TEXT: BY 
  DOMINIC COVEY AND CHRIS COVEY
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   PLAYTESTING: 
  Chris Covey, Mike Guild, Chris Johnson, John Shaw, 
  Shawn Winters, Chris Derner,, Chris Hoover,  Ryan 
  KellEy, Ethan Ripplinger, Aaron Wiggins, 
  COVER: J. Longenbaugh 
  art: J. Longenbaugh 
  CARTOGRAPHY: DOMINiC COVEY 
  PROOFREADING: John Shaw, Don Kiesling
  LAYOUT: CHRIS DAVIS
  W1
  
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  AGAINST THE WASTELORDS
  Against The Wastelords is a complete adventure for 
  the role-playing game, Darwin’s World 2nd Edition.  
  The adventure is set in a primitive corner of the 
  desolate Forbidden Lands, a valley known as the 
  “Trade Lands” due to the trafﬁc of important goods 
  that moves through the area towards distant lands.  
  The scenario involves the characters being hired by 
  a merchant consortium to rid the area of a powerful 
  raider threat – the “Wastelords”.
  Against the Wastelords is best suited for a group of 
  four to six characters of levels 1-4 and should provide 
  enough experience for characters to eventually 
  reach 5th level. Against the Wastelords is intended 
  as a handy introduction to the dangerous and gritty 
  atmosphere of Darwin’s World 2nd Edition.  Consisting 
  of an easy means to gather disparate individuals 
  together (as players often have quite diverse concepts 
  behind their characters), the scenario features a few 
  scattered encounters which soon build up to a conﬂict 
  of wide-ranging impact; battles in fact, in which 
  the characters will be given the authority to lead the 
  soldiers of the region against the raiders in all-out, 
  large-scale war.
  This scenario features a few early encounters 
  to encourage players to learn to coordinate their 
  activities because the later battles of the adventure can 
  get very deadly, very fast.  Although the characters 
  will have access to healing at various points from 
  their sponsors (the alliance of the “Three Towns”), 
  the individual running this adventure should pull no 
  punches.  Remember that the Twisted Earth is a cruel 
  and unforgiving setting, and in it only the strong 
  deserve to survive.
  GETTING INVOLVED
  There are a number of means that the GM can use to 
  introduce the characters to this adventure.  While you 
  are free to come up with your own lead-ins, here are a 
  few suggested concepts:
  SOLDIER/MERCENARY
  The most obvious choice is for the players to play 
  mercenaries, hired by the merchants of Bazaar to 
  clear the area of its raider infestation, or for characters 
  to actually be from one of the communities in this 
  adventure (Bazaar, Dry Fort, or Spilunk).  The 
  mercantile interests of each settlement would be very 
  apt to order some of their retainers to help ﬁght the 
  Wastelord threat, and even communities outside of the 
  area (the Trade Lands) might contribute a warrior or 
  two to the common goal of making the valley safe for 
  trade and travel.
  RAIDER/SLAVER  
  Perhaps a survivor from a shattered, rival gang 
  seeking vengeance against the Wastelords, a raider 
  character would make an excellent contribution to any 
  group taking on this epic mission.  His understanding 
  of the raider ways and their tactics would make him 
  a deﬁnite asset.  A confrontation with fellow killers 
  might also make a dramatic scene for role-playing 
  a change of heart – or a last minute switching of 
  sides!  The drawback to such a character is that the 
  communities of the area would be at the very least 
  distrustful of his presence in the group…and this 
  could cause problems when the PCs need charity, 
  healing, and trade.
  WANDERER/SCAV  
  A non-aligned wanderer might ﬁnd the opportunity 
  of brief employment by an established settlement 
  enticing, enabling him to earn some raw corium and 
  possible trade goods (from treasure found along 
  the way), while allowing the character to retain 
  his beloved freedom out in the wilds.  Any good 
  adventurer also knows that future conﬂict often 
  creates the opportunity to earn artifacts and other 
  treasures as spoils of war.
  THINKER  
  A character with non-combat skills might be hired by 
  the merchants of Bazaar or Spilunk to lend aid to the 
  group as an advisor, coordinator, or leader.  Knowing 
  full well the perils of sending a small group against 
  the Wastelords, the merchants would want to ensure 
  success by hiring the canniest individuals around.  
  Or, alternatively, a brainy character could simply 
  be a native of the valley, seeking to gain prestige in 
  order to further a political “career” among one of 
  the various communities.  There is no better way to 
  earn your people’s admiration than by being part of a 
  heroic struggle…even if you spend most of the time 
  “behind the lines”.
  MERCHANT/TRADER  
  A trader character could accompany any group as an 
  employee of one of the Bazaar merchants, interested 
  as they are in thwarting the Wastelords once and for 
  all.  This person would be responsible for keeping 
  the group on track and making sure any goods found 
  LANGUAGE 
  The dialogue of Against The Wastelords often 
  features confusing and “bad” language.  This 
  is deliberate, to stress the decay of civilization 
  and to allow the players to tell much about an 
  individual from his speech (such as tech level, 
  education, etc.).  It is important that the GM 
  thoroughly read this adventure before beginning; 
  to better play the denizens of the wasteland and 
  to understand the ﬂow and plot of the adventure.
  
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  are brought to Bazaar to trade!  In this case the 
  trader character might well be the most trusted of 
  the ensemble, and his presence would mean better 
  relations – and rewards – from the coalition.  As an 
  alternative, a PC trader might represent one of the 
  major factions of the Twisted Earth (for example, the 
  Cartel or the Clean), who have heard of the plight of 
  the Three Towns and have sent an emissary to help 
  deal with the threat.
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
  For years the people of the “Trade Lands”, one of 
  many valleys crisscrossing the Forbidden Lands, 
  have been prey to raiders and wasteland beasts.  
  Though situated on the main trade routes connecting 
  these lands with other, wealthier regions, the towns 
  of the Trade Lands are far enough away to lack 
  the protection and civilization of the major trading 
  houses.
  Years ago a major raider band began to see in 
  the Trade Lands a convenient means of lining their 
  coffers with purloined goods – and to satisfy their 
  bloodthirsty lust for raiding, raping, and extortion.  
  These raiders, who call themselves the “Wastelords”, 
  proved themselves early on to be too much for the 
  people of the valley towns to handle; with literally 
  hundreds of raider scum in their army, and ﬂeets of 
  oily vehicles, they have crushed all resistance and 
  hope under their heel.
  Since that time the Wastelords have made annual 
  “visits” to the Trade Lands, sweeping up from 
  southern lands beyond the mountains of the valley 
  to take what they want, demand tribute, and wrench 
  the hard-earned wealth from the hands of the bitter 
  natives.
  This reign of terror and humiliation has not gone 
  without raising the ire of the local people, however.  
  Burned by the constant depravations and atrocities 
  against their people, the natives of the Trade Lands 
  dared to dream of a way to ﬁght back.  But alone, each 
  village was helpless to stop the yearly attacks.
  But together they had a chance.
  Meeting in secret, emissaries of the valley’s three 
  largest towns – the strange albino mutants of Spilunk, 
  the primitive but honorable warriors of Dry Fort, and 
  the cunning traders of Bazaar (largest of the three) 
  – were able to forge a fragile alliance to 
  hopefully defeat the Wastelords, and cast off 
  their yoke of oppression once and for all.
  The “Alliance of Three Towns” (as it is 
  known) is ready for war.
  RECENTLY
  While the Three Towns prepare for their epic 
  rebellion against their cruel overlords, other 
  events have occurred out in the wasteland in 
  recent days.  A short time ago, out in the 
  desert, a great and ancient weapon of 
  unbelievable power was uncovered 
  by one of many powerful sandstorms 
  that ravage the region.  So far from 
  the well-traveled trade routes it would 
  probably have been buried 
  again with the next storm, 
  if not for a nameless, 
  wandering scav who 
  stumbled upon it in the 
  foothills of the valley’s 
  central mountain spur.
  Although he had no idea what the 
  weapon truly was (an air-launched 
  nuclear cruise missile that crashed 
  minutes after being ﬁred, more 
  than two hundred years ago), he 
  knew that it had to be valuable to 
  someone, somewhere.  Unable to 
  cart the whole weapon away, the scav 
  combed through the relatively intact debris until 
  he could ﬁnd a piece small enough to take.  The piece 
  he took, the weapon’s computerized guidance system, 
  was just sizeable enough for him to carry off – and he 
  did, taking it to the small seasonal village of “Ebb” 
  (not one of the Alliance towns) where he hoped to sell 
  it.
  Unfortunately for the scav, the traders in Ebb did not 
  see the same value in the object as he did, and they 
  ﬂatly refused to buy it.  Incensed the scav left, hoping 
  to travel to another desert town (Sandyville) where he 
  might make at least a few corium pieces on its sale.
  The scav’s discovery of the missile at the foot of the 
  mountains did not go unnoticed, 
  however.  Unknown to anyone, 
  a group of strange religious 
  preservationists had long 
  been living in an old monastery 
  constructed before the Fall, high 
  in the mountains.   Watching 
  the valley ﬂoor regularly to 
  monitor the slow progress of 
  civilization, they spotted the 
  scav as he came within miles 
  of their long-forgotten 
  mountaintop citadel.  
  Curious as to what 
  he was up to, they 
  sent a scouting party 
  by night to the missile 
  crash site.  They too 
  found the missile, but unlike the 
  scav they immediately realized 
  what it was - and the threat its 
  uncovered existence might 
  pose to the world.  These 
  monks, paciﬁst by nature, 
  extracted the warhead from 
  the missile wreckage under 
  the cover of darkness, and 
  
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  hurried it back to their monastery-fortress.  Here they 
  planned on keeping the warhead out of everyone’s 
  hands, forever.
  Fortune, however, was not to be so kind.  The 
  Wastelords, returning from over the mountains, 
  also discovered the ruins of the missile by chance.  
  Immediately aware of the potential of this ancient 
  device, a mech thrall of the Wastelords (named 
  “Sprocket”) was sent to repair it.
  The Wastelords understood they had a great weapon 
  – but were discouraged to ﬁnd out from their mech 
  that vital components were missing.  The Wastelords 
  realized, by the still-fresh tracks in the sand, that 
  others had been there and taken the pieces only 
  recently.  They have decided it is time to pay a visit 
  to the villages of the region and take for their own the 
  pieces to this great, ancient weapon of destruction!
  STARTING OUT
  Against The Wastelords begins with the PCs being 
  gathered to a secret meeting of the Alliance of 
  Three Towns in Bazaar, where they will for the ﬁrst 
  time learn of the Wastelords, the Alliance, and the 
  desperate plan to destroy the raiders once and for 
  all.  At ﬁrst the PCs are merely charged with uniting 
  the remaining villages of the valley for the coming 
  conﬂict – but this effort quickly leads to the trail of 
  the enigmatic scav who ﬁrst found the Great Weapon, 
  and along a difﬁcult quest to wrest control of the 
  weapon from the hands of the Wastelords, with a 
  climactic ending of epic proportions!
  THE NEW WORLD ORDER
  Against The Wastelords is only the ﬁrst in a planned 
  three-part series in the Forbidden Lands region.  
  Though the PCs won’t learn of it until the ending, 
  the true motivations behind the Wastelords wanting 
  the nuclear missile are not to terrorize the people of 
  the Trade Lands, but to resurrect the weapon so that 
  they can turn it against their own enemy, a much more 
  malevolent threat to the entire Twisted Earth.
  The details of this new threat, the “New World 
  Order”, are to be covered in part two of this adventure 
  series…
  If you wish to play this scenario by itself, however, 
  Against The Wastelords presents an alternate ending 
  for just this purpose.
  BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE
  The story begins in the village of “Bazaar”, one 
  of several insigniﬁcant towns in the Trade Lands 
  where life is cheap and the need for brave men is 
  constant.  Times are changing in the Trade Lands; 
  great raider armies, known throughout the region as 
  the “Wastelords”, have terrorized the innocent people 
  of the valley for too many years.  Their annual raids, 
  THE FORBIDDEN LANDS 
  A vast expanse of dry desert skirting the eastern edges of the Big Rocks, the “Forbidden Lands” are known 
  throughout the Twisted Earth as a chaotic region.  This is a land of canyons, gorges, dry rivers, and at times 
  even seas of seemingly endless dunes.  The region has long been a haven to the dozens of raider gangs that 
  make the Forbidden Lands so treacherous, keeping away the encroach of even the most well-organized and 
  fortiﬁed merchant groups (the only exception being the Cartel, and even they have been cautious in their 
  forays into these wide open lands beneath the shadow of the distant Rockies) – and thus the foothold of any 
  possible civilization.
  Despite the threat of horizon-spanning raider armies, smaller gangs of outcasts from the settler tribes 
  and clans, and many natural dangers/predatory mutants (in particular, the sandmen that dwell in unusual 
  abundance beneath the surface of the region), life goes on in the Forbidden Lands.  People, usually 
  traveling in small, violently xenophobic groups, cling to life through a nomadic existence that keeps them 
  on the move, always a step ahead of the more powerful raider gangs.  Life is harsh, pitiless, and cruel in the 
  Forbidden Lands.  Everyone and everything serves a practical purpose; those that do not are cast out as junk 
  (whether person or object), for the predators to do with as they will, and buy time for the rest to get away.
  In this bleak and brutal land, communities are seldom permanent; transient tent cities, temporary 
  encampments, and open “oasis” where no one stays long are more likely features of the region.  Though 
  few groups welcome the sight of others here in these wastes, every now and again the various tribes, clans, 
  or gangs do get together at temporary “towns” (again, just tent cities or camps) to do trade for the vital 
  things needed to keep this fragile way of life going: food, water, ammunition, weapons, gasoline, vehicle 
  parts, and women change hands frequently at these much-anticipated gatherings.
  Still, though the nomads of the Forbidden Lands do sometimes ﬁnd a time to celebrate and join with their 
  fellow man in brutal entertainments (e.g. gladiatorial games) at such gatherings, their guard is never down.  
  The raider gangs are ever-present, ever watchful.  Inevitably the gangs hear of these camps, or stumble 
  upon them in the desert, and their brief but important contribution to nomad society and interaction comes 
  to an end.
  But such is life in the Forbidden Lands.  Few things are permanent.  And nothing lasts forever.
  
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  which come like clockwork, will no longer be suffered 
  without resistance.
  The PCs are about to become embroiled in an epic 
  struggle of terrorized peoples against a bitterly hated 
  enemy.
  The adventure begins with the player characters 
  being issued into a secret meeting of a council 
  of elders from the three major settlements of the 
  Trade Lands – Bazaar, Dry Fort, and Spilunk, at the 
  merchant’s lodge (area L) of Bazaar.  Whatever their 
  individual reasons, the PCs have been hand selected 
  to form a party that will hopefully bring to an end the 
  reign of the Trade Lands’ most formidable threat – the 
  Wastelords.
  Born into this hostile world, you each have 
  struggled relentlessly to survive despite the best 
  efforts of many men and mutants.  Each of you 
  has a long story to tell of a childhood amongst 
  the ruins of a time your forebears don’t remember, 
  the shattered remains of the Ancients standing 
  alone and devastated in a world gone dry.  The 
  elders say water once ﬂowed across the ground, 
  and even fell from the sky regularly.  These fairy 
  tales of long ago are well-known lies, told only 
  to children and the followers of ignorant cults.  
  Remembering back to siblings who were killed 
  during the hunt, or caught by the disease gods as 
  they sifted the sands to separate the weak from 
  the strong; you have learned, and lived.  Through 
  their weaknesses you have grown wiser and 
  remained strong.
  You now ﬁnd yourselves in a dusty chamber, lit 
  only through portals blocked with slowly rotating 
  blades, allowing a little circulation into this 
  dirty room.  Around the walls sit chairs bearing 
  delegates from the most inﬂuential communities of 
  the area:  Bazaar (the town hosting the council), 
  Dry Fort, and Spilunk.  You have been introduced 
  to a few of the representatives, standing in a 
  group in the center of the room, being examined 
  from all sides like animals ready for sale.
  “They looking like not much, eh?” states the 
  tall yet withered, viscously pale form of Elder 
  Vilic of Spilunk.  “Are you sure will do?” he says 
  with a look of worry easily discernable on his 
  hideous face, seemingly composed of a mass of 
  chunky tumors and subtly misplaced features.
  “More like grubs than bronze, eh?” says the 
  handsome and cleanly white-clad Trademaster 
  Gorgel of the merchants.
  “Trash.  All of them trash.  You have wasted my 
  time, Gorgel,” mutters Captain Ulz, an apparent 
  veteran soldier from the settlement of Dry Fort, 
  his proud bearing marred by deformations and 
  hunched back; clearly a mutant as well from his 
  withered nose, jagged teeth, and misaligned eyes.
  “They answered the call.  No others.  Our 
  future may depend on these scags.”  These 
  words come from Trademaster Gorgel of Bazaar, 
  standing now to address all present.  Standing in 
  one of the beams of light, you see his bald dome 
  of a head appearing as if it has never grown hair.
  “You may have come seeking proﬁt or to 
  answer the duty of your various communities.  
  You may or may not even be from the Trade 
  Lands – I do not know.  But I will tell you what 
  is happening.  Raiders have been much trouble 
  over these many years.  Time and time again junk 
  has been taken, homes destroyed, furniture – our 
  women - stolen.  This cannot continue.  We, the 
  people of Bazaar, Dry Fort, and Spilunk comprise 
  a secret alliance of towns unwilling to suffer this 
  humiliation any longer.
  “You…”
  His voice lingers for a moment, as if he too 
  were on the verge of reconsidering.
  “…are to help us win our freedom.  Simple, 
  no?”
  “Ahem...” cuts in Elder Vilic.  “About the…”
  “Yes, I will get to that,” interrupts Trademaster 
  Gorgel, holding up his hand, revealing his short, 
  stubby ﬁngers.  “As we do not know the true 
  strength of our enemy, we cannot risk the raiders 
  thinking you work for us.  The Wastelords, as 
  they are known, are legendary for their brutal 
  reprisals.  You will be ‘simple wanderers’ 
  or ‘phantoms’ if you fail or are captured.  
  Understood?”
  “I can see worry on your faces.  We must 
  survive and trade is important to survival.  If you 
  help, you will get much.  If you do as needed, 
  we are willing to give you each ﬁve hundred 
  chunks of corium.  In addition, the leaders of the 
  communities will give you more…maybe.”
  “What do you say?”
  Of course the characters should agree to undertake 
  the mission!  This is an opportunity to make a name 
  for themselves, earn goods for trade or survival, 
  and escape the wrath of an angry mercantile 
  establishment!
  In the unlikely event that they wish to negotiate 
  further, it is possible to convince Master Gorgel to 
  promise an extra 100 corium upon completion of the 
  mission, with a successful Diplomacy check (DC 18).
  QUESTIONS
  The characters will be encouraged to set out 
  immediately, and urged only to return to Bazaar if 
  in desperate need of aid or resupply.  Before the 
  characters leave, they may ask the representatives 
  a number of questions.  The questions and answers 
  the representatives will know are listed below for the 
  GM’s convenience:
  
