  asbestos pipes - many of which have cracked open 
  - and wire bundle cords down the length of the tunnel 
  and its interconnecting side ducts.
  Anyone disturbing the air here (any motion greater 
  than careful movements will do) will cause the 
  asbestos dust in the place to pick up and mushroom 
  into the air; anyone without some form of breathing 
  apparatus, or who does not immediately declare 
  his character holds his breath, will inhale the dust 
  automatically.  This dust is highly dangerous in 
  At the end of the long waterlogged tunnel, a 
  circular portal – now missing – leads into a 
  darkened abyss.  Entering, you see that this 
  chamber, too, is entirely flooded.  An old metal 
  platform sits in the center of the cylindrical 
  tunnel, but the roof above – if there is one - 
  cannot be seen.
  The sound of dripping water and loud squeaks 
  echoes throughout.  As you raise your torch for 
  a better view, the darkness around the platform 
  comes alive with nearly a dozen sets of glowing 
  red eyes!
  This huge chamber appears to be a sphere in fact, 
  and is completely open; your lights cast eerie 
  shadows across old rusted equipment and heavy 
  machines leading up to the domed ceiling high 
  overhead.  Pipes and air ducts form a virtual 
  “web” of metal and plastic everywhere, creating 
  unnerving illusions of shadow and dim light 
  wherever one looks.
  A set of narrow rusted stairs lead from the 
  entrance tunnel down to the dusty machine floor 
  below, while a metal catwalk runs from where 
  you stand around the perimeter of the chamber, 
  about ten feet or so above the floor (i.e. cutting 
  the chamber in two).  From where you stand, 
  you can see various tunnels on the catwalk level 
  leading off into darkness.
  This tunnel is filled with debris and old rotted 
  trash.  Coils of rubber hose, broken asbestos pipe 
  sections, and replacement sections of corrugated 
  metal (ostensibly for the repair of the complex) 
  are stacked wherever there is room.  A thick layer 
  of dust covers everything.  A tunnel leads off into 
  darkness
  
  10
  The Cave of Life
  such a concentrated and confined area, causing slow 
  asphyxiation (see below).
  x Concentrated Asbestos Dust:  CR 3; DC 13 
  Fortitude save to resist, 1d2 Con/1d2 Con.
  GM Note – From this junction, numerous smaller 
  passages (air ducts) lead off into the unknown.  
  These are, in fact, the ventilation ducts that spread 
  throughout the complex.  If a character chooses to slip 
  in one and navigate them, consult the silo map to see 
  where they lead.
  M(A). Crew Living Area.
  This area is nearly identical to the environment control 
  room (area K), being a large spherical complex 
  designed to withstand high pressure from nuclear 
  attack and other seismic effects.  However, instead of 
  a catwalk and open area, the “crew area” is separated 
  by a floor, forming two distinct levels.
  The upper, entry-level floor is further split into two 
  halves.  The latter half, on the far side, has a floor 
  covered in old cracked black and white checkerboard 
  tiles, where the crew of the silo slept in lines of bunks 
  - all of which are long gone.  Various small lockers, 
  beaten and rusted and set into the walls, contained 
  their various personal possessions.
  A small room with latrines lays off of this section; 
  the cramped tiled room faintly smells of urine and 
  feces, and it is evident that at some point in the recent 
  past (a few years or so) someone has used this place 
  as a messy urinal.  The old fixtures, including stalls 
  and sinks, are either missing or torn out and smashed 
  on the floor.
  As you enter this area you smell dampness and 
  rot prevalent in the smothering, musty air.
  The chamber is strangely-shaped, as if it were 
  the top part of a giant, cross-sectioned sphere 
  - the floor, extensively damaged and littered with 
  broken stone, discarded pipes, and rusted metal 
  paneling, changes from bare concrete near the 
  entrance tunnel to a black and white checkerboard 
  towards the rear - as if a wall once separated this 
  area into two distinct rooms.  The wall, however, 
  is long gone.
  The south part of the room is sectioned off by 
  a cracked stonewall, and an open doorway sits 
  empty in its face.  A narrow set of stairs, and a 
  fallen-away elevator can be seen near the entrance 
  tunnel, and strange graffiti covers nearly every 
  stretch of wall.
  The sound of dripping water can be heard 
  echoing throughout.
  June 10, 2011.  I can’t believe it; it’s finally come to this.  I 
  must have been in shock the day the order came because I can’t 
  remember us locking up.  All I could think of was dear Judy, my 
  dear, sweet Judy.  New York City gone.  Completely gone.  But 
  we have a job to do, and I must forget ... forget everything, forget 
  it all.  It’s all gone now anyway, isn’t it?
  June 11, 2012.  We were hit last night.  Radar tracked the SS 
  coming in.  We stand tall, despite the collapse of sections A and 
  B.  It doesn’t matter, we’ve already launched.  Kiev, Canterbury, 
  and Munich stand in ruins.  And it was my order.  My goddamn 
  order...
  June 16, 2012.  No contact.  Some of the men are showing 
  signs of strain.  Nelson is keeping to himself, too quiet.  I wonder 
  about him.  McCartney is keeping his hold well, and is taking 
  stock of the supplies with his usual orderliness.  If this ends – if it 
  ever ends – I want that man commended.
  June 17, 2012.  No contact.  Sent MacIntyre out today in a suit 
  to check the surface radiation level.  He came back with a poor 
  little dog that was dying from the radiation.  I could tell the man’s 
  sanity was slipping, but he needed to save something, anything.  
  We’ve kept the poor thing – I think he’s nicknamed it “Survivor”.  
  Even made a nametag for it...
  June 18, 2012.  Still no contact.  Survivor is gone.  Nelson 
  said he’s somewhere in the tunnels, but our calls go unanswered.  
  Someone is stealing supplies – if this persists we’re not going to 
  last.  Who cares?  There’s nothing left anyway.  Nothing but a 
  desolate world of radiation and poison.  Dear God what have we 
  done?
  June 19, 2012.  No contact.  What’s the use?  There’s no one 
  out there, no one left.  We’re all alone.
  July 20, 2012.  Strange noises tonight, echoing in the 
  complex.  MacIntyre is losing his cool.  Thinks there’s something 
  in the complex with us.  McCartney thinks it’s the structure in 
  Silos A and B, just creaking.  That must be the cause.  Lasted for 
  a few hours, then died out completely.
  July 21, 2012.  Nelson has failed to report to duty.  A search 
  has turned up nothing.  He’s gone mad, fled to the surface.  None 
  of the suits are missing – he won’t last three hours out there.  
  Poor devil.
  July 22, 2012.  MacIntyre has cracked.  Says he saw Survivor 
  in the tunnels, but ... I fear MacIntyre is suffering from post-
  traumatic stress disorder and will be detained until he shows 
  some sign of improvement.
  July 23, 2012.  Strange noises again last night.  I think the 
  complex is weakening.  I fear we may not have much time 
  left, though we cannot go to the surface yet – Rads registering 
  at 2000.  MacIntyre was screaming nearly until dawn about 
  Survivor being “changed”, a “horror”.  McCartney is keeping 
  him under.  Note to self – are the supplies of morphine running 
  extraordinarily low, or am I imagining it?  Did Nelson steal the 
  stock before fleeing?  McCartney claims the stock is as it should 
  be.
  July 25, 2012.  MacIntyre has had an overdose and is 
  comatose.  I think McCartney has been dipping into the morphine 
  – he is totally withdrawn.
  July 26, 2012.  Dear Lord watch over us.  Only you can save 
  us now.  Confronted McCartney about the morphine.  He has 
  confessed to stealing not only morphine, but also water and food.  
  Claims we are going to die no matter what.  He’s right.  There 
  really is no hope for us – the world outside is gone.  May we all 
  burn in Hell for what we have done.
  July 28, 2012.  Strange noises again last night.  I can’t help 
  but wonder what keeps making that awful roar.  Sent McCartney 
  into the tunnels to examine the structural damage.  He hasn’t 
  returned.  Will take gear and find him tomorrow.
  July 29, 2012.  Put raving MacIntyre out of his misery.  
  Taking pistol into the tunnels.  Will find McCartney.  Will return 
  and take another surface reading.
  Here the journal ends.  No further entries are evident.