  6
  Who are the Wastelords?
  A great raider army, larger than any these 
  people have seen in more than a generation.  
  The Wastelords have been responsible for the 
  destruction of numerous villages, temporary trade 
  towns, and trading posts throughout the desert.  
  At ﬁrst they did this out of sheer brutality, but 
  over time it seems the Wastelords learned the 
  value in merely terrorizing the people – taking 
  tribute from those larger communities that would 
  prove to be too difﬁcult to take head-on without 
  major casualties.  These tactics have worked, 
  skinning loners, scavs, and traders and leaving 
  their bodies within sight of their respective 
  communities.  The people had been culled into 
  obedience, surrendering foodstuffs, water, and 
  women perhaps once each year.
  How many raiders in the army?
  “We guess two hundred or more, over the 
  mountains.  But the Wastelords only come to the 
  Trade Lands in small groups.  Vehicle parties 
  assembled to cross great distances or attack 
  caravans often number only ten men or so.”
  Where do you think the raiders are based?
  “They come from the southwest; they must have 
  a village of their own over the mountains.  But 
  there are other areas here that would make good 
  forward bases for their raids.”
  How hostile is the wilderness?
  “Better than elsewhere.  Our warriors have 
  driven off or killed most hostile life.  Raiders are 
  the greatest problem.  In the mountains there are 
  mutant creatures, however, that are far too deadly 
  for a party of your size to confront.”
  Where do you want us to begin?
  “The envoys of two other communities, Ebb and 
  Sandyville, did not come to the council meeting.  
  You must ﬁnd out why.  Go to these towns and 
  discover why their envoys have not made the 
  journey.”
  Taking them aside before leaving, Elder Vilic will 
  give each character two plastic containers, each 
  containing a single juju potion (heals 1d4 hit points; 
  a maximum of ten potions are available for the entire 
  group).  Captain Ulz, normally hesitant to aid those 
  who haven’t earned his trust, will grudgingly hand 
  over a map of the area, with areas of interest marked 
  on it (see map).
  This is the only material aid the elders can offer.
  BAZAAR
  The PCs may wish to explore Bazaar while they have 
  the time, before committing to the long journey to the 
  nearest town mentioned by the elders, Ebb.  Bazaar 
  will also likely become a base of operations and 
  supply for the PCs, and so a brief overview is included 
  herein.
  Bazaar:  (Resurrectors; ruled by merchant consortium); 500 cp limit; Assets 3,500 cp; Population 140.
  Authority Figure:  Trademaster Volgen, male mutant Charismatic Hero 3/Trader 4.
  Important Characters:  Armsmaster Tolorin, male mutant Dedicated Hero 4/Guardian 3; Tera, female 
  mutant Dedicated Hero 3/Juju Doctor 2; Dust-Walker, male mutant Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3/Scav 3; 
  Armsmaster Saur, male mutant Dedicated Hero 4/Guardian 2; Armsmaster Lurin, male mutant Dedicated 
  Hero 4/Guardian 2; Trademaster Gorgel, male mutant Charismatic Hero 3/Trader 3.
  Others:  Town guards, Dedicated Hero 2 (4), Dedicated Hero 1 (8); Militia, Dedicated Hero 1 (30); 
  Merchant Consortium, Charismatic Hero 2 (8), Charismatic Hero Tr1 (8).
   Typical Warrior of Bazaar, Dedicated Hero 1:  CR 1; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d8+2; HP 6; Mas 
  15; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 13, ﬂat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 class, +1 leather armor); BAB +0; 
  Grap +0; Atk +0 melee (1d4, tonfa), or +2 ranged (2d8, pipe riﬂe); Full Atk +0 melee (1d4, tonfa), or +2 
  ranged (2d8, pipe riﬂe); FS 5 ft. by 5ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Empathy; AL Bazaar; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2; 
  AP 5; Rep +1; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 12.
  Occupation and Background:  Merchant, Resurrector.
  Skills:  Gamble +2, Knowledge (business) +3, Knowledge (current events) +2, Listen +2, Navigate +3, 
  Sense Motive +2, Speak Language (Trade), Speak Language (Unislang), Spot +2, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Far Shot, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance (disease), Superior Kidney Development.  
  Brachydactyly, Photosensitivity.
  Possessions:  5.56mm pipe riﬂe, 30 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, tonfa, leather armor, bullet bandoleer, 
  signal whistle, sungoggles, one juju potion (1d4).
  
  7
  THE TOWN
  “Bazaar” is the largest settlement in the Trade 
  Lands region, and is the nexus of all trade passing 
  through the valley.  Consisting of a small cluster of 
  unrecognizable buildings left over from before the 
  Fall, the town grows exponentially in size every 
  season when the population booms with the inﬂux of 
  traders and others moving through the area.  During 
  these times, wagons, carts, tents, and yurts spring up 
  in the open spaces ﬁlling the town out to its normal 
  proportions (see map).
  Those wishing to do business with the caravans 
  which passes through the valley regularly often leave 
  their home communities and travel to Bazaar to 
  conduct trade, usually when the community is at its 
  largest.  As a consortium of merchants, the leaders 
  of Bazaar have an agreement with caravan masters 
  that they stop only in Bazaar, giving the settlement a 
  deﬁnite edge over any other community in this area.  
  Obviously the other settlements in the region maintain 
  cordial relations with Bazaar (because they rely on it 
  to some extent), and in return the merchants do not act 
  aggressively to risk the proﬁtable situation there.
  As one would expect from a town ruled by traders, 
  the law here is relatively non-restrictive but aimed 
  at generating trade while protecting those within 
  the walls.  Hence the laws are quite strict regarding 
  crimes of violence and theft, while all sorts of goods 
  remain legal due to an “anything goes” policy towards 
  possession.
  Well-equipped and loyal soldiers - one of the major 
  beneﬁts of being an important trade center - garrison 
  Bazaar.  The entirety of the settlement is surrounded 
  by a wooden palisade of thick board, lashed together 
  with all manner of rope, cables, barbed wire, etc., 
  and reinforced by irregularly placed wooded poles 
  (telephone poles scavenged from the desert).  More 
  cables hang from these metal poles, dangling down 
  into the town like the branches of willow trees.  Inside 
  the walls, the poles are ﬁtted with simple rungs, 
  allowing lookouts to climb any of the poles to see far 
  into the desert in all directions.
  KEY TO BAZAAR
  A. GATES
  The gates of Bazaar are made from thick reinforced 
  wood, but despite their formidable appearance they do 
  not present much of a barrier to a determined attacker.  
  Unknown to most, the walls of Bazaar are actually 
  weaker than the gates, and almost any vehicle moving 
  at speed could potentially punch a hole through any 
  section.
  
  8
  B. GUARDHOUSES
  These low concrete structures are the homes of the 
  guards.  Permanent structures, these buildings all 
  contain cisterns, and this regular access to drinking 
  water is one of the reasons for Bazaar’s guards having 
  such a strong sense of loyalty to the merchants.  Those 
  miserable peasants who live in the shadow of the 
  merchant house have only limited access to this water, 
  and must beg or pay (or submit to some humiliation) 
  for a bucket or even a cup at a time.
  This system encourages natives to sign up for the 
  guard - or at least have cordial relations with town 
  ofﬁcials.
  C. STABLES
  This establishment (an extension of area D) caters to 
  the steeds of natives and visitors.  Care here is almost 
  non-existent, consisting only of sparse feeding.  It 
  is assumed that a steed is the owner’s responsibility, 
  though with all the begging natives about, it is not 
  hard to ﬁnd someone reasonably trustworthy to watch 
  after a horse or mount for a paltry sum.
  D. SLEEPING HALL
  This temporary structure appears colorful and 
  fanciful despite the faded paint and weather-beaten 
  exterior of its wooden walls.  It stands out against 
  the tents and wooden shacks of the vicinity, drawing 
  passerby from all around.  Actually a series of circus 
  concession stands scavenged from the wastes, and 
  linked together in one long building, this place now 
  serves as a “hotel” of sorts.  Erected every season 
  when the population of Bazaar begins to overﬂow, 
  the entire building can be broken down and put back 
  into storage beneath the merchant’s lodge in a matter 
  of hours.  Owned and operated by the merchants of 
  Bazaar, the “sleeping hall” adds more money to their 
  pockets by providing visitors reasonable shelter from 
  the sun and the cold of the desert night.  Furnishings 
  and other comforts, however, are virtually non-
  existent; a large dirt-ﬂoor chamber serves all guests 
  as a common room (though by curtaining off an area, 
  one may achieve a modest degree of privacy).
  E. COMMON HOUSE
  This sheltered extension of area D is where visiting 
  traders, passing wanderers, and locals alike can 
  buy food and drink during the height of the trade 
  season.  The “specialties” of the house are haunches 
  of dog meat cooked over a spit (tiny portions), and a 
  powerful blend of liquids salvaged from the wastes 
  (fermented goat’s milk, horse blood, engine coolant, 
  and gasoline) called othyhol.
  A meal here costs a ridiculous 25 cp - or its 
  equivalent in bartered goods.  The owner, a member of 
  the merchants of Bazaar, is quite shrewd and unlikely 
  to fold under pressure or threats, or even be tricked 
  into accepting worthless junk by wily outsiders.
  F. HOVELS
  Spreading out haphazardly from the base of the 
  central mound, in a motley collection of wood, reed, 
  and canvas structures in a wide state of disrepair, is a 
  maze of tents, pavilions, and other temporary shelters 
  erected by visiting clans and tribes from all over the 
  Forbidden Lands.
  These are the homes of the huddled masses that rely 
  upon the greedy merchants for shelter and protection 
  during the trade season, or others who have come to 
  rely on parasitic existence in the merchants’ shadow.  
  Without wealth or power, these citizens are nothing 
  more than slaves to the establishment, living only at 
  the whim of the merchant consortium.  These folk live 
  lives devoid of cheer or potential; yet are grateful they 
  are not exiled to the mercy of the harsh world outside 
  and the hideous mutants of the wasteland.
  While one shelter in the “barrio” can be quite 
  strong, the building next to it may be in severe danger 
  of collapse.  As long as this does not interfere with 
  business, the local authority does nothing.
  G. GUNSMITH
  This structure is the home of a wandering gunsmith, 
  Torus, who makes his living handcrafting muskets, 
  zip guns, and pipe riﬂes for the various wasteland 
  communities.  The merchants of Bazaar are his best 
  customers (he maintains the weapons of the town 
  guard and militia), and in recent years Torus has 
  begun considering settling down for good.
  Torus is a skilled tradesman and has a number of 
  items for general sale.  This is a basic list of the goods 
  he is willing to trade:
  Item
  Qty
  Price
  Black Powder Pistol
  2
  250 cp
  Black Powder Riﬂe
  2
  400 cp
  Pipe Riﬂe (5.56mm)
  2
  250 cp
  Zip Gun (.38 special)
  1
  75 cp
  Ammo, 5.56mm (20)
  6
  30 cp
  Ammo, .38 special (50)
  20
  40 cp
  Ammo, BP Pistol (20)
  2
  30 cp
  Ammo, BP Riﬂe (20)
  3
  30 cp
  The gunsmith is not interested in buying arms, only 
  making them and selling them to visitors, traders, and 
  mercenaries.
  H. CARPENTER
  This large wooden building appears to have been here 
  for some time.
  The clan that inhabits this shelter is skilled enough, 
  and are credited with having built almost the entirety 
  of Bazaar’s defenses (including the walls) and many 
  
  9
  of the semi-permanent structures.  While practicing 
  what is considered a relatively humble profession in 
  other lands, this clan enjoys real prestige and privilege 
  here.
  I. STORE
  This building, resembling a pre-war “fruit market”, 
  is made of shoddy wood and painted in the gaudiest 
  colors.  Here foodstuffs and drink are stockpiled and 
  sold to the seasonal populace at ridiculous prices.  
  Things are rigidly inventoried and regulated by the 
  merchant lodge, to keep theft to a minimum.
  Those who come to Bazaar without barter goods or 
  corium can exchange service for goods.  This usually 
  amounts to a stint of a season or longer as a guard in 
  the Bazaar militia.  This is a favorite option of many 
  deep wilderness tribals, who in exchange for food for 
  their entire village often sell themselves (and their 
  sons) into military service for the merchants here.
  In addition to its regular business, the food dealer 
  also enjoys a growing trade in general goods.  Those 
  items for sale include things such as bedrolls, map 
  cases, crowbars, ﬂasks, clay jugs, lamps and lanterns, 
  mirrors, pitons, poles, pouches, trail rations, hemp 
  rope, lengths of chain, sacks, tents, torches, vials, 
  waterskins, and clothing.  Items marked with an 
  asterisk are all scavenged from the wasteland, and are 
  not actually manufactured here.
  J. ARMORER
  The men who comprise the “Armorer” clan 
  jealously guards their rare skills – the creation and 
  maintenance of the armor for the militia of Bazaar.  
  Their establishment reeks of dead animals and potent 
  chemicals, both of which are used in the making of the 
  cured leather armors worn by the town guard.
  The Armorers don’t normally do business with 
  outsiders, but may be willing to make an exception if 
  useful goods and/or curious artifacts are offered.  The 
  Armorers can make leather jackets and leather armor 
  only.
  K. CARAVAN HALL
  This large, permanent structure atop the merchant’s 
  mound is where all visiting caravans of recognized 
  merchant clans (e.g. the “Cartel”) are quartered when 
  stopping at Bazaar – rare, but signiﬁcant events in 
  these parts.  Well-built, maintained, and protected, 
  only members of the merchant’s consortium, or 
  honored guests, are allowed to keep goods, steeds, and 
  livestock here.
  L. MERCHANT LODGE
  The entire town of Bazaar is built around a small rise, 
  where the merchant’s lodge sits.  This lodge is a well-
  fortiﬁed structure of old weathered concrete – and 
  as such is a permanent part of town, not a temporary 
  ﬁxture like many other buildings.  This is where the 
  merchants of the consortium live and rule from.
  The lodge is the government building and home to 
  Trademasters Volgen and Gorgel.  A tall, two-story 
  concrete structure of great strength, the merchant’s 
  lodge is the main defensive installation in town, 
  although only members of the merchant’s consortium 
  or very special guests are allowed to take refuge here.
  During the off-season (when the town has shrunk in 
  size), the merchants remain quartered here until the 
  coming of outsiders once more, several months later.
  GM’s Note:  The adventure begins with the 
  characters meeting at the lodge for the council’s offer 
  of employment.  From here they will be escorted 
  down the hill into town, and left to their own devices.
  M. HOME AND JUNKYARD
  This ramshackle wood and aluminum construction 
  is the home of “Dust-Walker”, one of Bazaar’s most 
  colorful – and skilled - scavs.  Behind the decrepit 
  shack a fenced-off yard contains piles of metal and 
  junk, the result of decades of scavenging.
  There is little of particular interest here for 
  characters (except for those items shown below), as 
  Dust-Walker’s activities are geared more towards 
  supplying Bazaar with raw materials and scrap to 
  build new structures, repairing the town walls, etc..  
  Despite this he has, over the years, found a few odd 
  items, which he may be willing to sell to individuals 
  who visit his ‘yard.
  Item
  Qty
  Price
  Canned food*
  5
  5 cp
  Cigarette lighter
  1
  250 cp
  Firestarter cube
  1
  25 cp
  Fragmentation grenade
  2
  900 cp
  Light rod
  5
  15 cp
  Rad tab
  2
  300 cp
  * Military C-Rations, each can is the equivalent of a full 
  meal.  Due to the integrity of the can the food inside is 
  guaranteed safe to eat. 
  Dust-Walker is a curious old man, with a penchant 
  for all manner of curios scavenged from the desert.  
  He is likely to buy any artifact of a technological 
  nature (no matter what it really is) for a good price, 
  since he considers himself something of a collector.  
  He has 1,000 corium pieces saved up and hidden 
  beneath a loose ﬂoorboard in his shack, which he will 
  trade with if offered such an item.
  N. HOME
  This long, well-constructed home of brick is the home 
  of Armsmaster Tolorin, the captain of the watch of 
  Bazaar, and his wife.  A skilled soldier, he has been 
  given his own separate home as a reward for his many 
  years of service to the merchants of Bazaar.
  