  
  11
  The Cave of Life
  A Search check (DC 18) reveals a torn and filthy 
  black journal hidden among the rubble (requiring 
  knowledge of the Ancient language to read), which 
  has the following entries left legible (see sidebar).
  The other half of the second story was the control 
  room; here the ceiling is cluttered with overhanging 
  air ventilation systems and old rusted pipes.  Old 
  computers line the walls and fill every corner - it 
  is from here that the missiles were controlled - but 
  these machines are totally ruined from age, ignorant 
  vandalism, and moisture decay.
  Most of the electronic equipment cannot be 
  salvaged, but one of the computers is actually a 
  motion detector programmed to detect motion 
  anywhere in the silo, displaying movement on a 
  computer-generated map of the complex - this will 
  show a green spot for every moving lifeform detected 
  (the giant mutated rats in area J, the life lampreys 
  in area T, and the pit creature in area W, as well as 
  the location of the PCs or any other intruders in the 
  complex), and will track them as they go as small 
  green blips.  A Knowledge (Technology) check, DC 
  21, is required to repair the computer’s link to its 
  power source, at which point it will operate normally 
  and continuously.
  d Locker Door:  1⁄2 in. Thick; Hardness 5; hp 15; 
  Break DC 28; Disable Device DC 22.
  Treasure: A search of the dozen or so lockers 
  requires a character bash the door open in each 
  case.  Most of the lockers are totally empty, but the 
  following items can be recovered - an automatic 
  pistol, two full metal cartridge clips (pistol), two 
  sets of blue plastic coveralls (uniforms of the former 
  silo personnel), and a thick plastic binder filled with 
  laminated pages; these pages are covered in launch 
  codes and procedures (totally useless now).
  M(B). Crew Living Area (Lower Level).
  The lower level here is occupied by heavy machinery, 
  old and rusted, that once monitored and maintained 
  life support in this part of the complex.  A small 
  elevator shaft (the elevator has collapsed to the bottom 
  level, leaving only the shaft) and stairwell lead up into 
  darkness, to the upper level above.
  This lower level is almost totally destroyed; most 
  of the old rows of machines have rusted through, and 
  falling concrete panels from above have damaged or 
  flattened the rest.  A few millimeters of sickly gray 
  water has collected on the floor from the constant 
  dripping of water from the surrounding rock.  A 
  strange fuzzy mold seems to cover several of the 
  computer consoles, and as the PCs approach it seems 
  to “shiver” softly.
  The mold is, in fact, not a hazardous form of 
  fungus, but its movement may unsettle spooked 
  transgressors.  It also serves to distract from the true 
  horror dwelling in this filthy environment – a gray 
  ooze.
   Gray Ooze (1): CR 4; Medium Ooze; HD 
  3d10+15; HP 31; Mas -; Init –5; Spd 10 ft; Defense 
  5, touch 5, flatfooted 5 (-5 Dex); BAB +2; Grap +3; 
  Atk +3 melee (1d6+1 plus 1d6 acid, slam); Full Atk 
  +3 melee (1d6+1 plus 1d6 acid, slam); FS 5ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ acid, improved grab, blindsight, ooze 
  traits, immunity to cold and fire, transparent; AL none; 
  SV Fort +6, Ref -4, Will -4; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 12, Dex 
  1, Con 21, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1. 
  Skills: None.
  Feats: None.
  The ooze is not recognized by the motion scanner in 
  the control room, and thus will not be detected.
  Treasure:  Laying among the fuzzy moss of the 
  fungus patch, near where the ooze waits in hiding for 
  prey, is the rotted skeleton of one of the tribesmen 
  from the PC’s community - one who apparently 
  succumbed to the ooze here and was slowly digested, 
  his remains left bare.  His possessions have almost 
  totally deteriorated over time, except for a longspear, a 
  power clip (at full charge), a maser pistol in a leather 
  holster at his side, and four empty (unused) ready-
  syringes.
  GM Note - It is interesting to note that the floor 
  between levels is actually mounted on large springs 
  (to absorb the shock of bombing), and that there is 
  about 6” between the wall and the floor, covered in 
  a rotted rubber “ring”, indicating that the floor is 
  actually separate!
  Descending into this dismal and noxious place 
  causes each of you to swoon in turn.  The stench 
  of decay, heavy rust, and spoiled water is almost 
  overpowering – as is the subtle smell of rotten 
  flesh.  Columns of machinery and burnt-out 
  computers rise from ceiling to floor here, creating 
  an almost maze-like labyrinth; coils of heavy 
  wiring dangle precariously from above like 
  spider webs.  The sound of dripping water echoes 
  mournfully through the darkness, interrupted 
  suddenly by a momentary “slithering” noise.
  
  12
  The Cave of Life
  N. Launch Tunnel.
  This tunnel leads towards the three separate silos that 
  comprise the main function of the complex (nuclear 
  launch platforms), and features the same shock-
  absorbing features as the rest of the silo.  However, 
  the floor’s central section has fallen away, revealing 
  pooled water within - a kind of shallow channel 
  running the length of the tunnel, roughly a foot deep.  
  Anything dropped while going down the tunnel has a 
  1 in 6 chance of skittering into the channel, being lost 
  in the water or otherwise ruined.
  O. Fuel Room.
  This room, which connects to the launch tunnel (area 
  N), was formerly used to store the fuel used for the 
  complex’s generators.  Structural damage resulting 
  from the bombing of the silo has caused the old tank 
  to leak, and thus very little kerosene remains (just 
  about 100 gallons); the rest has leaked and been 
  soaked through cracks in the concrete.
  When the group enters, take note of the number 
  of open flames carried by the party; for every open 
  flame (such as torches, candles, etc) there is a 10% 
  chance that the flames ignite the potent kerosene 
  fumes permeating the air - resulting in a massive flash 
  fireball that fills the entire room and at least forty feet 
  in each direction down the launch tunnel.
  This fireball inflicts an immediate 3d6 points of 
  fire damage in area O itself; outside, in area N, the 
  damage is only 1d6, up to the extent of the blast 
  (Reflex save DC 15 for half).  In addition, if there is 
  an explosion, there is a further 10% chance that this 
  part of the complex collapses, burying the PCs under 
  tons of rock - causing immediate death to all!
  P. Junction.
  The hatch overhead leads to a sixty foot-long vertical 
  shaft (barely three feet wide) leading straight to the 
  surface - the egress of which cannot be seen on the 
  surface, as it is highly inconspicuous among the dunes 
  except from up close.  Over the years garbage and 
  other trash has managed to find its way into the shaft 
  and down the chute to here, resulting in the gradual 
  build-up of gross debris.
  One cannot readily locate the actual floor of this 
  junction-chamber because of the extent of flooding; 
  any attempt to cross the room is potentially hazardous.  
  Unless a Reflex save is made (DC 12), a given PC 
  falls into a hidden pitfall in the room, suffering 1d2 
  points of damage and becoming completely wet.  
  There is no danger of drowning as the PC’s comrades 
  can easily drag him out of the submerged pitfall.
  Q. Collapsed Tunnels.
  The tunnels leading to Silos 1 and 2 are totally 
  collapsed.  Silo 1 was destroyed when the complex 
  was struck during the apocalypse, while Silo 2 
  collapsed only a few decades ago during a slight 
  tremor.  Whether or not the Silos themselves are 
  occupied or not, despite being cut off from the rest of 
  the complex, is up to the game’s referee; if you wish 
  to expand on this adventure, feel free to detail these 
  areas with all sorts of strange creatures!
  R. Ventilation System Access Points.
  Access points are marked with a star on the main 
  map.  At each point, a sign on the ceiling reads 
  “LAUNCHER AIR FILTRATION/WORK CENTER 
  CODE 63123/BUDDY SYSTEM AT ALL TIMES”.  
  The various ladders throughout the complex typically 
  lead up a rusted metal shaft and into darkness, finding 
  its way to the winding ventilation shafts above the 
  silos themselves (marked in red on the main map).
  This small room is dominated by many pipes, 
  several empty and overturned fuel cans, and a 
  large black metal tank sunk into the concrete 
  of the wall itself; the smell of kerosene is 
  pervasive...
  This twisted “cavern”, filled with inches of black, 
  smelly water, reeks strongly of rot and decay, 
  with pipes hanging with rust “curtains” from the 
  high ceiling overhead.  Tunnels lead off in every 
  direction.