  10
  The place is quite strong, and the shutters all lock 
  from the inside.  If needed, this building would make 
  a modest stronghold.  Only the resident has the keys 
  to the sturdy locks, and greatly values his privacy.
  Renowned in the locale as a “witch” Tolorin’s wife, 
  Tera (Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3/Juju Doctor 2) sells 
  some of her concoctions to those willing to meet her 
  outrageous prices.  Her stock includes the following 
  items of her of manufacture, as well as juju items sold 
  by passing merchants at her establishment:
  Item
  Qty
  Price
  Juju Potion (heals 1d4)
  5
  75 cp
  Halazone Tablets
  7
  50 cp
  Rad-Purge Shot
  1
  400 cp
  Ready Syringes
  3
  200 cp
  Stimshot A
  2
  1,000 cp
  Other buildings in Bazaar are, as stated before, of 
  a number of different materials and conditions.  
  Some are empty; others are full of people or are 
  establishments for some service or another.  The 
  details of these structures are left to the GM to 
  determine.
  JOURNEY THROUGH THE WASTELAND
  The environs of the Trade Lands are primarily arid 
  desert along the central valley, which is also the trade 
  route that gives life to the region.  To the north and 
  south rise tall, sand blasted peaks, riddled with passes 
  and hidden valleys.  To the northeast, an ancient forest 
  still stands, the trees either withered by the drying 
  climate or mutated into more hardy forms that still 
  cling to life in this inhospitable land.
  The dry desert plains that allow trade are susceptible 
  to the occasional sandstorm that can cause a group to 
  become lost, endangering them to lost time or forcing 
  to take shelter in a cave that is already occupied by 
  some dangerous creature.  For ease of navigation, the 
  merchant consortium of the valley towns has arranged 
  large standing stones and other monuments to serve as 
  markers for caravans passing through the area.  These 
  “Great Markers” also serve to help reduce the effects 
  of sandstorms, offering some protection to those 
  sheltering at their bases.
  In addition to the peril offered by the Wastelords, 
  the valley is home to a number of other mutant things 
  that can spell the end of any group of survivors.  To 
  manage travel between key areas and/or scenes, the 
  GM should use the following random event table.  
  One roll should be made on the table for every leg of 
  the characters’ travel.  For example, the characters 
  
  11
  leave Bazaar to travel to Black Stump.  One roll 
  should be made on the table to determine what event 
  the characters must deal with before reaching their 
  destination.
  D20
  Encounter
  1-5
  No Event
  6-8
  Bones
  9-10
  Carcass
  11-12
  Lurking Panther
  13-14
  Centipedes
  15-16
  Snofﬂe Hog
  17-18
  Battle of Giants
  19-20
  Sandstorm
  BATTLE OF GIANTS (EL 4)
  The desert echoes with the sound of battle between 
  two giants.  As the PCs approach they come across an 
  epic scene:  a giant mutated scorpion battling for its 
  life against an equally enormous mutant spider.
  The two creatures will continue ﬁghting each other 
  until either makes a Spot check to notice the PCs.  
  If they notice the PCs (much smaller, and therefore 
  much more convenient for a meal) the two giant 
  creatures will break off their battle and begin pursuing 
  the party instead!
   Monstrous Scorpion (1): hp 32; see appendix.
  BONES
  The characters come across the bleached white bones 
  of some huge, long-dead creature with six legs, large 
  armored bones, and gigantic straight tusks.  A close 
  inspection reveals that, when alive, the creature stood 
  some 15 feet tall and spanned 20 feet in length.  As 
  successful Knowledge (Mutant Lore) check (DC 15) 
  reveals the remains are those of a creature no longer 
  seen on the Twisted Earth.
  CARCASS (EL 2)  
  Here, the carcass of a doom harvester is discovered, 
  huge mouth agape and its skin broken in a number 
  of places.  A successful Heal check (DC 15) reveals 
  that the creature died when a number of creatures 
  exploded from within its body.  If anyone approaches 
  within 15 feet of the dead beast, an utarn attacks from 
  beneath the sands. The pregnant mutant creature has 
  been using the corpse as bait to attract a host for its 
  own young.
   Utarn (1): hp 17; see appendix or Darwin’s 
  World page 231.
  CENTIPEDES (EL 3)  
  As the PCs walk among the seemingly endless dunes, 
  the sand suddenly shifts as the ground erupts from 
  below.  A mass of writhing, segmented centipedes 
  come scuttling up from the depths, looking for prey to 
  consume.
   Monstrous Centipedes (4): hp 9; see appendix.
  LURKING PANTHER (EL 2)
  A lurking panther hides nearby and will seek to attack 
  the characters when a good opportunity presents itself.  
  The lurking panther will go so far as to stalk the 
  characters and attack as soon as it has the advantage, 
  being quite hungry due to a lack of sustenance.  A 
  relentless predator, a lurking panther will stalk its 
  chosen prey until killed.
   Lurking Panther (1): hp 20; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 296.
  SANDSTORM (EL 1)  
  A dark smudge appears on the horizon as the 
  sandstorm approaches, heralded by a hollow 
  screaming sound, faint at ﬁrst, but growing stronger 
  until it is nearly deafening when the characters are 
  in the midst of the storm.  Characters may make a 
  Survival check (DC 12) to foresee the approaching 
  storm.  If successful at a Navigate check (DC 15), 
  the characters will be able to make it to the nearest 
  merchant markers (see map) before the full force of 
  the storm is upon them (in 1d4 hours).
  Once the full force of the storm arrives, the 
  characters are blasted by sand and small debris; vision 
  is reduced to 30 feet and hearing is useless due to 
  the intense screaming of the wind as it is channeled 
  through the bare-rock valley.  The sandstorm deals 
  1d2 points of lethal damage each round to anyone 
  not protected by large cover, powered armor, or an 
  enclosed vehicle.
  The storm lasts 1d4 days.  When the storm subsides, 
  the deafening sound will slowly fade, a ringing still 
  in the character’s ears.  Silence will triumph, until the 
  characters realize they can hear each other speaking 
  again.  It will take a further six hours before the dust 
  settles, allowing normal vision.
  SNOFFLE HOG (EL 2)
  A lone, foul-tempered snofﬂe hog has wandered into 
  the path chosen by the characters, and steadfastly 
  refuses to surrender his territory.  If the snofﬂe hog 
  notices the characters, it will attack immediately 
  unless the characters clearly retreat.
   Snofﬂe Hog (1): hp 22; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 316.
  BLACK STUMP
  The trade route through the Trade Lands is marked 
  by a series of easily recognized landmarks, 
  monuments that break up the otherwise monotonous 
  and featureless desert that comprises the vast valley 
  basin.  While unexceptional in their own right, these 
  landmarks have been used by the traders of the region 
  for generations to navigate the wasteland from one 
  
  12
  community to the other.
  Each of the major landmarks is marked on the 
  party’s map, to also aid in ﬁnding their way to the 
  various settlements of the alliance.
  While headed for Ebb, the PCs are set to pass one of 
  these landmarks, known as “Black Stump”.
  Having traveled for more than a day, the 
  sun’s deadly rays are beginning to take their 
  toll on your energy.  Water, even when shared 
  among you, proves too scarce to totally take 
  the debilitating effects of thirst away.  To make 
  matters worse, even though you have a map, you 
  afraid you may be lost in this endless landscape 
  of low sand dunes and cracked open ﬂats.
  Just as despair begins to become serious in 
  your ranks, up ahead a dark smudge is seen on 
  the horizon.  Minutes later, as you trudge on with 
  renewed hope, the “smudge” proves to be the 
  remains of some giant mutant tree from ages long 
  gone.  Standing above the sands like the skeleton 
  of a tent, the roots of the ancient tree extend deep 
  into the earth, forming a solid foundation.  This 
  must be “Black Stump”, the ﬁrst landmark on the 
  trail to Ebb, as indicated on your map.
  Black Stump should be a welcome sight for the PCs.  
  Long used as a shelter and “way station” of sorts, it is 
  possible for men and mounts to squeeze in between 
  the roots of the ancient stump and take shelter in the 
  area underneath it.  Stretching tarps over the roots and 
  securing them makes shelter, in effect a very large 
  and strong structure capable of weathering the most 
  powerful sandstorms.
  In addition to the shelter, at the base of the old 
  stump, in the shadow of the branches, is a shallow 
  pool of fresh water that slowly replenishes by deep 
  underground moisture.  Here the PCs can reﬁll most 
  of their canteens and waterskins, and rest for a few 
  hours, before moving on.  
  EBB
  Like fragile bubbles of civilization that might last a 
  year, a month, or a single night, gatherings at the tiny 
  towns of the Forbidden Lands are a much-anticipated 
  event throughout the region.  The town of “Ebb”, 
  temporary at best, is just one of many nomadic 
  camps set up along the trade routes linking the three 
  permanent towns of the Trade Lands (Bazaar, Dry 
  Fort, and Spilunk) with the outside world.
  
  13
  Up ahead, the bleak monotony of the sandy 
  wasteland is ﬁnally broken.  As your band comes 
  over what seems like just one of a thousand 
  dunes, there before you, in a small depression 
  between sandy hills, is a tiny cluster of tents and 
  vehicles, surrounded by a makeshift palisade of 
  wood and wire.  Protected from sun and wind, 
  the miniature settlement echoes with the sound 
  of traders hawking goods, of bloody gladiatorial 
  games being played out within, and an overall 
  raucous merriment.
  This, you surmise, must be the town of “Ebb”.
  KEY TO EBB
  A. WALLS
  The walls of Ebb are merely wooden planks and 
  boards thrust vertically into the sand and roped 
  together by hemp, cord, or wire.  The barrier is 
  effective in keeping out most desert animals, but 
  serves as nothing more than an amusing nuisance for a 
  determined attacker.
  B. VEHICLES
  Visitors (mostly traders) from the far reaches of the 
  Forbidden Lands come to Ebb to either do business 
  or simply use the village as a “way station” before 
  moving on the Bazaar.  The collection of rusted, 
  stripped-down, and horse- or slave-drawn vehicles are 
  the property of many of these wayfarers, who park 
  their rides wherever they like around the compound.
  Laden as they are with trade goods and supplies 
  for their owner’s very survival, tampering with any 
  of these vehicles is a serious offense likely to be 
  punished by death.  Mangy guard dogs are usually 
  enough to dissuade thieves.
  C. MARKET
  The vehicles here are inhabited most of the day, their 
  owners selling goods straight from the back seat or the 
  trunk to anyone interested in buying.  Each trader has 
  his own specialty, and the chances of ﬁnding one or 
  more selling the same goods is unlikely (though when 
  they do, they compete for customers rabidly).
  Character interested in perusing the “market” 
  will ﬁnd only a limited selection of common goods 
  (assume a 25% chance of having anything on Table 
  A-13 General Equipment in the DARWIN’S WORLD 
  rules, and only 1-2 of each item, if at all).  There is 
  also water and gasoline for sale, in relative abundance.  
  In addition, the traders here have a number of minor 
  artifacts for sale, including the following:
  Item
  Qty
  Price
  Canned food
  20
  5 cp
  Hologram projector*
  1
  1,000 cp
  Hologram image cards (pornographic)
  3
  50 cp
  Light rod
  3
  15 cp
  Chemical light stick
  4
  4 cp
  Salt pills
  10
  20 cp
  * See New Item.
  The traders will buy any useful, practical items, 
  up to 500 cp in value.  All told there is no more than 
  1,500 cp (not including trade goods) in the entire 
  marketplace.
  D. THE PIT
  When slave women are not enough to sate their 
  lusts (or if they lack the money to pay for an hour’s 
  entertainment), the locals of Ebb turn to gladiatorial 
  games in “the Pit”.  This area is simply a slight 
  depression in the sand, surrounded by a wall of cars 
  in which two men may battle for the pleasure of the 
  spectators.
  Traders specializing in training pit ﬁghters often 
  make the circuit to the various towns of the Forbidden 
  Lands to make money off their gladiators.  One such 
  visiting trader is Bargin (see below).
  In addition to gladiator ﬁghts, tribals from the desert 
  often use the Pit to settle feuds and other arguments.  
  As such there is almost always some kind of ﬁghting 
  going on in the Pit.
  E. MAIN TENT
  This main tent is made of hides stretched over a 
  framework of sturdy animal bones, and can be packed 
  up in a day for transport.  The merchants of Ebb are 
  nomads like any other, and their tents, walls, and 
  other belongings all must be able to be carried by their 
  slaves, horses, and vehicles.
  This main tent houses the merchant family that runs 
  Ebb, consisting mainly of ﬁve “elders” (ages 25-40), 
  their sons, and male children.  In addition to furs, 
  blankets, trade goods, a small collection of arms and 
  armor, and other valuables, the tent is sectioned off 
  with hanging sheets to create small private rooms for 
  storage or sleeping quarters.  Though it is cramped 
  and smells strongly of human occupation, it is cooler 
  than outside in the sun, and protects against the 
  prospect of sand storms.
  F. SIDE TENTS
  These small tents are made of patchwork hides and 
  set aside for the guards of the local merchant clan.  
  Each is little more than a shelter from the elements, 
  containing blankets, cooking pots and utensils, 
  clothing, etc.
  G. SLAVE TENT
  Though they make money off of a set tax (20% of 
  all money made) on traders using the village to sell 
  their wares or stay overnight, the merchants of Ebb 
  
  14
  make most of their money off of the three or four 
  concubines they own and “rent” out to travelers.  A 
  brothel of sorts, this tent houses the miserable young 
  women who never get a moment of free time unto 
  themselves.
  An hour with one of these women runs about 40-
  50 cp, paid upfront.  A girl may not be rented for 
  longer than 30 minutes (there is quite a demand for 
  their “services”), though multiple visits are allowed, 
  assuming one goes to the end of the line each time.
  Any troublemakers are likely to rouse the ire of 
  not only the local merchants of Ebb, but also those 
  patrons waiting their turn!
  H. SECRET TUNNEL
  The merchants to provide a quick and easy escape, in 
  case crafty raiders manage to inﬁltrate the camp and 
  take the guard by surprise, dug this secret tunnel under 
  the sands.  A large panel of sheet metal conceals the 
  tunnel.  The exit, almost 50 yards away, is concealed 
  by trash.  The tunnel can be found with a successful 
  Search check (DC 20).
  SEEKING AN AUDIENCE
  The PCs have been sent to Ebb to ﬁnd out why the 
  merchants there failed to send representatives to the 
  council meeting in Bazaar.  When they arrive, they are 
  probably expecting Ebb to have been devastated by 
  attack - but instead they ﬁnd the town intact and very 
  much alive.
  When and if the PCs attempt to arrange an audience 
  with the leaders of Ebb, they must make a Diplomacy 
  check (DC 12), or a Bluff check (DC 15) to convince 
  the guards outside of area E (the main tent) that they 
  are, in fact, emissaries from Bazaar.  Even then they 
  must surrender all potential weapons to the guards 
  before being allowed in.
  As you enter the main tent, you notice the 
  entirety of this dark and cool place is made from 
  patchwork hides stretched over a temporary 
  framework of animal bones.  Little more than a 
  great big tent, you imagine the whole of this place 
  could be packed up in a few hours’ time.  These 
  people are surely nomads.
  The Trademasters you seek are gathered 
  around a planning table in the central chamber, 
  sectioned off from storage spaces and sleeping 
  alcoves by thick blankets and furs.  As you enter, 
  the ﬁve or so elders look you over a few times 
  with hard-boiled stares, before they break off their 
  talk of business to hear what you have to say.
  Allow the players to role-play their address to the 
  Trademasters however they see ﬁt.  The answers they 
  receive will depend on the questions asked.  The 
  following lists the most likely questions and answers:
  The council at Bazaar was expecting a 
  representative from Ebb.  Why didn’t he arrive?
  “Because no representative was sent.  We do not 
  want to risk our lives supporting the “foolish” 
  idea of rebelling against the Wastelords!  Instead 
  of getting our people killed, we have decided to 
  appease the raiders…as usual.”
  How?
  “Payment in ‘furniture’ (women), as well as water 
  and gasoline.  This is the standard arrangement.  
  It it is a high price to pay, but it is better than 
  dying!”
  What about Sandyville?
  “They agree with the wisdom (and caution) of 
  us here at Ebb, and have also refused to send 
  representatives to the rebel council.”  The 
  elders advise the PCs not to waste their time by 
  traveling there; they will only squander their 
  water pursuing a fool’s errand.
  Any chance they will reconsider?
  “No.”  But the elders want the PCs to take a 
  message back to Trademaster Gorgel of Bazaar.  
  “Your actions will bring death to the tribes of 
  your alliance, and hard times to everyone else in 
  the Trade Lands.  Reconsider what you are about 
  to do before damning us all!”
  With that, the council has the PCs issued out of the 
  main tent and back to the market.  The audience is 
  over.
  GLADIATORIAL GAMES (EL 3) 
  Just as they begin to discuss their options from here, 
  standing outside of the main tent amidst the hustle 
  and bustle, the PCs are interrupted by a shout from the 
  crowds.
  “You – yes you!  The tiny one hiding among his 
  friends!  Yes you!  What’s the matter – don’t like 
  being called tiny?  Why, I overheard that from 
  one of the furniture who lay with you last night!  
  Said you were the smallest one she’d ever had to 
  work with!  And speaking of working – she said 
  yours didn’t!!!”
  The shouting is coming from an average-sized 
  man in hides standing on the edge of the crowds.  
  Though his voice is at ﬁrst lost in all the cheering 
  coming from the gladiatorial pits, his continued 
  slurs against one of your number draws attention.  
  In moments the crowd is snickering and laughing 
  at the butt of his jibes.
  The antagonist is a traveling “merchant”, a man by the 
  name of “Bargin”.  A professional pit ﬁght organizer, 
  he makes his living off of individuals who prove 
  