  A huge pile of trash and garbage rots 
  underneath an open rusted hatch in the ceiling, 
  and weak beams of sunlight can be seen piercing 
  through the darkness above!
  The tunnel here is abruptly cut off by twisted, 
  corrugated sheeting and huge blocks of smooth, 
  shaped stone; soil and twisted metal clog the 
  passage.  Some great cataclysm apparently caused 
  this area to cave in.
  The sound of dripping water echoes here as 
  elsewhere in the haunting subterranean complex; 
  the passage is low, dark, and musty, and the sound 
  of your footsteps echoes in the distance; it is 
  obvious this passage goes on for quite awhile.
  A narrow channel of water, no doubt a result of 
  subterranean flooding, leads off into the darkness.
  At this point in the corridor a set of metal rungs, 
  driven into the corrugated iron wall, leads up to 
  an open shaft above.
  
  13
  The Cave of Life
  S. Silo Junction.
  This room leads off to the three main silos, and 
  is unremarkable except for an ancient blood trail 
  (Search, DC 16, to notice) leading off to a nearby 
  alcove.  In the alcove is found the brittle remains of 
  an ancient skeleton, a rotted white pouch worn about 
  the back on a deteriorating belt, emblazoned with a 
  large red “cross” – now badly faded.  A patch on the 
  uniform reads “MCCARTNEY”.
  Treasure:  The pack is found to contain some 
  medical supplies – two ready-syringes filled with 
  stimshot A, and a ready-syringe of K-O shot.
  T. Fuel Silo.
  This area was once the fuel silo, where volatile fuels 
  (approximately 26,000 gallons) for the Titan I missiles 
  were stored.  The “earth” seen across the room on 
  the platform is actually loose soil poured down the 
  length of a chute (leading to the surface through which 
  heavy equipment could be passed), now completely 
  collapsed along its entire length.
  The entire right side of the silo is made of metal 
  plate, through which passes various pipes (used to 
  pass fuel from this silo into the missile silo for fuel 
  changes), which was meant to protect this silo from 
  flooding when the missile launched (high pressure 
  could threaten to break through the concrete walls).
  In the cold black water thrives a group of four life 
  lampreys, which await unwary prey.  Anyone falling 
  into the dark waters will immediately attract their 
  voracious attacks, as they converge to feed.
   Life Lampreys (4): CR 1; Small Aberration; HD 
  2d8; HP 9; Mas 11; Init +3; Spd swim 40 ft; Defense 
  15, touch 14, flatfooted 12 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 
  natural); BAB +1; Grap -3; Atk +4 melee (2d4, bite); 
  Full Atk +4 melee (2d4, bite); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 
  5 ft; SQ attach, immunities, radioactive venom; AL 
  none; SV Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 
  10, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2. 
  Skills: Listen +3, Spot +3.
  Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite).
  Treasure:  It is impossible to get to the opposite 
  platform unless the PCs swim across the silo, build 
  a raft, or somehow manage to swing across.  On the 
  wall of the platform is a rusted metal locker, which 
  if forced open will reveal some abandoned safety 
  equipment - three sets of breathing apparatus (ten-
  hour duration each), a fire extinguisher, two acid-
  resistant large steel shields (as acid resistance), and 
  a silvery body suit (treat this as acid-resistant leather 
  armor).
  The tunnels lead to this wide barren chamber, 
  the floor of which has fallen away in the center.  
  Looking down the hole (which runs the length 
  of the place), you see all manner of trash, fallen 
  debris, and rubble below.
  From the broken doorway, looking in, you can 
  see that this part of the complex has flooded 
  considerably, almost up to the point where your 
  party now stands; the dark black water is only 
  a few feet or so below the level of the entrance 
  tunnel.  Across the dark forbidding water can 
  be seen an old concrete platform; a “doorway” 
  beyond seems to be collapsed, and earth pours out 
  onto the platform itself.
  The sound of dripping water fills the entire 
  place, echoing loudly.
  As you approach, you see several eerie glows 
  just beneath the surface of the water, which 
  quickly sink deep into the darkness of the murky 
  water as you enter...
  A large metal door, rusted and jammed in an open 
  position, leads to a small barren room beyond; 
  rusted pipes and creaking overhead ventilation 
  shafts hang precariously from the dripping wet 
  ceiling.
  d Locker Door:  1⁄2 in. Thick; Hardness 5; hp 15; 
  Break DC 28; Open Locks DC 22.
  U. Silo 3 Entry.
  A large metal door leads to this area; on the face of 
  the door can be seen the words “SILO NO.3/WORK 
  CENTER CODES 63150/BUDDY SYSTEM AT 
  ALL TIMES”.  The meaning, as with many of the 
  signs in the complex, is unintelligible.  The door has a 
  special locking keycard-activated system that permits 
  it only being opened from the inside, but luckily it is 
  jammed - if ever cleared, the door will automatically 
  shut itself, preventing anyone from entering from the 
  outside.  A stage IIIM ID card would be needed to 
  bypass it.
  d Steel Door:  5 in. Thick; Hardness 25; hp 90; 
  Break DC 40; Open Lock DC 30.
  V. Rocket Silo.
  The actual silo for the Titan I missile is roughly 165 
  deep (90 feet of which are under water now).  The 
  missile, of course, is long gone!  Looking up, one can 
  see that the roof of the silo is nearly inaccessible.  The 
  Your footsteps echo as you come to the edge of a 
  small platform overlooking a massive cylindrical 
  chamber that stretches up into darkness and down 
  into dark murky water.
  
  14
  The Cave of Life
  huge concrete doors (weighing a colossal 116 tons 
  each) are still shut after decades of abandonment, but 
  were once designed to throw themselves open at the 
  touch of a button.
  Looking down, one can see the silo shaft plummet 
  to cold, dark water below.  A metal skeleton of stairs 
  and a small rusted elevator platform lead down into 
  the water, vanishing into darkness.
  Just beneath the waves are tall metal machines, 
  barely visible unless a strong light is used to scan the 
  surface of the water.  Any character falling takes 3d6 
  damage from the fall and possible impalement on 
  the jagged rusted machines just beneath the surface 
  (+5 attack, 1d4 impalers per target for 1d4+4 damage 
  each)!
  x Radiated Waste Water:  CR 
  4; in addition to concealing jagged 
  machinery, the water is also highly 
  radiated.  Even if a character manages 
  to avoid being impaled, the water 
  radiates a potent 750 Rads (moderate 
  radiation; DC 18, 1d6-1 Con).  There 
  is no way to get back up to the 
  platform from the water level except 
  by climbing up the same scaffold of 
  metal bars and pipes, requiring a Climb 
  check, DC 25.
  GM’s Note - A small service tunnel 
  leads from this room to the Pit level of 
  the control silo; it is VERY cramped.  
  To negotiate it, an Escape Artist check 
  (DC 15) is needed.  Even to reach the 
  tunnel, one must scale the maze of 
  exposed pipes and rusted metal bars 
  jutting from the silo wall, requiring 
  a Climb check (DC 25); if failed, the 
  character in question slips and falls to 
  his fate in the waters below...
  W(A). Control Silo.
  This area is special in that it is a separate “bunker” of 
  sorts; shaped like a giant “cigar” (running vertically 
  with a number of separate levels), the bunker is 
  sheathed in concrete to resist shock and encompasses 
  the command center of the missile silo.  The bunker is 
  separated into several “floors”, detailed separately.
  The entrance chamber has been ransacked and 
  appears empty.  Trash and debris litters every 
  corner.  Water drips from the roof, and the smell 
  is overpowering.  A Fortitude save (DC 12) is 
  required for all entering this place; failure results in 
  a –1 morale penalty to attack rolls and saves for the 
  duration of the PCs’ venture within the sub-complex.
  The doorway in the rear leads to a latrine area, 
  which is totally devoid of life; much of the smell of 
  urine and feces comes from this damaged chamber.  
  All fixtures are ruined.  The rest of this level appears 
  to have suffered from serious seismic damage and 
  supports no life or anything else of interest.
  W(B). Control Computers.
  The corrugated tunnel you have been following 
  leads into a dark circular chamber, the walls of 
  which are hard, smooth stone.  A great deal of 
  trash and debris litters the entire place; the smell 
  is absolutely horrible.  A metal ladder, rusted 
  in places, leads up to an open trapdoor above; 
  another open trapdoor leads into darkness below.  