  15
  easy to anger, luring them into a ﬁght with his “prize 
  ﬁghter”, the aptly named “Skag”.
  Unless the PCs show remarkable cool, Bargin will 
  continue his insults, hoping they will engage in a 
  heated dialogue – which, with luck, Bargin will steer 
  towards a challenge.  Putting up no less than 100 
  pieces of corium, Bargin challenges the best the party 
  has to offer against his ﬁghter.  If the PC wins, the 
  party gets the purse; if Skag wins, why of course the 
  PCs must surrender something of equal value (if they 
  don’t have 100 corium, Bargin will look them over 
  and appraise what they have, and accept the object 
  with the highest value in their group).
  Once they agree to settle the ﬁght in the pit, the 
  crowds cheer and immediately enter a frenzy of 
  betting.  This is a good chance for other PCs to bet 
  for (or against) their companion, to hopefully make 
  money to spend in the market or back in Bazaar.
  In any event, the ﬁghting begins as soon as both 
  contestants enter the Pit.  No rules, no holds barred, 
  and the ﬁght will continue until one combatant dies, is 
  knocked out, or surrenders.
   Bargin, Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3: hp 17; see 
  appendix.
   Skag, Strong Hero 4:  hp 40; see appendix.
  Skag is a real piece of work.  Bargin “found” him, a 
  feral, wandering the mountains like a pitiful caveman 
  several years ago, and barely managed to lure him 
  with food into his camp.  It took ﬁve servants to 
  put Skag down, but the effort paid off in dividends 
  – Bargin has since trained the hulking brute as a real 
  pit-ﬁghter and takes him with his caravan all along 
  the trails (usually chained, but by now Skag is almost 
  completely “domesticated”).  Playing the townspeople 
  along the routes as chumps, Bargin has developed 
  a real knack at showmanship; he usually tricks the 
  locals into ﬁghting Skag through insult or slander, 
  pricking at their manhood or bravery.  His ﬁghter, 
  Skag, has yet to lose a ﬁght, and they seldom stay 
  long enough in a town to suffer the repercussions of 
  sore egos.
  The ﬁght between Skag and the PC will continue 
  as far as the GM decides is enough – Skag is a pretty 
  tough customer, and he may very well be more than 
  one character can handle.  The GM may decide to 
  have the next encounter (see below) occur just as Skag 
  is about to deal a killing blow, thereby saving that 
  character’s life “by chance”.  Alternatively, the event 
  could happen just as Skag has fallen to the worthy PC 
  instead.
  A SUDDEN INTERRUPTION
  As the gladiatorial game nears its climax, the sudden 
  excitement is broken by an even more startling, fearful 
  event.
  The horizon suddenly echoes with a strange, 
  unexpected thunder.  At ﬁrst, the gladiatorial 
  game continues, with the two opponents 
  struggling among puffs of dust kicked up by their 
  scufﬂe.  But the audience is distracted – the noise 
  is getting louder.  One by one the hard-faced, 
  shouting spectators turn from the ﬁght and – as 
  one – begin running towards the ﬂimsy palisade 
  encompassing the town.
  Something is obviously afoot.  The ﬁght will continue 
  for another round before even Bargin calls off his 
  thrall, Skag, to ﬁnd out what’s the matter.  The pit 
  ﬁght effectively breaks up.
  Joining the other spectators despite the scufﬂe, 
  you melt into the group to see what’s going on 
  for yourselves.  The roar has gotten louder; those 
  among you familiar with them recognize the 
  growl of nearly a dozen vehicle engines, getting 
  closer and closer.
  Peering over the edge of the wall, you see the 
  bleak horizon stretching as far as the eye can see, 
  but now broken by a towering smudge of dust 
  rising into the sky.  Only a few hundred yards 
  away, a loose collection of ironclad motorcycles 
  and dune buggies are making a beeline for the 
  town!
  Suddenly a nearby local – a vendor – screams 
  a single phrase:  “THE WASTELORDS!”
  More shouts echo amongst the locals.  A small 
  number of “guardsmen” rush to the entranceway 
  to the temporary village and hastily begin closing 
  the barricades.  A few more gather outside a 
  nearby tent, and dispatch muskets and spears to 
  those waiting.  In moments, the camp has turned 
  to utter chaos – the town is under attack!
  Allow your PCs to react how they will.  Whatever the 
  result, Bargin declares the ﬁght over; if Skag lost, in 
  the chaos he tries to slip away without paying.  If he 
  won, he hastily collects before vanishing among the 
  crowds.
  The thunder continues, but the vehicles have 
  come to a stop – just out of range of muskets 
  and bows.  They continue to rev and roar 
  their engines, sending impressive columns of 
  churning black smoke – tainted with the smell of 
  overpowering exhaust - into the sky.
  From this distance, their faces can be seen.  
  Dust-covered.  Sun tanned and hardened.  
  Grotesque tattoos emblazoned across their skin 
  wherever their hodgepodge of leather and chains 
  lets up look like a motley canvas of faded colors.
  The engines ﬁnally die down as a solitary ﬁgure 
  rises from the back of one of the vehicles.  He lifts 
  an ancient bullhorn, and speaks into it.
  “Townsfolk of Ebb...” he seems amused at 
  using the word ‘town’ when speaking of this tiny 
  settlement.  Beneath his voice can be detected an 
  
  16
  underlying ruthlessness.
   “You have disappointed us!  Did you think you 
  could really get away with trickery?  The fools 
  at Sandyville denied having the device, just like 
  you!”
  For a moment it is quiet.  Then the speaker 
  raises the horn to his lips and continues.
  “We laid waste to Sandyville.  Now they are 
  all dead.  Wild dogs pick at their bones as we 
  speak.”
  Again he lets his words sink in, before 
  continuing.
  “I am a reasonable man.  My men, they are 
  reasonable warriors.  And we have come such a 
  long way at the behest of our leader.  You know 
  him.  You know he is not a patient man.  Let the 
  games end here and now.  Surrender the device.  
  Surrender it now, and there will be no more death.  
  No more suffering!  No more cruelty!  Surrender 
  it now, and I may be able to prevent our leader 
  from crushing you in his anger.
  “Surrender it.  Surrender it to us!”
  If the characters did not participate in the gladiatorial 
  games, you can simply modify the dialogue above 
  to ﬁt whatever situation they are in just before they 
  attempt to leave the Ebb compound.
  A LITTLE EXPLANATION WOULD BE NICE
  The Trademasters who set up this village are rightly 
  concerned, but unless the PCs barge into their tent 
  for an explanation or offer of assistance, they plan 
  on dealing with this themselves.  Of course, any PCs 
  worthy of the name “hero” are likely to confront 
  them...
  The following is the low-down on what the traders 
  are now willing to admit; as with other conversations, 
  the GM should feel free to either use this as a 
  monologue to get things rolling, or implement the 
  information here as part of their conversation with the 
  PCs:
  What is going on?
  “We are under siege by raiders!  Though the 
  force outside is relatively small, it is just a 
  scouting party.  With their vehicles and weapons, 
  they could easily destroy all of Ebb!”
  What is the “device” the raiders are demanding?
  The traders look to each other pensively before 
  explaining what little they know.  Recently an 
  unidentiﬁed scav, a true wasteland wanderer, 
  visited Ebb with a strange item of technology in 
  his possession – a bizarre device encompassing 
  a computerized unit and a bundle of wiring.  The 
  traders are at a loss to explain what it was meant 
  to do, or even if it was still functional.  To them it 
  was just a piece of rusted junk.
  What happened to the “device”?
  Since they had no use for such a strange device, 
  the traders of Ebb declined to buy it from the 
  man.  The mysterious scav left soon afterwards; 
  he said he was heading for Sandyville, to perhaps 
  sell it there.  He did not leave a name.  That was 
  the last the traders heard of him.
  Who else has come looking for the “device”?
  “The Wastelords came soon after the scav 
  departed.  They said they were tracking a 
  scavenger, and demanded we hand over whatever 
  he had sold us.  We swore we bought nothing.  
  When they speciﬁcally demanded the device, 
  we vowed to them we did not have it, but told 
  them what the scav had said, that he would go to 
  Sandyville to try and sell it there.” 
  Where did the “device” come from?
  “We have no idea where it was found.  Only the 
  scav who found it knows.  He did not reveal this 
  information either (smart scavs never do).”
  Why did the raiders attack Sandyville?
  Apparently the scav never made it to Sandyville.  
  When they also denied having the device, the 
  Wastelords must have assumed they were lying 
  and destroyed the entire town as retribution.
  Why have they returned?
  “Now that the Wastelords think we have lied to 
  them, they must also think we have been holding 
  onto the device all along.  If we do not give them 
  what they want, they are likely to make us all pay 
  for it with our lives!”
  Do the Ebb traders have the device?
  “No, not at all!”
  A Sense Motive check (DC 10) reveals that the traders 
  are telling the truth.  They do not have the device.
  A SECOND JOB PROPOSAL
  The traders aren’t quite sure what to do – certainly 
  a slugging match with the Wastelords would be a 
  hideous and costly proposition.  Even if they could get 
  visiting patrons and wanderers to help defend them, 
  the entire town could still be wiped out.  Instead, they 
  are planning to organize a small group to slip out of 
  Ebb by night and try to ﬁnd the device.  By giving 
  it to the Wastelord scouts they hope to appease their 
  demands and prevent their own destruction.
  The traders are willing to hire the PCs on the spot 
  – they’re certainly desperate enough!  The Wastelords 
  are bigger than ever now, with vehicles and modern 
  weapons.  All told, Ebb has maybe thirty-ﬁve people 
  of ﬁghting ability, of all ages, and only a handful of 
  
  17
  muskets and spears amongst them.  After a heated 
  argument amongst themselves, the Trademasters 
  offer a sum of 250 corium apiece (or, alternatively, 
  5 gallons of fresh water in portable cans apiece), 
  payable upon safely retrieving the device, of course.
  GETTING AWAY
  When you leave the tent, burdened with the hopes 
  of the Ebb traders, darkness is already beginning 
  to set.  Normally this would be a bad time to 
  travel the desert, but under these circumstances it 
  is a blessing.
  One of the traders’ trusted guards, informed 
  of your mission, leads you not towards the 
  front gate, but rather towards the rear of the 
  compound.  Surprised, you see him gather a few 
  men and together they clear some debris from 
  between a collection of tents.  Pulling back a 
  huge sheet of scrap steel, they reveal a secret 
  tunnel leading off into darkness!
  The trusted guard whispers to you.  “With night 
  falling you may be able to escape.  This tunnel 
  will take you ﬁfty paces beyond those dunes.  Be 
  careful not to draw attention your way.  Go now!”
  The tunnel is at beast a narrow escape route, running 
  just under the earth for about 150 feet.  Luckily it is 
  just large enough for them to crawl through, dragging 
  their equipment behind them on the end of a borrowed 
  rope.  Once they arrive at the end, they can spy over 
  the crest of the dune:
  Looking back, the shallow valley has gotten 
  darker, but the lights of Ebb are glowing strong 
  – torches, lanterns, etc.  The raiding party of 
  Wastelords seems focused on the small compound, 
  unaware of your escape.  Making sure no one is 
  silhouetted against the setting sun, you scamper 
  off in the opposite direction, deeper into the 
  desert…
  WHAT NEXT?
  The PCs now realize they are on their own.  It is 
  safe to assume Sandyville was destroyed, and thus 
  a journey there would prove fruitless (however, in 
  case they do go there, a separate chapter detailing the 
  ruins of Sandyville is included in this module) in their 
  search for allies for the Three Towns.
  The PCs have a number of options – not the least 
  of which is probably a desire to return to Bazaar to 
  report on what has happened.  Alternately, however, 
  they may be motivated to continue along the trail 
  towards Sandyville, in hopes of ﬁnding any clue as to 
  where the mysterious scav (with the equally enigmatic 
  “device”) has disappeared.
  With Ebb now under siege, the PCs will probably be 
  spurred on by the importance of ﬁnding the “device” 
  as quickly as possible.  As such, they will head 
  towards…Two Trees.
  TWO TREES (EL 3)
  During their journey towards Sandyville (marked on 
  the map given them by the traders of Bazaar), do not 
  check for encounters as normal.  A few hours out of 
  Ebb, the characters will either run into the lurking 
  panther, utarn, or Snofﬂe hog encounter.  The desert 
  is a dangerous place; what better way to enforce that 
  mindset than to have the PCs tangle with some of the 
  wasteland’s native life?
  After this initial encounter, the rest of the journey 
  should take at least a full day (approaching evening) 
  before the PCs arrive at the only notable landmark 
  along the route – a site known only as “Two Trees”.
  According to your map, the site up ahead must 
  be “Two Trees”.  Just as the map suggests, an 
  identical pair of trees can be seen sticking out 
  of the sand here, defying the harsh environment 
  CONTINGENCY
  It is entirely possible that PCs will be unwilling to leave, even with the odds so obviously stacked against 
  them.  If the players insist on trying to ﬁght their way out (instead of ﬂeeing, as the elders of Ebb suggest), 
  this could potentially evolve into a catastrophic ﬁght.
  If the PCs face off with the besieging raiders, assume that there are thirty raiders outside.  Use the 
  statistics for typical Wastelords (see The Cruise Missile Site), but in addition they also have a number 
  of vehicles.  Assume there are three battle cycles and a single battle car with statistics identical to the 
  “slaughterwagon” (see Final Battle At Dry Fort).
  In addition, the people of Ebb themselves do not want to ﬁght the Wastelords (after all, they weren’t even 
  willing to join the Alliance), and have instead put their hopes on appeasing the raiders.  If the PCs start 
  trouble now, they won’t get any support from the villagers in an open battle!
  If by some reason the PCs do manage to win against the Wastelord force, Ebb will still suffer the wrath of 
  the Wastelords once the group sets out to ﬁnd the “device”, as reinforcements will show up in due course 
  to exact revenge on what they perceive to be a rebellious town.  In this eventuality, the PCs will only have 
  themselves to blame for the destruction of Ebb.
  
  18
  and the winds it sends against them.  Long dead, 
  their hardy nature and the dry air seem to have 
  preserved them like bastions of the forgotten 
  world before the Fall.
  Two Trees is a recognizable sight among the traders 
  of the Trade Lands, used to shelter merchant convoys 
  and their animals for the evening and from the 
  elements.  To shelter here, one must stretch a tarp 
  between the two trees and shelter behind it.  The trees, 
  stately and tall despite being withered and ancient, 
  show no signs of weakness, and have resisted many a 
  sandstorm in the past few decades.
  When the PCs arrive, however, they will ﬁnd a 
  strange scene – and a nesting pair of carrion raptors 
  awaiting their next meal!
   Carrion Raptors (2):  hp 33, 23; see appendix 
  or Darwin’s World page 283.
  As you approach the scene, you notice a jumble 
  of tracks that seem to suggest a recent visitor to 
  Two Trees – perhaps within the last day or so.  
  The remains of a scattered campsite can be seen, 
  along with a collection of bones cast about here 
  and there.
  Suddenly the silence beneath the shadow of the 
  Two Trees is broken by the heavy plod of clawed 
  feet…the rustling of feathers…and the shrill 
  cawing of two giant mutant birds!
  Treasure:  Littered among the remains of the 
  campsite are a number of items (conspicuously in 
  good condition).  These include two blankets, a high 
  quality climber’s rope (50 feet long), climbing gear, a 
  ﬁrestarter cube, and a large, shoddy sack.  Inside this 
  sack are a variety of worthless trinkets (rusted nails, 
  broken links of chain, crusted pennies and nickels 
  from before the Fall), a number of irregular chunks 
  of corium (the equivalent of 54 corium pieces), two 
  small cylinders made out of black cardboard (a pair 
  of concussion grenades, though one is a dud), and a 
  remarkably heavy pouch.
  This pouch, when retrieved and opened, proves to 
  have a curious piece of machinery carefully bundled 
  inside.  Apparently the owner recognized (to some 
  extent) some inherent value to the item, for it appears 
  to have been wiped clean of dust and grime and only 
  marginally toyed with.  12” long and almost as wide, 
  a jumble of blue and white wires hang down from 
  the boxy device.  Faded stenciling on one side is 
  barely visible (any character that speaks Ancient will 
  recognize the letters “USAF”).
  This piece of machinery must be the device the 
  traders of Ebb spoke of!
  The PCs will undoubtedly attempt to ﬁnd out the 
  nature of the device, but it is assumed that with their 
  limited experiences with such objects, it will be 
  impossible for them to discern its purpose (allow a 
  Knowledge, Technology check at DC 35); even if they 
  somehow manage to recognize the device for what it 
  is (a cruise missile guidance system), they will not be 
  able to tell right away if it even works or not.
  Once they recognize the item as the device they 
  seek, the PCs will certainly return to Ebb. 
  WHAT THE PCS DON’T KNOW IS…
  They are, in fact, being watched.  The owner of the 
  treasure found at the campsite (the “Scav”), having 
  recently returned from a foray into the hills (and 
  thus missed by the Wastelord scouts), was setting 
  up camp when he heard the bleating of the carrion 
  raptors in the pre-dawn darkness.  Not one to risk 
  his life ﬁghting such a powerful beast (let alone two), 
  the scav scampered off with only a few items on 
  his person, hoping the creatures would be gone by 
  morning.  Instead of sniping the creatures, he hoped 
  to save his precious ammunition and wait the ‘raptors 
  out.  Unfortunately the creatures haven’t moved on as 
  planned, and the scav has been attempting to ﬁgure a 
  way to either scare them off or sneak back into camp 
  to get the remainder of his things.
  When the PCs arrive and ﬁght the creatures, the 
  Scav is watching them from almost a quarter of a 
  mile away.  Hiding among the nearby dunes, the 
  Scav will certainly watch while the PCs risk battle 
  with the ‘raptors.  When they do ﬁnish them he will 
  be surprised (not suspecting them to be quite so 
  powerful), and thus will hesitate to approach.
  If the PCs somehow Spot the Scav (roll to see how 
  well he hides; he has a +13 Hide modiﬁer), they will 
  see him only for a moment (as far away as he is) 
  before he bolts.
  Instead of attacking, even if spotted, the Scav now 
  begins following the PCs.  He will certainly make an 
  appearance later when his patience has run thin…
  RETURN TO EBB
  Having retrieved the device, the PCs will likely make 
  haste to return to Ebb in hopes of relieving the siege.  
  However, when they arrive a tragic scene confronts 
  them.
  Quickening your pace as you near the familiar 
  vicinity of Ebb, you are each taken totally by 
  surprise as you come over the ﬁnal crest.  There, 
  laid out in the slight depression between dunes, 
  is what can only be described as the ruins of that 
  little village.  Wisps of smoke still rise from the 
  wreckage of the walls and the burned remnants 
  of tents, and even from this distance you can 
  discern individual corpses scattered throughout 
  the compound.
  You have arrived too late.  Ebb is gone!
  
  19
  The ruins prove to be utterly destroyed and ransacked.  
  Most of the people here were butchered, but signs 
  indicate that a few hardy individuals were marched 
  off as a group, no doubt to become slaves of the 
  Wastelords.  Evidence also seems to suggest that what 
  the Wastelord scouts couldn’t take with them on their 
  vehicles, they put to the torch.  The destruction is so 
  complete that nothing of use can be salvaged
  As they wander the wreckage of Ebb wondering 
  what is to be done next, they spot a rider on the 
  horizon.  Though he lingers for a moment, the man 
  rides in quick.
  With puffs of sand kicked up by the tread of 
  his fraxx steed, the rider heads straight for the 
  smoking ruin of the town.  As he nears, the man’s 
  white armor marks him as a scout from Bazaar.
  The man ﬁnally comes to a stop, his face etched 
  with a look of horror at the carnage of the scene.  
  Seeing you and recognizing you as agents of 
  the council, he sheathes his bolt-action riﬂe and 
  prepares to speak.
  The man is, in fact, a scout from Bazaar, sent to 
  deliver word to the traders of Ebb that the Wastelords 
  are on the move, and to give them one last chance to 
  join the alliance.
  When the scout learns of all that has transpired 
  (including the siege, the importance the Wastelords 
  have put on ﬁnding the device, and of the destruction 
  of Sandyville), he is shocked, devastated, and for a 
  moment seems not to know what to do.  However, 
  regaining his composure, he turns to the PCs and 
  informs them of their next task.
  “There must be some lethal power to this device, 
  if the Wastelords seek it as you say.  We cannot 
  let it fall into their hands!  My people, Bazaar, 
  suspect war is imminent.  Our allies at Dry Fort 
  prepare their defenses even as we speak.  But I 
  suspect nothing we have will stand up to whatever 
  power the Wastelords are seeking.  You must 
  travel to Spilunk and deliver the device to them.  
  With their great thinkers, they may know what 
  the item does and why the Wastelords want it so 
  badly.  Go now!  Long live the alliance!”
   
  The rider wraps the scarf of his turban 
  about his face to shield from sand kicked up 
  by his mount, and then rides off over the dunes 
  towards Bazaar.
   
  You know what you must do.  The fate of 
  the Trade Lands may be in your hands!
  SPILUNK
  Check for wasteland encounters as normal for the 
  journey from Ebb to Spilunk.  As they arrive in the 
  vicinity (within a few miles), however, the chance of 
  encountering wild life drops to nil.  As they approach 
  the village of Spilunk itself, read the following:
  The map given you by the council at Bazaar 
  said nothing about the dramatic beauty of this 
  dangerous cliff country, and as you round the 
  ﬁnal bend leading to the cliff-town of Spilunk, 
  you each take a moment to observe the unique 
  character of the place.
  Spilunk:  (Resentfuls; ruled by priesthood); 100 cp limit; Assets 200 cp; Population 40.
  Authority Figure:  Elder Voclin, male mutant Smart Hero 6/Scholar 4.
  Important Characters:  Elder Vilic, male mutant Smart Hero 6/Scholar 1; Elder Zilhon, male mutant 
  Smart Hero 6.
  Others:  Town guards, Smart Hero 1 (2); Militia, Smart Hero 1 (4); Dedicated Hero 2 (1), Dedicated Hero 
  1 (2); Smart Hero 2 (4), Smart Hero 1 (8), Charismatic Hero 1 (1).
   Typical Warrior of Spilunk, Smart Hero 1:  CR 1; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d6+1; HP 4; Mas 
  12; Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 9, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 9; BAB +0; Grap +0; Atk +0 melee (1d3 nonlethal, 
  unarmed); Full Atk +0 melee (1d3 nonlethal, unarmed); FS 5 ft. by 5ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Savant (Decipher 
  Script)*; AL Spilunk; SV Fort +3, Ref -1, Will +4; AP 5; Rep +0; Str 8, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 
  14.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, Resentful.
  Skills:  Bluff +8, Concentration +3, Craft (structural) +6, Craft (visual art) +6, Decipher Script 
  +7*, Diplomacy +6, Gather Information +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (ancient lore) +6, Knowledge 
  (behavioral sciences) +4, Knowledge (technology) +6, Profession (any) +5, Search +6, Sense Motive +7, 
  Speak Language (Trade), Speak Language (Unislang), Spot +0.
  Feats:  Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Mind Strike (3d6), Mind Stun, Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Telepathy (x3).  Albinism, Neuroﬁbromitosis, Pituitary Deformation.
  Neural Mutations:  8 Telepathy uses per day, DC +2.
  Possessions:  None.
  
  20
  Carved by hand from pinnacles of towering 
  rock that stretch into the sky, the entire town looks 
  more like a collection of lopsided clay pillars, 
  riddled with cave openings and holes, connected 
  at its various levels by treacherous wood and rope 
  bridges like a delicate web suspended in space.
  Almost as soon as you see the town in its full 
  glory, the low rumble of a horn signals that 
  you, too, have been spotted by the town’s own 
  lookouts.  A number of ﬁgures emerge, ready to 
  welcome you to this curious mountain settlement.
  THE TOWN
  “Spilunk” rests in a box canyon, the walls lined with 
  colorful strata of ancient rock.  A small, steep, and 
  roughly carved stairway runs up the west side of the 
  canyon, leading up to jagged rock formations that 
  comprise the settlement of Spilunk.  A cave in the ﬁrst 
  spire is the entrance cave to the village - and is well 
  guarded.  From here, the settlement is crammed inside 
  the tall hollowed-out spires, making use of every bit 
  of conﬁned space.  Where one spiral is fully hollowed 
  out, a small wood and rope bridge connects to an 
  opening in the next spire, making the community a 
  complex of structures and caves reaching further and 
  further upwards.
  The spires do have small windows, which are used 
  to circulate air and as dumping points for offal and 
  other trash.
  The inhabitants of Spilunk, are, unknown to others, 
  a fully viable new species able to breed true.  A 
  quasi-priesthood that rules Spilunk; it is their belief 
  that what befell the Ancients was that they embraced 
  technology, leading to their forsaking their souls and 
  bringing upon them their doom.  For this reason, the 
  people of Spilunk are loathe to utilize technology 
  - but ironically, due to their extensive knowledge of 
  technology and its evils, they alone have the skills 
  to identify the device (and later, piece the “Great 
  Weapon” back together).  In fact, the people of 
  Spilunk are genuinely concerned for the fate of the 
  other, corrupted species and seek often to convert 
  them from their ways, hoping to save them from 
  certain doom.
  KEY TO SPILUNK
  A. PICTOGRAPHS.
  Of interest to cerebral types, the walls of the canyon 
  in which Spilunk lies are painted faintly in earthen 
  tones, revealing a multitude of pictographs.  These 
  hieroglyphic scenes depict how the people of Spilunk 
  came to the canyon, including images that depict how 
  
  21
  their ancestors described to their children the actual 
  Fall of the Ancients, and details of a strange sighting 
  in the sky before they ﬁnally settled at Spilunk.
  Details of these pictographs are included on these 
  pages.
  B. BRIDGES.
  The bridges connecting each pinnacle spur of Spilunk 
  is made from wood scavenged from the desert, lashed 
  together with aging hemp rope.  Railings of rope 
  run the length, allowing those walking on the bridge 
  to avoid falling.  Just wide enough for one man to 
  walk across, each is a precarious walkway perched 
  anywhere from thirty to ﬁfty feet above the canyon 
  ﬂoor.
  C. MARKET.
  The hollow caves of this pinnacle rock are reserved 
  for the Spilunk marketplace.  Though it has seen 
  better days, there are a few goods for sale (including 
  precious juju) to anyone with goods to trade.
  Item
  Qty
  Price
  Basket
  4
  ½ cp
  Jug, clay
  10
  ½ cp
  Juju potion (heals 1d4)
  12
  75 cp
  Pot, iron
  5
  1 cp
  Scale, merchant’s
  1
  2 cp
  Sled
  1
  20 cp
  There are no weapons for sale here; in fact, characters 
  will notice that no one seems to have a weapon in 
  Spilunk whatsoever.  They will not explain why, but 
  the truth is each member of this small society has 
  powerful mutations with which to defend their own.
  The trader in Spilunk will only accept barter goods 
  in exchange for his own merchandise, not corium 
  pieces (they have no value here).  The GM should 
  decide what items he will or will not accept – 
  generally speaking, the trader will only buy practical, 
  useful goods, and not exotic artifacts or gadgets that 
  have no immediate use to the community.
  D. ALCOVES.
  These various alcoves and caves are where the 
  inhabitants of Spilunk live out their lives.  Each is 
  sheltered from the cold of the desert night by hanging 
  furs or hide.  Few have anything larger than a small 
  hole for ventilation and light, while some have a small 
  ﬁre pit for additional warmth and/or cooking.
  None of the chambers has anything of particular 
  interest to the PCs.
  E. ELDER COUNCIL.
  This large chamber has no ceiling, allowing either 
  the bright sun or the brilliant stars to shine down on 
  gatherings of the Spilunk council.  Pictograms of 
  simple but beautiful artistry cover every inch of the 
  walls, depicting the intricate history and belief system 
  of these curious people.
  It is here that the PCs will be led for their meeting 
  with the elder council.
  
  22
  MEETING WITH THE ELDERS
  Allow the PCs time to interact with the local 
  populace, including stopping to visit the market (area 
  C).  This may be especially important if the PCs have 
  taken wounds, since the marketplace of Spilunk has a 
  small supply of juju which may be of use.
  Once they’re ready, they will be escorted to the 
  meeting with the elders of Spilunk.
  Though politely given time to restock your 
  supplies and rations, it is obvious the elders of 
  Spilunk eagerly await your counsel about the 
  alliance - and recent news.
  Escorted through the village and over a 
  narrow and treacherous bridge, you ascend into 
  the central pinnacle of rock to an open council 
  chamber.  There are one or two guards present, 
  but their lack of physical weaponry seems 
  to suggest that either the mutants of Spilunk 
  are paciﬁsts, or they have alternate means of 
  defending themselves.  In any event they seem to 
  have nothing to fear from your group, and within 
  moments a small group of venerable albino elders 
  issue into the room with the ﬂuttering of long 
  robes and the hollow echo of ritual quarterstaffs 
  knocked against the earth to announce the 
  meeting’s beginning.
  The elders are eager to hear of news from Bazaar, 
  Ebb, and Sandyville.  However, assuming the PCs tell 
  the entire story of what has happened, they become 
  concerned quite quickly for the survival of the 
  alliance.
  Ebb and Sandyville have been destroyed
  “This is terrible news.  They were to provide the 
  ﬁrst line of defense against the Wastelord armies.  
  Now that they have fallen, the Wastelords will 
  be able to strike the Three Towns with impunity 
  – and without warning.”
  The Wastelords are searching for this device
  The elders are extremely curious when the PCs 
  explain about the device, and ask them to produce it.  
  Taking it amongst them, they begin murmuring and 
  examining it.
  “Whatever this device belongs to, it must be very 
  important if the Wastelords were willing to destroy 
  two villages to ﬁnd it.  We will look into it and hope to 
  identify what the item is and what it is used for.”
  What should we do in the meantime?
  “Identifying the device will take some time.  Until 
  we can further research this ancient item, you can 
  help the alliance by performing a very important 
  task.  Now that the route to Sandyville and Ebb is 
  compromised, we must ﬁnd another way to keep 
  the Three Towns in contact, to facilitate supply, 
  messengers, and move our forces unimpeded.
  “We have long considered using the canyon 
  through the mountains as a means of reaching 
  Dry Fort.  However, those scouts who attempted 
  to blaze that route never returned, and so it was 
  abandoned years ago.
  “But in light of recent events, the risk must be 
  taken to open this route once more.  Gather your 
  strength and go there with all speed.  You must 
  clear a route to Dry Fort so the alliance can 
  survive.”
  Shouldn’t we wait for your judgment on the 
  device?
  “No.  Proceed on to Dry Fort, and help them with 
  whatever preparations are needed for war.  They 
  are a suspicious, warlike people, and to keep the 
  alliance alive we must show that we are willing to 
  protect their people as much as our own.
  “We will send a mounted messenger to Dry 
  Fort when we have reached a consensus on the 
  nature of the device.  Until then there is still much 
  to be done.”
  WHAT NEXT?
  The course for the adventurers is clear – now that the 
  desert wilderness offers no guarantees against the 
  Wastelords, they must ﬁnd and clear another route to 
  Dry Fort to keep the Three Towns united.  To do this 
  they will have to ascend to the Haunted Canyon, a 
  perilous gorge inhabited by a terrible people…
  THE HAUNTED CANYON 
  The so-called “haunted canyon” is less than a day’s 
  march from Spilunk, along a forgotten wilderness trail 
  meandering through bleak sandy crag country and ﬂat 
  open desert valleys.  Eventually the passage leads to a 
  bottleneck of sorts, where the cliffs become sheer on 
  either side of the gorge.
  The twisting valley ﬁnally opens up into a canyon 
  with sheer cliff walls.  Slow winds blow up wisps 
  of sand, and across the valley, what appears to be 
  a mirage is visible in the shimmering distortion 
  caused by the ever-baking heat of the wasteland.  
  Set into the cliff wall is a collection of buildings, 
  all carved from the stone of the cliff, and intact.  
  Faint movement can be seen in a few of the 
  windows, and there is the glittering of metallic 
  objects farther away from you, closer to the cliff 
  dwellings.
  A character can make a Survival check (DC 20) to 
  determine that the sand here is thicker and more 
  coarse than in the main valley.  This less-worn sand 
  indicates that this valley is a very good shelter from 
  
  23
  the sandstorms that devastate the region.
  Unbeknownst to the characters, primitive wind-
  powered contraptions that slowly turn, giving the 
  illusion that the cliff dwellings are occupied, cause 
  the movement in the cliff dwellings!  In fact, this is 
  an elaborate bait set by the inhabitants of the valley…
  sandmen!
  Simple artifacts left by the sandmen as the lures 
  into their snares cause the glimmering seen ahead.  
  There are nine such snares, and the numerous lures 
  used vary widely, but none are of any value (they are 
  merely shiny baubles).  Examples of lures include a 
  half-buried chrome bumper, a hand mirror set upright 
  in the sand, etc.  When a character approaches within 
  10 feet of such a lure, he must make 
  a Reﬂex save (DC 20), or fall into 
  the chamber below (area 1).  Keep 
  in mind that the soft sand forms a 
  slight “funnel”, barely held intact 
  by a jury-rigged support below; as 
  a result, any appreciable weight (50 
  lbs. or more) causes the sand to fall 
  inwards, dragging anyone standing 
  near the lure down into the lair of the 
  creatures.  See area 1 for details.
  Once inside the underground 
  community, it is assumed the 
  characters make use of light sources.  
  If not, they are sure to be at a major 
  disadvantage against the occupants 
  of the under dwelling!
  KEY TO THE UNDERDWELLING
  1.  ENTRANCE
  Sucked into the sand, you fall a 
  short distance into a small cave, 
  landing on the fallen sand, which 
  luckily softens your fall.  Noisemakers set at 
  the base of the shaft and on the ground cause 
  a cacophony of echoes that reverberate out of 
  the cave, into a narrow tunnel that winds away 
  into total darkness.  These echoes soon return, 
  carrying with them the sounds of strange alien 
  hooting and hungry howls…
  The falling sand absorbs the impact of any prey that 
  fall into the snares, even while the noisemakers alert 
  the sentries lurking further within the caverns.  There 
  is nothing of interest in any of these chambers.
  GM’s Note:  If the PC(s) do not fall into the trap, 
  or make their Reﬂex saves, they may still descend 
  down into the darkness with little risk of injury, if they 
  wish.  If this is the case, alter the description above 
  accordingly.
  2.  GATHERING ROOMS (EL 2)
  The narrow tunnel opens up into a larger room.  
  A second narrow tunnel joins the one you emerge 
  from in heading away into darkness, obviously 
  leading to another chute.  The room before you 
  is littered with garbage and debris of old battles.  
  Spent shell casings and broken weapons lay about 
  haphazardly, while dark splashes of dried blood 
  spread about the walls, a silent testimony to the 
  grim purpose of these rooms.  A slight shufﬂing 
  sound is heard, and then three naked men 
  advance.  These decrepit, hunched-over men have 
  long, shaggy white hair and ragged, unkempt 
  beards.  Their pale bluish-gray skin is barely 
  visible through the layers of dirt and ﬁlth caking 
  their bodies.  Each of these men move forward, 
  their long claws clacking together in anticipation 
  of a feast, and grim smiles spread across their 
  horrid countenances.
  The noises of the characters’ entry into the warrens 
  have summoned a hunting party from the Commons 
  (see area 3) to slaughter them and deliver the meat to 
  the rest of the community.  Here the characters will 
  have their ﬁrst taste in ﬁghting underground, against a 
  determined enemy that will not retreat or give quarter.
  The sandmen will seek to kill and butcher the 
  characters as quickly as possible.  If confronted with 
  any light source, the sandmen will call out to their 
  kin elsewhere in the complex that “light-bringers” are 
  inside the community. 
   Sandmen (3): hp 9, 8, 4; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 312.
  