  A doorway, the door torn from its hinges long 
  ago, sits across the chamber.
  This dome-shaped chamber is filled with 
  massive computer consoles and heavy electronic 
  equipment along every stretch of wall, rising 
  nearly from floor to ceiling.  All of these ancient 
  machines are extensively damaged, rusted, or 
  simply burned-out from time and abandonment, 
  but a strange sense of dire purpose seems evident 
  here – as if this place had once been the heart of 
  the entire cavern complex.
  Now, however, it is just a grimy, moist, and 
  rancid ruin.
  
  15
  The Cave of Life
  This upper level was the area where the control 
  computers were located.  For flavor, if PCs mess 
  with the old computers, you may wish to roll just to 
  determine the label of the system panel (see sidebar).
  If you wish, just to scare the PCs, if they do play 
  with the computers, have one blink on suddenly or 
  have their actions set off an old alarm deep in the 
  complex; the effects should not be serious, but may 
  attract the attention of some of the silo’s denizens to 
  the area (such as the pit creature below)...
  W(C). The Pit.
  This area was filled with blowers and other equipment 
  for maintaining the command center during high alert 
  (when each launch section is sealed from the rest of 
  the complex).  All of this equipment, of course, is 
  totally ruined.  
  x Radiated Water:  CR 1; A mild level of 
  radiation (DC 12, 1d4-2 Con) exists in the room due 
  to the proximity to the radiated waters below; those 
  who enter immediately contract it.
  Living in the chamber, among the ruined computers 
  and machines, is a particularly nasty denizen of the 
  silo, which thrives on radiation - a pit creature. This 
  horrible creature, tormented by hunger and madness, 
  will pounce from the darkness upon first detection of 
  intruders.
  Roll
  Console Label
  01-02
  Operating panel
  03-04
  Power panel
  05-06
  Starts relay chassis
  07-08
  Start sequencer chassis
  09-10
  Sequencer checker chassis
  11-12
  System analyzer chassis
  13-14
  Checkout No.1
  15-16
  Checkout No.2
  17-18
  Voltage monitoring
  19-20
  Telephone chassis
  21-22
  Launch power control No.1
  23-24
  Launch power control No.2
  25-26
  Checkout No.3
  27-28
  Fan centrifugal chassis
  29-30
  Timer sequential launch
  31-32
  Controller No.1 launch sequence
  33-34
  Controller No.2 launch sequence
  35-36
  Recorder time & cycle
  37-38
  Filter chassis
  39-40
  Log recorder
  41-42
  Dummy calibration analyzer
  43-44
  Signal analyzer flight control
  45-46
  Programmer command signal flight control
  47-48
  Signal generator flight control
  49-50
  Control signal conditioner - selector flight control
  51-52
  Power supply electric flight control
  53-54
  Point sensor propellant quantity control
  55-56
  Master checkout
  57-58
  Gas manual checkout
  59-60
  Launch logic
  61-62
  Fan propeller
  63-64
  P1611-009 recorder
  65-66
  P1611-019 recorder
  67-68
  Master fuel & launch checkout
  69-70
  Facility lox checkout
  71-72
  Missile lox checkout
  73-00
  Empty console
  Creaking metal stairs lead down into a musty, 
  awful chamber below.  The cluttered cavernous 
  place is filled with old bashed and battered pieces 
  of heavy electronic machinery, each covered 
  in a thick layer of flaky rust or blackish-green 
  verdigris.  Old dials and meters, once brimming 
  with lights, have shattered or rusted completely 
  over, turning the place dark and quiet.
  The pitch blackness here is only weakly 
  illuminated by the glow of your torches and 
  lamps, revealing motes of dust suspended in the 
  air, kicked up by something waiting just on the 
  edge of the light...
   Lesser Pit Creature (1): CR 4; Large Mutant 
  Beast; HD 4d10+12; HP 34; Mas 21; Init +6; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 15, touch 11, flatfooted 13 (-1 size, +2 
  Dex, +4 natural); BAB +4; Grap +12; Atk +7 melee 
  (1d8+4, bite); Full Atk +7 melee (1d8+4, bite), +5 
  melee (1d6+2, 2 claws); FS 10 ft by 10 ft; Reach 10 
  ft; SQ keen sight, immunities; AL none; SV Fort +7, 
  Ref +6, Will +0; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 
  17, Int 9, Wis 9, Cha 5. 