  24
  3.  COMMONS (EL 6)
  You emerge from the passage into a larger, 
  squalid chamber ﬁlled with the offal of centuries 
  of constant occupation; bones and tattered rags, 
  remains of old armor and bones still heavy with 
  meat.  Trash and remains of past victims are 
  scattered about the ﬂoor.  Two other passages 
  disappear into darkness; these passages are black 
  and silent.
  A deep chasm splits this cavern from the 
  other half, which is at a higher elevation.  An 
  untrustworthy rope bridge spans the chasm, 
  connecting the two halves.
  A small crowd of the hideous pale blue blind 
  people has organized and now advances on you, 
  eager to defend their home and to feed.  Their 
  milky eyes show no emotion; only the hungry 
  smiles on their lips betray their malicious intent.
  The commons hold the mass of the sandman tribe, 
  populated by six sandmen males, one elderly female, 
  and two children.  Although the children are non-
  combatants and can be easily slain, the female is 
  the equal to the males and ﬁghts alongside them in 
  defending their lair.
   Sandmen (6):  hp 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 3; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 312.
   Sandwoman (1):  hp 2.
   
  4.  THE CHASM
  This deep chasm splits the cavern, and plummets 
  deep down into the earth, its nearly sheer walls 
  jagged and rough.  No sound can be heard from 
  within, and no measure of its depth is available, 
  only a disturbing pitch darkness.
  Any character that falls into the pit is lost and 
  doomed.  The pit formed by the chasm is some 90 feet 
  deep, and the remains of centuries of victims clog its 
  bottom.  Bones, bits of armor, and other castoffs from 
  above are the only company for any who ﬁnd their 
  way to the bottom.
  5.  THE ROPE BRIDGE
  This rickety bridge is made of old junk and sinew 
  rope, most of it probably having its origins in 
  the sentient beings of the upper world.  While 
  debating whether or not to cross the chasm, 
  loud shouts and screams of deﬁance echo from 
  the other side.  Obviously the rest of the tribe is 
  gathering somewhere beyond the limits of your 
  vision.
  
  25
  Although the bridge appears unsound, it is quite 
  strong and can handle up to twenty medium-sized 
  creatures at once before snapping.  It may please the 
  GM to describe the unseen depths of the chasm, and 
  the swaying of the bridge as they cross.
  6.  SHRINE (EL 3)
  A large poster on a wooden backboard dominates 
  this chamber.  Thick rusty nails secure it in place, 
  and this piece of “art” dominates the chamber.  
  Small bowls and indentations in the rock hold 
  rotting meat and small bits of bone, primitive 
  offerings before this icon holy to the sandmen.
  Upon closer inspection, the poster offers a 
  look into the past, before the fall.  The picture 
  depicts a family of four; father, mother, son, and 
  daughter, all sharing a sumptuous meal at a 
  stout table in a well-furnished room.  The rest of 
  the poster effectively portrays an underground 
  shelter, which seems to reassure the family as 
  explosions and symbols of death, disease, and 
  radiation indicate the surface.
  Four sandmen wait here for any trespassers who cross 
  the bridge.  Canny foes, they attempt to overwhelm 
  each enemy as they reach this side of the bridge, 
  forcing their enemies to ﬁght at a great disadvantage.  
  Other than the historical curiosity of the old sign 
  (advertising the “nuclear fallout shelter soon to be 
  built in this state”, to anyone who can read Ancient), 
  there is nothing of interest here.
   Sandmen (4):  hp 9, 9, 8, 7; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 312.
  7.  PANTRY
  This grim room is decorated with corpses in 
  varying degrees of decomposition.  All hang from 
  stone hooks, carved from the walls to hold the 
  sandmen’s meat until consumption.  The most 
  recent victim is hideously mangled, his limbs all 
  twisted and snapped.  He is long dead, but the 
  look of pain on his face indicates he died slowly 
  and deliberately at the hands of his captors.
  The corpse’s armor, now tattered and soiled, is utterly 
  worthless.  It does have a few items of note, however.
  Treasure:  The corpse’s clothing, if searched, earns 
  the characters 65 corium pieces from various pockets, 
  and a Swiss-army knife (feature include a knife blade, 
  spoon/fork, nail clippers, nail ﬁle, and corkscrew; 
  worth perhaps 50 cp back at Bazaar) tucked into a torn 
  and gnawed boot.
  8.  SPARE CHAMBER
  This chamber is curiously bare and devoid of 
  all trace of the sandmen.  No garbage litters the 
  ﬂoor, no food is store; nothing at all indicates the 
  use for this cave.
  This chamber serves a religious purpose to the 
  sandmen, although the characters probably have no 
  way of knowing this.  There is nothing of value or 
  interest here.
  9.  CHIEF’S LAIR (EL 5)
  This chamber is ankle deep in detritus and ﬁlth, 
  a hellish hovel even in this grim domain.  Hides 
  of humans and mutants decorate the walls, and 
  a pile of softer children’s skins marks a bed.  
  Makeshift wooden frames hold stretched faces, 
  decorating this place in a way that chills you to 
  the bone.
  It seems here the sandmen will make their ﬁnal 
  stand, as four large warriors and one particularly 
  strong and scarred individual wait for you to 
  enter before attacking with great fury.
  The creatures here ﬁght without mercy or fear, 
  automatically ignoring any effect that would force 
  their retreat.
   Sandman Chief, Strong Hero 3:  hp 27; see 
  appendix.
   Sandmen (4):  hp 9; see appendix or Darwin’s 
  World page 312.
  Treasure:  Once the last sandman is killed, a search 
  will discover a small trove of items of interest:  a 
  ﬂashlight (no power cell, however), a surgeon’s 
  scalpel (caked in gore, this can be cleaned and used as 
  a dagger), and a broken Ruger Service-Six  (this last 
  item can be repaired with a Repair check at DC 10, 
  but also requires 20 cp in raw materials).  There is no 
  ammunition for the weapon.
  10.  HAREM (EL 3)
  The stench of this den is overpowering.  A simple 
  curtain of cloth, formed of captured garments in 
  many styles stitched together with the sinew and 
  tendon of numerous victims, covers the entrance.  
  Within, a ghastly sight awaits you; as a dank and 
  dusty room ﬁlled with old garbage and worthless 
  items rise from the ankle deep refuse.  Within the 
  piles of trash can be seen barrels, metal-spoked 
  wheels, a broken clock, and other such trash.
  A long procession of skulls lie on the ﬂoor here 
  left behind as some offering to whatever dwells 
  here.  The skulls are easily identiﬁable as those 
  of surface-dwellers and their like, although a few 
  animal skulls are scattered amongst the others.
  As you investigate deeper into the caverns, you 
  discover that the large cave has a natural rise 
  in the center, piled high with the skins of many 
  animals and even sentient creatures.  Atop this 
  
  26
  bed lies a horrible thing, screaming in alarm and 
  outrage upon detecting intruders into its domain.  
  This thing is composed of two females of the 
  sandmen, somehow fused together side-by-side; 
  conjoined twins.  These females are ﬁlthy, bloody 
  and swollen, in a double pregnancy, the weight of 
  which has immobilized the composite beast.  The 
  weak pale blue skin of the creatures’ abdomens 
  move with the excited movements of the unborn 
  within.
  The Siamese twin “mothers” of the tribe are swollen, 
  fat, and almost entirely immobile.  The thing is a 
  gigantic mass of pale white ﬂesh, albino from it’s 
  life underground (like all sand people), connected by 
  misshapen shared limbs and ropy tendon coils, almost 
  like a pair of identical sandmen the Creator smashed 
  together in a ﬁt on anger on the day of their formation.  
  Yet it is decidedly neither a sandman nor a monster – 
  but a combination of both.  Some players may wish to 
  show the wailing, helpless thing mercy, but the brood 
  that will be born (four males and a single female) will 
  most assuredly be raised as their kin were, and will 
  yearn to exact revenge on those “who walk above” for 
  their transgressions.
  Because of its gross deformities the “brood mother” 
  is treated as an abomination.
   “Brood Mother”, Abomination (1):  hp 28; see 
  appendix.
  Treasure:  While it appears that the room is a 
  vast repository of useless junk, there are in fact a 
  few useful items lying around.  Each item may be 
  discovered on a successful Search skill check (DC 
  15).  Each use of the Search skill will take twenty 
  minutes to achieve any fruition.  The piles contain 
  (in order of discovery):  a rusted harmonica (worth 
  perhaps 15 cp at Bazaar), a grimy one-liter plastic 
  bottle containing three salt pills, a capsule of hercurin 
  (one dose, in pill form), and a fully functional 
  Colt M1911A1 with three rounds remaining in the 
  magazine.
  11.  EXIT
  This area is a steeply rising ramp, which emerges 
  onto the surface through a sand-covered trapdoor.  
  This exit must be the one used by the dwellers 
  below when setting their lures, and provides you 
  with your only escape.
  
  27
  With the revelation of light pouring down through the 
  trapdoor, the characters realize they have escaped the 
  lightless domain of the sandmen - and may now return 
  to the relative comfort and security of the blistering 
  surface world.
  DRY FORT
  Having cleared the route to Dry Fort from Spilunk, 
  the PCs have been instructed to go on to that fortress 
  and see how they can aid the locals there.  When they 
  arrive they ﬁnd a weather-beaten old promontory of 
  rock on which stands the village of Dry Fort.
  Still nursing wounds from your terrible encounter 
  with the sandmen of the haunted gorge, you 
  have descended from that high country into 
  what can only be described as true badlands of 
  sand, cliffs, and ravines.  Following your map 
  you have ﬁnally come to the shadow of Dry Fort 
  – a rough fortress made from brick, dry mud, 
  and freestone worked from the sparse elements 
  of this land.  Though simple and savage, the 
  citadel of Dry Fort is an impressive sight in this 
  otherwise desolate wasteland, standing high on a 
  promontory of solid rock.
  THE TOWN
  The village of “Dry Fort” rests on a small steep-sided 
  rise in a wide-open area, allowing the residents to 
  clearly see for a great distance in any direction.  A 
  low-rounded wall completely encircles the settlement; 
  this wall is made of dried mud reinforced with thick 
  wood and steel bar, or any other material that lends 
  strength to the structure.  Windows with upward-
  swinging slats provide ventilation and observation 
  areas.  A steep ramp leads up to the gates, which are 
  crafted of old rusted iron bars.
  Inside, Dry Fort is made up of another ring much 
  like the outer wall.  The only entrance is at the 
  opposite side as the front gate, making any assault 
  difﬁcult, as the same shutters circumnavigate the 
  inner wall, allowing the defenders to attack any 
  trespassers with short bows kept on hand.  This inner 
  ring opens up into a central courtyard where the day-
  to-day life of the village occurs.  The folk of Dry Fort 
  live communally, with a large central ﬁre pit.  The 
  inner ring is pierced on the inside with the curtained 
  off arches leading into the private residences of the 
  natives.
  Dry Fort is ruled by a proud and ﬁerce warrior 
  brotherhood that drills rigorously in anticipation of 
  any future conﬂict.  These warriors have absolute 
  authority over every aspect of life in Dry Fort, 
  including ownership of property and the distribution 
  of food.  The few non-combatants that live in Dry 
  Fort do so at the mercy of their benefactors, and must 
  contribute some skill to the community or are cast out 
  to face the perils of the world.
  KEY TO DRY FORT
  A. GATE
  The front gate of Dry Fort is reached by a sloping 
  ramp that leads from the desert ﬂoor up the natural 
  rock promontory to the entrance.  The slope is gradual 
  enough for carts and wagons to navigate, and also 
  serves to buy time for the garrison to rain arrows and 
  Dry Fort:  (Resentfuls; ruled by warrior brotherhood); 0 cp limit (will not trade); Assets 350 cp; Population 
  70.
  Authority Figure:  Warlord Thrakas, male mutant Strong Hero 3/Guardian 5.
  Important Characters:  Captain Ulz, male mutant Strong Hero 3/Guardian 2; Captain Razner, male mutant 
  Strong Hero 3/Guardian 2.
  Others:  Town guards, Strong Hero 2 (4), Strong Hero 1 (12); Militia, Strong Hero 1(16); Tough Hero 2 
  (2), Tough Hero 1 (4); Dedicated Hero 2 (2), Dedicated Hero 1 (4).
   Typical Warrior of Dry Fort, Strong Hero 1:  CR 1; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d8+2; HP 6; Mas 
  14; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; Defense 13, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +1 class, +1 leather armor); BAB +1; 
  Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d8+3, battle axe); Full Atk +3 melee (1d8+3, battle axe); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 
  5 ft.; SQ DR 2/-, Melee Smash; AL Dry Fort; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1; AP 5; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 13, 
  Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 5.
  Occupation and Background:  Military, Resentful.
  Skills:  Craft (structural) +1, Disguise –9, Handle Animal +0, Jump +2, Knowledge (tactics) +2, Navigate 
  +2*, Ride +5, Speak Language (Unislang), Survival +4*.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Guide*, Mounted Combat, Primitive Technology, Ride By Attack, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Aberrant Endoskeletal Encasing, Extreme Resilience (x2).  Aberrant Deformity 
  (shriveled nose), Hunchback (x2).
  Possessions:  Battle axe, leather armor, three juju potions (1d4), horse with trappings.
  
  28
  other missiles down on attackers who have to ascend 
  the ramp.
  When the PCs arrive they will be acutely aware that 
  solemn, unfriendly faces watch them as they ascend 
  the ramp towards the gate…
  B. RING
  The inner ring is an open area behind the ﬁrst mud 
  wall, where soldiers of Dry Fort can remain under 
  cover while ﬁring on attackers below.  Shuttered 
  windows and arrow slits provide a good 360-degree 
  view of the approaches to the village.
  C. INNER GATE
  The inner gate is a narrower opening than the main 
  gate, but still large enough for wagons and carts.  It 
  can be closed up in times of war by materials kept 
  within the inner compound.
  D. COMMUNAL AREA
  During the day this open area is home to numerous 
  warriors, womenfolk, and children, as well as many 
  mangy dogs, which are kept by the people of Dry 
  Fort as additional guardians and watch animals.  
  The smoke of smoldering ﬁres, with traces of the 
  morning’s meal, lingers here for hours.  When not 
  cooking or preparing the next meal, those present 
  in this open area will be telling tales of Dry Fort’s 
  past, reliving old battles, sparring for future conﬂicts, 
  repairing weapons and armor, or ﬂetching scores of 
  new arrows to replace those lost by hunting parties.
  E. ALCOVES
  These primitive alcoves are little more than mud dens.  
  Some have an opening in the roof for ventilation or 
  permitting sunshine in, though some are completely 
  enclosed.  Each houses a warrior’s family and 
  belongings; animals also live communally with the 
  populace.
  None of these chambers has anything of particular 
  interest to the PCs.
  F. WARLORD’S HALL
  The chief of Dry Fort (known as the “warlord”) 
  resides in this, the largest and most spacious den in the 
  village.  It is reserved for his family, including loyal 
  sons and favored concubines.
  G. CISTERN AND STORES
  This cool, enclosed mud den is used to store 
  perishable foods and water.  A cistern shaft has been 
  
  29
  sunk to a depth of thirty feet (it is only a quarter 
  full, however), while the meat of rare game is salted 
  and hung here for preservation.  Most of the foods 
  consumed by the people of Dry Fort comprise tough 
  hardy roots and various forms of cactus, though they 
  also have honey in relative abundance (Dry Fort has 
  access to the Dry Forest, which has bees).
  Dry Fort does not have a market, and they are not 
  interested in trading any goods to “outsiders” now 
  that war is imminent.  The PCs will be unable to 
  restock or resupply while they are here.
  MEETING WITH CAPTAIN ULZ
  As you near the compound of Dry 
  Fort, it is clear that news of the 
  Wastelords’ destruction of Ebb 
  and Sandyville has reached 
  every corner of the desert.  
  The warrior people of Dry 
  Fort are busy preparing 
  their defenses, repairing 
  the damage to the 
  stonework caused by 
  last year’s sandstorms.  
  As you approach, a few 
  humorless faces turn from 
  their solemn work to stare 
  down at you.  Watchmen, 
  standing atop the walls, 
  stare without any sign 
  of hospitality as you 
  ascend, breathless, 
  to the gate to their 
  village.
  But at least they’re 
  not shooting at 
  you…
  Though not exactly greeted as heroes (they have yet 
  to prove themselves), the PCs are at least recognized 
  as agents of the council and permitted sanctuary 
  and shelter at Dry Fort.  When they announce their 
  intention to give word of recent events, only a single 
  guard can be spared from the fortiﬁcation effort to 
  escort them to meet with Captain Ulz.
  The PCs are escorted into the central yard, where 
  Captain Ulz is overseeing the construction plans for 
  his commander, the warlord of Dry Fort.  Ulz, who 
  met the PCs at the meeting of the Council of Three 
  Towns (see introduction), is surprised to see them, but 
  will reluctantly set aside time to hear what they have 
  to say.
  Once they inform him of recent events, he 
  will cool his natural suspicion of them and 
  consider their words.
  Captain Ulz strokes his chin.
  “You scags learn much in short time.  
  This device…what purpose for it?  What 
  good I ask you?  Nothing.  Spilunk wastes 
  time ﬁguring it out.  It junk, like other 
  junk of Ancients.  Worthless.  Bah.  And 
  Bazaar’s busy counting its beans.  They 
  traders, not warriors.  We are warriors.  
  But we not ready.  Storm season has done much 
  damage to Dry Fort.  What, we supposed to ﬁght 
  whole war by ourselves?!?
  “Now they send you to us.  What good can 
  you do?  You little more than pups...”
  He continues to rub his chin, apparently 
  very disappointed at the state of affairs in the 
  alliance.
  “There may be something you scags can do.  
  Maybe.  We need our warriors here to build 
  and keep lookout.  If Wastelords attack, we 
  need all our warriors here.  But we need 
  more iron to build up defenses.  The scrap 
  mine a day away in the dry forest.  We go once 
  each year to fetch scrap, but this year we cannot 
  spare warriors to make trip.”
  Ulz’s eyes glimmer.
  “You will do this.  You will take cart to dry 
  forest, retrieve enough scrap metal, and bring 
  back.  Then defenses will be complete.
  “Do this, and maybe you will earn respect as 
  warriors of Dry Fort.”
  THE DRY FOREST
  The “scrap mine” used by the people of Dry Fort is 
  located some distance from that settlement, high up in 
  the crag country that leads to more monumental peaks 
  further north.  The “mine” itself is located deep within 
  the Dry Forest, an ancient hinterland of a unique kind 
  in this part of the world for its trees and animal life.
  When the PCs ﬁnally come to the edges of the 
  forest, read the following:
  The broken crag country you have traveled 
  through ﬁnally ends at a wall of trees.  Dry and 
  naked, the trees resemble stands of kindling 
  waiting to catch ﬁre during the next lightning 
  storm.  Fallen husks of tree trunks vanish into 
  tall stands of golden grass, and weird fungi of 
  white and orange colors sprout all over the upper 
  branches of many of the trees.  The distant calls 
  of birds echo through the dry woods, but beyond 
  these odd sights and sounds the forest seems 
  eerily…dead.
  Captain Ulz of Dry Fort said the scrap mine is 
  to be found at the heart of this ancient woodland.  
  Though there are trees everywhere, enough 
  distance between each withered trunk means your 
  wagon can pass easily into the forest.  On your 
  guard, you proceed with caution.
  
  30
  The forest is not, in fact “dead”, but rather a refuge 
  for many forms of life that have escaped the harsh 
  conditions of the desert wasteland for a dwindling 
  existence among the sheltered trees.  These include 
  small birds, hawks, insects of all kinds including bees 
  (the honey of which the people of Dry Fort harvest 
  each year) small mammals (or deformed variations) 
  and a particular tribe of terminals.
  There will be no encounters in the Dry Forest 
  (except perhaps for rare sightings of hawks hunting 
  smaller birds overhead, or the ﬂash of a squirrel 
  running past on a high treetop), until the PCs near the 
  site of the “scrap mine”, when they will stumble upon 
  the defensive traps of the terminal village.
  KEY TO THE DRY FOREST
  1. TRAPS (EL VARIES)
  Those areas marked as traps on the map indicate either 
  clever snares or concealed spiked pits, constructed by 
  the terminals to catch wild animals (for meals) as well 
  as trespassers in the vicinity of the village.  Snares 
  are marked with an orange circle; spiked pit raps are 
  marked with a red circle.
   Snare:  EL 1; Reﬂex save (DC 18) to avoid 
  being immobilized; Search (DC 18); Disable Device 
  (DC 18).
   Spiked Pit Trap (10 Ft. Deep):  EL 2; +10 
  melee (1d4 spikes for 1d4+1 points of damage per 
  successful hit); Reﬂex save (DC 18) avoids; Search 
  (DC 18); Disable Device (DC 18).
  GM’s Note:  A character caught in a snare is 
  instantly hurled 20’ into the air and dangled upside 
  down.  He must make a Reﬂex save (DC 18) or also 
  drop anything held in the hands.  He is effectively 
  immobilized while snared.
  Bells worked into the snares and pits will be triggered 
  when the trap is set off, alerting the terminals in the 
  village that a trespasser has been caught.  A scouting 
  force of three to six terminals will arrive in 1d4+2 
  rounds. 
  2. WALL SECTIONS
  Here and there is evidence that someone has been 
  building some kind of wall, digging holes in the 
  forest ﬂoor and placing fallen tree trunks upright 
  to create a makeshift barrier.
  The wall structure is only marginally complete; given 
  time, however, the terminals are likely to fence off 
  the entire village and scrap mine to prevent outside 
  intrusion.
  3. VILLAGE (EL 4)
  The forest thins as it approaches a clearing, 
  where apparently some primitive tribe of people 
  has created a village motley huts and lean-tos 
  made from fallen tree limbs, trunks, and leaves.  
  
  31
  The smoking remains of campﬁres offer evidence 
  that the village was recently occupied…
  The status of the village when ﬁrst encountered 
  depends on whether or not the PCs have been heard 
  approaching.  Lookouts for the village make take a 10 
  on their Listen checks (for a total of 11), which must 
  defeat the Move Silently checks of the approaching 
  group.  If any snares or pit traps have been triggered, 
  the villagers are automatically alerted to the PCs’ 
  presence.
  Alerted:  If the terminals are alerted to the presence 
  of the PCs, the entire tribe will arm themselves, and 
  retreat into their huts.  Two gronts, domesticated by 
  the tribe to serve as beasts of burden, will be left to 
  attack the PCs when they are roughly in the center 
  of the settlement.  Once distracted by the gronts, the 
  entire terminal population will come pouring from 
  all over the village to attack the intruders from all 
  directions.
  Not Alerted:  If they weren’t already alerted to the 
  PCs’ presence through their various snares and spiked 
  pits (or through their ability to listen), the occupants 
  of the village will be found in the various huts or 
  around the dwindling ﬁres, cleaning the carcass of 
  unidentiﬁable animals, making twine and leather from 
  the same, or using stone tools to create spears, spikes 
  for their pits, etc.
  If encountered in this manner (i.e. taken off guard), 
  this gives the PCs more leverage when attempting to 
  prove their intentions are benign.  In this case the PCs 
  receive a +5 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks 
  when trying to arrange a peaceful solution to the scrap 
  problem.
   Gronts (2): hp 35 each; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 295.
   Terminals (12):  hp 7 each; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 317.
  Treasure:  Only if the terminals are killed off 
  will the PCs be able to take stock of their meager 
  possessions.  These consist of some thirty javelins, 
  six slings, four short spears, and some ten extra doses 
  of rattlesnake venom for smearing on their weapons.  
  In addition, a rusted set of night vision goggles (no 
  power source) are also in their possession, recovered 
  from the wreckage of their “Sky God” a few months 
  ago (the terminals do not know how it works, 
  however, and thus keep it solely as a curiosity).
  4. SCRAP MINE
  See “The Scrap Mine” for details.
  DIPLOMACY
  Normally the creatures called “terminals” are not 
  known for their civility, and the occupants of the 
  village are no exception.  Their story is a rather 
  sad one:  a collection of outcasts driven from the 
  communities of the Trade Lands, they banded together 
  and left the valley for the protection and relative 
  abundance for the forest.  Though they are promised 
  only short and miserable lives, the terminals of the 
  tribe have sworn to live out what little time they have 
  away from the hatred and prejudice of the outside 
  world.
  The terminals have made for themselves a small 
  POTENTIAL ALLIES
  Despite the inherent difﬁculties, you may want to award players who persist in attempts at making peace 
  with the terminal village with success, instead of leading them into a potential bloodbath.
  A Diplomacy check, DC 15, is enough to convince the tribe that the PCs mean them no harm.  However, 
  though this will stave off attack, it is a far cry from getting the terminals’ cooperation.  Even though they 
  may be able to prove they mean no harm, the terminals wish to be left alone.
  Any request to investigate the site of the “scrap mine” will anger the terminals and rouse their suspicions, 
  and the PCs will thereafter be shadowed to ensure they do not violate that sanctuary.
  With a Diplomacy check at DC 17, however, the PCs may be able to convince the terminals that the steel 
  is needed for the very survival of the Three Towns alliance.  Though the terminals have no love for the 
  Three Towns (who shut their doors to them), stories of the depravations of the Wastelords make it clear to 
  the terminals that unless something is done to stop them, they might be among the villages destroyed in the 
  future.
  If successful, the terminals will ﬁnally relent and let the PCs take enough scrap to ﬁll one wagonload.  
  But they tell the PCs to return to Dry Fort and tell the warriors there that the “scrap mine” has new owners, 
  and any further attempts to take metal from the site must be negotiated with them.  They will expect some 
  kind of payment or compensation from now on to appease the “Sky God”.
  Finally, if the Diplomacy check to convince the terminals about the Wastelord threat was made by a 
  margin of more than 5, the terminals become so concerned that they offer to send some of their warriors to 
  join the alliance of the Three Towns.  This force will consist of half the tribe (six terminals and one gront), 
  who will appear later in the scenario during the war with the Wastelords.
  If the PCs do manage to convince the terminals to join the alliance without a ﬁght, award them 
  experience as if they had “defeated” them.
  
  32
  village with adequate defenses, and have begun to 
  learn how to hunt for the beneﬁt of the entire tribe, 
  as well as to make important items such as javelins 
  and even to gather poison from wilderness animals.  
  They have learned to treat their injured instead of 
  eating them, and have come to feel a sense of uncanny 
  camaraderie among their fellows.  Though fragile at 
  best, their attempt at living separate from the world is 
  working.
  COMPLICATIONS
  Unfortunately for the alliance, the terminals have 
  decided to make their village near the “scrap mine”.  
  The terminals, having only recently arrived, do not 
  realize the value the scrap mine has to the people of 
  Dry Fort, and instead of using it for parts and scrap 
  metal, have themselves taken to “worshipping” it.  
  Believing the ancient aircraft to be the remains of a 
  winged god from long ago, they perform monthly 
  sacriﬁces of burnt animals there in a semblance of 
  primitive worship.
  This fact may pose a major problem in any attempts 
  at diplomacy with the terminal tribe.  Generally under 
  no circumstances will they allow “outsiders” (even 
  ones with a previous claim to the site, such as the 
  people of Dry Fort) to violate their religious site or 
  take from it.
  The terminals would make useful allies of the Three 
  Towns alliance, but convincing them that the party 
  isn’t hostile would be a difﬁcult challenge to say the 
  least.  Trespassing onto what the terminals consider 
  their “last chance at peace”, as well as ransacking 
  their holy site (the “scrap mine”), the PCs will likely 
  be seen as enemies rather than potential friends.
  THE SCRAP MINE
  Though so far in the future no one is left to recognize 
  it for what it is, the so-called “scrap mine” is in fact 
  the wreckage of a B-52 that crashed in the mountains 
  during the Fall, just as it launched the last of it’s air-
  launched nuclear cruise missile payload.  Though 
  shielded against EMP detonation, the intensity of 
  airbursts at distant NORAD and Denver caused 
  enough disruption to bring the bomber down.
  The bomber crash-landed relatively intact, though 
  the crew was killed instantly on impact.  The 
  wreckage has remained in place for hundreds of years, 
  the forest slowly rebuilding itself around the metallic 
  hulk.  When the PCs arrive, it will seem just another 
  leftover from the time of the Ancients.
  If the PCs avoid the terminal village, or even if 
  they approach from a direction that means they don’t 
  discover it, they may come to the scrap mine without 
  encountering the local inhabitants of the forest.  If this 
  is the case, keep in mind that any activity here that 
  makes loud noise (including loading scrap into the 
  wagon) has a good chance of alerting the terminals of 
  the party’s presence at their religious site.
  
  33
  KEY TO THE “SCRAP MINE”
  1. SACRIFICIAL ALTAR
  Up ahead a cairn of stones stacked one on top 
  of the other seems to mark the spot of the scrap 
  mine.  You ﬁnd its presence a bit odd, since 
  Captain Ulz never mentioned a cairn…
  Beyond the cairn the forest dwindles into a 
  broad clearing bathed by the sun, wherein rests 
  an enormous metallic hulk, longer than any metal 
  structure you have ever seen, left bare and naked 
  to the elements by the lack of trees.  Rusted over 
  in many parts, and much of its surface overgrown 
  with dry vegetation, it is a truly impressive sight.
  Atop the cairn rests a small wooden bowl, its 
  concave surface turned black by ﬁres lit within.  An 
  examination reveals a collection of sooty animal 
  bones, apparently burned here as some kind of 
  religious “offering”.
  If the PCs have not yet encountered the inhabitants 
  of the terminal village, they will now have reason to 
  suspect that others live in the vicinity of the scrap 
  mine…
  2. ENGINE POD
  A huge metal object, almost as large as a house, 
  sits here exposed to the elements.  The metal 
  casing of the thing is torn and battered, and the 
  heat of some ancient ﬁre seems to have burned it 
  black.  Twisted debris extends from this point on; 
  the growth of grass and wild ﬂowers throughout 
  seems to indicate that this wreckage has been 
  here for generations.
  There is nothing of interest to be found here.
  3. BOMB BAY
  This part of the wreckage appears to be the focus 
  of the scavenging efforts of the scrap miners of 
  Dry Fort.
  There is ample room here for the characters 
  to pull up the cart and begin work immediately.  
  Extracting steel from the wreckage is a difﬁcult 
  and time-consuming process that involves prying 
  off the bent and twisted plating of the plane’s 
  fuselage, hauling it to the cart, and securing it.
  The effort should take three hours for four 
  reasonably strong characters working non-stop.  
  Keep in mind that activity here is likely to draw 
  the attention of the terminals at the village, unless 
  measures are taken to be as quiet as possible.
  4. FRONT SECTION
  Climbing into this conﬁned front part of the aging 
  metal structure, you are confronted by a rusted, 
  ruined interior, the only light coming through 
  a number of portals in the far end.  Coarse 
  vegetation such as vines and ivy have grown 
  through these windows and covered much of the 
  metallic consoles and machinery cluttering the 
  place.  The stench of rot is heavy here.
  This area was once the cockpit and electronics 
  monitoring station of the bomber; there are three 
  rotted seats, two in the front with a third (facing aft) 
  behind the pilot seat.  Skeletal remains are evident in 
  each of these seats, but time and the elements have 
  stripped them of any identiﬁcation.
  Treasure:  A thorough Search (DC 18) will uncover 
  a power pack with about an hour’s charge left in it, 
  concealed beneath some panels.  Wires – which can be 
  safely disconnected with a Craft (Electronic) check at 
  DC 12 (each failure induces a shock for 1d4 points of 
  electricity damage) – appear to connect this pack to a 
  computer screen in the electronic monitoring station 
  (behind the pilot).
  Any character making a Knowledge (Technology) 
  check at DC 13, or a Craft (Electronic) check at DC 
  11, will be able to turn the console on.  Sputtering 
  to life, the small glass screen displays the last few 
  moments of the bomber’s ﬂight course and its missile 
  launching activity (see player aid).
  GM’s Note:  Black out the written messages if 
  none of the PCs present speaks Ancient.  Also, do 
  not explain what any of this information actually 
  means!  Clever players, however, will probably note 
  the general contours of the mountains and, cross-
  referencing with their map of the Trade Lands, come 
  to realize a nuclear cruise missile crashed into the hills 
  south of Dry Fort!
  ON THE WAY BACK (EL 5)
  Assuming they are able to secure a wagonload of 
  scrap for Dry Fort’s defenses, the PCs will quickly 
  head back to Dry Fort.
  If he has not already made an appearance, the Scav 
  who has been tailing the PCs since they recovered the 
  “device” will now make his move.
  Tactics:  The Scav has picked out the perfect spot 
  to ambush the characters, among a maze of crags and 
  boulders that if anything resembles the surface of 
  Mars or some alien planet.  His plan is to take the PCs 
  off guard from a distance, hopefully to even the odds 
  before he runs out of ammo and must close to attack 
  in melee.
  Hidden as he is among the heights, the Scav will 
  try to remain undetected until the last moment before 
  attacking.  Check his Hide roll against the party’s 
  individual Spot checks.  If successful he will make the 
  most of his Far Shot feat and sniper riﬂe, opening ﬁre 
  from the second range increment (270 ft.) and taking 
  