  Skills: Hide +9, Listen +7, Spot +7.
  Feats: Improved Initiative, Multiattack.
  Treasure:  A Spot check (DC 10) while fighting the 
  creature notices an old tag around its pulsing slimy 
  neck, reading “SURVIVOR”.  Searching the trash 
  pile in which it broods uncovers a rare find, a bronze 
  stage IIIM access card, three ready-syringes (unused), 
  a bottle of ten doses of stimshot A, and a collection of 
  human and animal bones.
  W(D). Flooded Level.
  The final ladder leads down to a completely flooded 
  level of the control silo.  The water is too deep to 
  permit trudging or wading (one must literally dive), 
  and too dark to allow one to see what features the 
  room might contain.  
  x Radiated Waste Water:  CR 2; Nothing lives 
  in the water, though it has some latent radiation (the 
  proximity to the radiated launch silo has polluted it) at 
  200 Rads (Low Radiation; DC 15, 1d6-2).
  You may wish to detail the levels below if the 
  characters somehow manage to return at a later date 
  with underwater gear; in this case, you may even wish 
  to say the complex goes much deeper than thought, 
  with various additional underwater levels below!
  
  16
  The Cave of Life
  Appendix I: Converted Creature
  The Gray Ooze is a creature from the d20 fantasy 
  MM.  Here is a d20 modern conversion for those that 
  don’t posses the MM.
  Gray Ooze
  A gray ooze can grow to a diameter of up to 10 feet 
  and a thickness of about 6 inches. A typical specimen 
  weighs about 700 pounds. A gray ooze strikes like a 
  snake, slamming opponents with its body.
  Species Traits
  Pit creatures have the following Traits:
  Acid (Ex): A gray ooze secretes a digestive acid 
  that quickly dissolves organic material and metal, but 
  not stone. Any melee hit or constrict attack deals acid 
  damage. Armor or clothing dissolves and becomes 
  useless immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 16 
  Reflex save. A metal or wooden weapon that strikes 
  a gray ooze also dissolves immediately unless it 
  succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. The save DCs are 
  Constitution-based.
  The ooze’s acidic touch deals 16 points of damage 
  per round to wooden or metal objects, but the ooze 
  must remain in contact with the object for 1 full round 
  to deal this damage.
  Constrict (Ex): A gray ooze deals automatic slam 
  and acid damage with a successful grapple check. The 
  opponent’s clothing and armor take a –4 penalty on 
  Reflex saves against the acid.
  Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a gray 
  ooze must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt 
  to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an 
  attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict. 
  Transparent (Ex): A gray ooze is hard to identify, 
  even under ideal conditions, and it takes a DC 15 Spot 
  check to notice one. Creatures who fail to notice a 
  gray ooze and walk into it are automatically hit with a 
  melee attack for slam and acid damage.
  Gray Ooze: CR 4; Medium Ooze; HD 3d10+15; 
  HP 31; Mas -; Init –5; Spd 10 ft; Defense 5, touch 
  5, flatfooted 5 (-5 Dex); BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk +3 
  melee (1d6+1 plus 1d6 acid, slam); Full Atk +3 melee 
  (1d6+1 plus 1d6 acid, slam); FS 5ft by 5 ft; Reach 
  5 ft; SQ acid, improved grab, blindsight, ooze traits, 
  immunity to cold and fire, transparent; AL none; SV 
  Fort +6, Ref -4, Will -4; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 12, Dex 1, 
  Con 21, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1. 
  Skills: None.
  Feats: None.
  Advancement: 4–6 HD (Medium); 7–9 HD (Large)
  
  17
  The Cave of Life
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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.
  Darwin’s World 2nd Edition Copyright 2003, RPGObjects; Authors Dominic Covey and 
  Chris Davis.
  Cave of Life Copyright 2003, 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, Wastelords.
  Designation of Open Gaming Content: The following sections of 
  Cave of Life 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™.
  Adventure:  All monster, npc, and trap statistics blocks are open 
  content.   All other content is closed.
  Appendix I:  The text of this entire chapter is open content.
  
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