  34
  –2 on his attacks.
  Because of the unique echoing effect of the crags 
  country, his opponents must make a Listen check (DC 
  12) to hear the direction from which the attack came.  
  If successful they pinpoint the Scav and can attack as 
  normal.  Otherwise the PCs cannot target him unless 
  they again try to Spot him.  If the Scav is detected 
  by the majority of the party he will take cover and 
  attempt to Hide again, to start the process anew.
  Characters taking cover once the Scav opens ﬁre 
  may choose their concealment (from none to total), 
  but those who do not actually know where the Scav is 
  (i.e. failed their Listen and Spot checks) located have 
  a 50% chance of being completely exposed (after all, 
  not knowing where he is, they may be right in his 
  sights)!
  If characters fail to hear or spot the Scav, he may be 
  able to pick them off one by one until it is too late!
   “The Scav”, Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3/Scav 2:  
  hp 37; see appendix.
  RETURN TO DRY FORT
  When the PCs return to Dry Fort, they will receive 
  a much more hospitable welcome, having earned 
  the title of “allies” for the risk they took to retrieve 
  the scrap for their town’s defenses.  Though having 
  gained their appreciation, their friendship is another 
  matter, but in general they will be greeted as useful 
  members of the alliance and accorded the respect due 
  allies.
  This respect includes being allowed to trade for a 
  hot meal, and secure lodgings for however long they 
  plan on staying to help with the construction.
  For his part Captain Ulz will immediately order the 
  scrap be put to use bolstering the outer wall and the 
  shutters defending the arrow slits.  If he learns about 
  any conﬂict with the terminals (and assuming they 
  were wiped out, ending their threat to scavenging 
  efforts in the Dry Forest), the warlord of Dry Fort 
  has Ulz reward the party with six juju potions (each 
  healing 1d4) and a pouch ﬁlled with twelve .38 special 
  rounds and two 12-gauge shotgun shells (since they 
  don’t have ﬁrearms themselves, these items are of no 
  use to the warriors of Dry Fort).
  THE HORSE HUNT (EL 3)
  The next day a group of warriors from Spilunk, led by 
  Warlord Thrakas and Captain Ulz, set out to engage 
  in the annual round-up of new mounts for the tribe’s 
  cavalry.  While this important undertaking has evolved 
  into as much a sport as a necessity over the years, with 
  the impending war with the Wastelords the need for 
  additional mounts adds immediacy to the event.
  The PCs are invited to attend the ritual round up 
  of these new mounts, assuming they are up to it.  
  Warlord Thrakas, who has so far declined to meet the 
  PCs, wants to see how they handle a horse ﬁrst hand.  
  The invitation is nothing more than an invitation, 
  meaning that if the PCs decline there will be no hard 
  feelings.
  If the PCs choose to join the hunt, they are each 
  given a swift horse (unless they have steeds of their 
  own) for the event, as well as rope and a weighted net 
  for ensnaring the wild desert horses of the wasteland.  
  With no further instruction, Warlord Thrakas, Captain 
  Ulz, and two other riders from Dry Fort ride off to 
  catch up with a herd spotted this morning only miles 
  from the village.
  THE HUNT
  The hunters ﬁnally come to a stop on a small 
  sandy crest, overlooking a broad open plain.  As 
  you catch up you see a herd of desert horses 
  milling about in the open, the hot summer wind 
  catching their manes in a gentle gale.  One of the 
  horses, a proud stallion with a silvery color, looks 
  up as if keeping a wary eye on your hunting party.
  Captain Ulz speaks.
  “The object of the hunt is to catch as many 
  horses as possible.  Each man in the party will 
  be expected to catch at least one horse.  If you 
  catch a horse, you will share tonight’s meal with 
  the other warriors of the tribe, for this rite will 
  initiate you as one of us.”
  Warlord Thrakas ﬁnally speaks.
  “That one there.  The silvery stallion.”
  Captain Ulz explains.
  “Warlord Thrakas has called his choice.  
  Normally no warrior would dare interfere with 
  his choice.  But if you can catch that horse before 
  him, you earn the right to sit at the head of the 
  feast, in his place.  Consider it…a game.”
  The hunt begins immediately.  There are ﬁfteen desert 
  horses in the herd, which start at a distance of 40 feet 
  from the hunting party.  The animals will instantly 
  scatter and begin to run at full speed in different 
  directions when the group moves to attack.  Roll d8 
  to determine what direction each animal takes to get 
  away, using the Thrown Explosives Deviation table on 
  page 149 of D20 Modern (if the dice roll indicates an 
  animal moves towards the enemy, assume it is a male 
  moving to attack to protect the rest of the herd).
  The hunting party must try to divide and corner the 
  individual desert horses and attempt to net them; this 
  is not an easy task.  Initiative is key here (otherwise 
  the desert horses will simply outrun the hunters), as is 
  the ability to use a weapon from the back of a mount.  
  Throwing a net is a close-range effort, and without the 
  Mounted Archery feat there are serious penalties (see 
  page 66 of DARWIN’S WORLD 2nd Edition).  Even 
  if he hits the desert horse is allowed a Reﬂex save 
  equal to the modiﬁed attack roll of the attacker; if a 
  
  35
  character misses (or the animal dodges) with his net 
  he must stop and retrieve it, costing him valuable time 
  (and possibly letting the horses get away).
  A desert horse, if netted, will be effectively 
  immobilized allowing the hunter to capture it.  
  Anyone coming close to a desert horse under any 
  circumstance will be attacked (though they usually 
  attack the mounts of the PCs, a character who gets off 
  his horse will be fair game).  PCs are expected to net 
  and subdue the horses, not kill them (to do so brings 
  great shame, since the horses are quite valuable).
  To complicate things, however, part of the “sport” 
  of the horse hunt is competition.  Warlord Thrakas 
  will expect the PCs to take up his challenge for the 
  silver stallion.  But the challenge involves more than 
  just beating him to the target; Thrakas will ride up 
  alongside the challengers to his claim and beat them 
  senseless with his battle axe!  The PCs may, of course, 
  ﬁght back, but during the course of the sporting, 
  inﬂicting anything other than nonlethal damage will 
  be considered very poor sportsmanship (Thrakas will 
  take –4 to his attack rolls in order to deal nonlethal 
  damage).
  If Warlord Thrakas is beaten to the stallion, or 
  knocked unconscious, he will laugh despite losing, 
  having thoroughly enjoyed himself.  The PCs will be 
  hailed as true warriors for having bested the Warlord 
  of Dry Fort!
   Desert Horses (15): hp 22; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 289.
   Warlord Thrakas, Strong Hero 3/Guardian 5: 
  hp 45; see appendix.
   Horses (one for each party member):  hp 19 
  each; see appendix or d20 Modern.
  MESSENGERS ARRIVE
  Whether or not the PCs participate in the horse hunt, 
  for the next few days the PCs will be expected to get 
  down to serious business and lend a hand in readying 
  Dry Fort for the inevitable war.
  The GM can use this time to allow the PCs to 
  recuperate from their injuries, to train (and level 
  up), or make plans once their duty here is complete.  
  It will also give the PCs a chance to make ﬁrmer 
  contact with the warriors of Dry Fort, and engender 
  a sense of camaraderie that could do wonders for 
  fortifying relations between the allied Three Towns 
  for generations to come.
  Eventually a group arrives at Dry Fort from Spilunk.  
  Bearing important information, they are taken 
  immediately to Warlord Thrakas’ presence to inform 
  them of the news.
  The PCs, who have been recuperating at the village 
  (and hopefully earning the trust of the people of Dry 
  Fort), are given a chance to join the meeting of the 
  messengers and the leaders of the village.
  Meeting within the hall of the Warlord of 
  Dry Fort is like descending into a cave from 
  prehistoric times.  Torches on the wall create a 
  smoky, biting air, while colorful scenes painted on 
  the rock are reminiscent of Spilunk – but depict 
  victorious hunting forays against monstrous prey, 
  or past deeds of valor by the elite of the village.  
  Furs cover parts of the ﬂoor where young boys 
  sit sharpening their spears with bits of sharpened 
  ﬂint.
  The messengers from Spilunk stop murmuring 
  amongst themselves before ﬁnally moving over 
  to the stump in front of the imposing ﬁgure of 
  Warlord Thrakas, leader of Dry Fort.  One of 
  them pulls back his cloak and opens a satchel 
  beneath, pulling out the device and placing it 
  before Warlord Thrakas.
  The warlord, staring down from his perch on a 
  stony throne, seems unimpressed.
  The ﬁrst messenger speaks.
  “This device is what the Wastelords seek.  Our 
  elders have looked back through the mists of the 
  past to discover what it is.  We think it is called a 
  ‘guidance system’, a device that through unknown 
  magic guides a great ﬁery weapon of untold 
  power unerringly to its target.”
  As the man speaks, his arms make a great 
  motion as if recreating the rising sun.
  “It is a piece of one of the Great Weapons of 
  the Ancients.”
  Warlord Thrakas’ eyes glimmer, but for a 
  moment he says nothing.  Captain Ulz, at his side, 
  leans in and whispers.  Eventually he speaks for 
  the Warlord.
  “With this weapon they destroy any of our 
  villages.  With this weapon they destroy the 
  alliance!”
  The messenger is quick to cut in.
  “We must ﬁnd where they keep the weapon.  
  They seek the guidance system as we speak, so 
  as long as we keep it from them we buy ourselves 
  time.”
  “We must get the weapon for ourselves…” says 
  Warlord Thrakas, breaking his silence.
  “The leaders of my community, Spilunk, 
  and also those of Bazaar, agree,” replies the 
  messenger.  “With it we will be able to destroy the 
  Wastelord threat and win our freedom once and 
  for all.”
  Warlord Thrakas whispers with Captain Ulz for 
  a moment.
  “These men,” Ulz says, motioning to your 
  party, “have proven themselves to all of the Three 
  Towns in the alliance.  We nominate them for this 
  task.”
  The messenger looks to you, then nods.
  “Assuming they are willing…”
  Now might be a good time re-negotiate their 
  contract!  Players who think of it may have their 
  
  36
  characters strike a deal with the allied representatives 
  for a bolstering of their original pay.  If they make 
  a Diplomacy check (DC 18), they may be able to 
  convince the leaders to throw in an additional 500 
  corium apiece, as well as enough food and fresh 
  water to get the PCs out of the Trade Lands and to the 
  nearest civilized nexus once the war is won.
  THE CRUISE MISSILE SITE (EL 9)
  Unless they missed them, there are clues to lead 
  the PCs to the site of the crashed cruise missile, 
  fortunately located only a few miles to the south 
  of Dry Fort.  The computer display in the crashed 
  bomber (see “The Scrap Mine”) shows the direction 
  and distance from the Dry Forest crash site, and the 
  shoddy map carried by the Scav haunting them since 
  they retrieved the device also has an enigmatic “X” 
  labeling the same area as being of particular note.
  The journey to the site is wrought with uncertainty, 
  with the pressure of knowing that the Great Weapon 
  they seek to steal from the hands of the Wastelords 
  is of a kind lost to antiquity.  Characters may know 
  nothing of the nature of the weapon, or may have 
  heard legends of such great devices used during the 
  Fall, but to actually ﬁnd one intact and turn it against 
  the raiders is a terrifying prospect.
  Roll for random encounters as normal during the 
  trip.  Following a roughly straight line south from Dry 
  Fort, they will soon ﬁnd tracks left by the Wastelords 
  leading to the resting place of the Great Weapon.
  It is almost twilight.  Here, in the boulder-strewn 
  foothills of the mountainous spur dividing the 
  Trade Lands, the sky seems to take on a much 
  deeper and more ominous red color, with the 
  stars barely visible like the eyes of the Ancients 
  themselves luring you to the resting place of their 
  forgotten, infernal weapon.  Towering cliffs and 
  pillar-like formations of rock serve to channel 
  the wind into a deafening gale, buffeting you and 
  your mounts as you ascend further up the slopes.
  A series of strange noises echoes through this 
  eerie countryside, barely audible over the roaring 
  wind.  Taking cover behind a huge boulder, you 
  cautiously sneak forward between bits of stony 
  cover to see beyond, perhaps 100 yards in the 
  distance.
  There, in a shallow gully, is what appears to be 
  a large “arrow”, broken in a number of pieces, 
  rusted and battered from the countless ages since 
  the Fall.  For a moment your minds imagine 
  that the wind is not just raging without purpose, 
  but carrying the whispers of the Ancient dead, 
  
  37
  beckoning you to revive the weapon and utilize its 
  destructive powers to rule the world.
  But it must be your imaginations running wild.  
  Surely.
  Sudden movement in the gully distracts your 
  silent awe.  There appears to be a camp set up 
  in the depression, complete with many tents, 
  where a large group of raiders in leather, chains, 
  and a hodge-podge of gear studded with wicked 
  barbs mingle about.  They appear to have been 
  pursuing work on the Great Weapon, for a glow 
  can be seen from the front hatch of the fallen 
  machine where a worker might be welding or 
  making repairs from inside.
  You grip your weapons nervously, knowing that 
  today you will be ﬁring the ﬁrst shots in a war 
  that could tear the Trade Lands apart.
  KEY TO THE CAMP
  1. MAIN CAMP
  This area is merely a collection of tents and lean-tos 
  temporarily used by the Wastelord raiders while they 
  ready the missile for ﬁring.
  Treasure:  A search of the Wastelord camp (Search 
  DC 12) will reveal some important items.  These 
  include a collection of books and magazines about 
  WII rocketry (worth a total of 100 cp outside of the 
  Trade Lands; worth 250 cp to members of the Paradise 
  Believers cult, a major faction of the Twisted Earth), 
  a logbook, and a single walkie talkie (professional) 
  – though the power cell has just run out of power.
  The log vaguely reveals that the Wastelords are 
  indeed “from the south”, beyond the mountains 
  and that they are using the Dry River to move their 
  vehicles in the Trade Lands undetected.  Not only is 
  this a convenient pass through the mountains, but also 
  the hard-packed earth of its bed does not create a dust-
  cloud when a large force moves over it.
  The radio allows the raider patrol to communicate 
  with other Wastelord forces in the Trade Lands, giving 
  the entire army a decisive advantage over the natives 
  of the valley.
  2. MISSILE
  The “Great Weapon”, originally an air-launched 
  AGM-86 cruise missile, crashed here, by some trick 
  of fate suffering only minor damage.  It has been 
  stripped somewhat, however; ﬁrst by the Scav who 
  found the wreckage (he took the only part he could 
  carry, the guidance system), then by the people of 
  Monastery under cover of night.  The entire missile is 
  almost 15 feet long and weighs nearly 2,000 lbs.
  3. LAUNCH RAMP
  The Wastelords have built a ramp out of scrap metal, 
  rocks, and wood.  The ramp will hopefully allow the 
  missile to be launched (not unlike some archaic “V-
  weapon” from WWII).
  GM’s Note:  If you are playing with part two of this 
  campaign, the PCs will notice that the ramp was built 
  facing southwest, not towards any known settlement 
  in the Trade Lands.  Though they don’t know it, this 
  is because the Wastelords are in fact attempting to use 
  the missile against a much greater threat to the world, 
  on the other side of the mountains, from which they 
  themselves come.
  If this adventure is being played stand-alone, the 
  missile ramp is built facing towards Bazaar.
  4. WITNESSES
  Two scouts from Monastery are hiding here, 
  watching the battle.  See later for details.
  There is a force of eight Wastelords at the missile 
  salvage site, including seven warriors and a single 
  – but invaluable – engineer (“Sprocket”) in their 
  “employ”.
  Three of the raiders will be on guard, taking a 10 
  on their Spot and Listen checks to avoid being taken 
  by surprise.  Another guard is off to the side, playing 
  with the camp’s radio attempting to get it to work 
  (the power cell has just run out of power; this fact 
  will prevent the raiders from alerting the rest of the 
  Wastelords of the PCs’ attack).
  The remainder of the raiders are moving around 
  assisting the engineer in repairing the missile, but are 
  not far from their weapons.  Whether discovered ﬁrst 
  or not, a battle to the death will occur when the PCs 
  emerge from hiding.
  Note that due to his Reactive Shooter feat, Sprocket 
  may still be able to act in the ﬁrst round even if the 
  Wastelords are taken by surprise by the party.
   Sprocket, Smart Hero 3/Tinker 5:  hp 20; see 
  appendix.
  Sprocket looks completely out of place among 
  the other raiders:  small, weak, and snot-nosed.  He 
  wears a pair of cracked glasses on his thin face that 
  look more like magnifying lenses, and his hair has 
  been completely shaved off on one side of his head 
  - the other dyed a vibrant blue (so that the raiders 
  can keep track of him in battle).  He usually wears a 
  long, soiled, military-style trench coat, within which 
  he conceals his various tools, equipment, and folding 
  crossbow.
  Sprocket came into the “employ” of the Wastelords 
  after being found thirsting to death in the wastes.  He 
  begged to be spared, and only the timely breakdown 
  of one of the raiders’ cycles (and it’s subsequent 
  repair by Sprocket) saved his life.  Since then he 
  has been mistreated and bullied, but he considers 
  the Wastelords his “family” despite their horriﬁc 
  treatment of him.  Though considered little more than 
  
  38
  a “slave”, he is nonetheless loyal to the army.
  Sprocket will surrender if reduced to 5 hits points 
  or less.
   Veteran Wastelords, Tough Hero 2 (2):  hp 18 
  each; see appendix.
   Wastelord, Tough Hero 1 (5):  hp 7 each; see 
  appendix.
  UNEXPECTED WITNESSES
  As the ambush at the missile site nears its bloody end, 
  allow each PC in the group to make a Spot check at 
  DC 10.  If successful, they notice more ﬁgures hiding 
  among the crags, watching the scene as it unfolds.
  Panting heavily from the ﬁghting, you wonder if 
  the sight that caught your eye was just an illusion 
  brought on by wounds and fatigue.  But as you 
  look up, there among the rocks you see a pair of 
  huddled ﬁgures wearing curious robes of black, 
  perhaps ﬁfty yards up the slopes of the nearest 
  hill.  Realizing they have been spotted, the two 
  take off at once.  But though you prepare to chase 
  them, fearing them to be more Wastelords, the ﬂap 
  of one’s robe parts revealing a grotesque body 
  more resembling a segmented spider than any 
  human.  Stunned (and unable to pursue), you can 
  only watch as they vanish up into the mountains.
  Though they don’t know it, these two are scouts 
  from Monastery, a secluded community high in the 
  mountains.  Witnesses to the efforts of the Wastelords 
  to salvage the missile, they possess the third – and 
  most important – part of the Great Weapon.  The 
  scouts (monks), having witnessed the battle, return 
  by secret trails up to their mountain fortress to spread 
  news that more enemies seek the Great Weapon – and 
  to put their people on alert.
  GM’s Note:  If the PCs are somehow able to 
  intercept the ﬂeeing scouts, these prove to be two 
  monks from Monastery (see that chapter for details), 
  armed with carbines.  They will ﬁght to the death to 
  defend the secret location of Monastery, and will die 
  rather than be interrogated.
  EXAMINATION OF THE MISSILE SITE
  Once the Wastelords have been defeated, the cruise 
  missile site can be further examined.
  It is immediately obvious that the Wastelords have 
  yet to fully complete the repair and reconstruction of 
  the missile, for it is still in a number of fragmented 
  parts.  Work seems to have focused on the fuselage of 
  the AGM-86, as if the Wastelords were trying to ﬁnd 
  something in particular amongst the wreckage, to no 
  avail.
  If the PCs captured the engineer, Sprocket, an 
  Intimidate check (see page 64 or d20 Modern on how 
  to perform an opposed Intimidate check) may be used 
  to extract more information about their progress:
  
  39
  The weasel of a man cowers, bloody and 
  wounded, raising his hands feebly to fend off 
  more blows.  Apparently he is willing to talk.
  “Our leader says the weapon must be made 
  ready soon.  I…I…I have been working night and 
  day!  Your people…you savages have destroyed 
  everything!  You have the guidance system…and 
  the warhead.  Without them we cannot complete 
  our reconstruction effort.”
  If asked about the warhead, he looks surprised.
  “Surely one of your tribes took it…it isn’t here!”
  Hands in the air, he scrambles over to the camp 
  to retrieve a soiled magazine.  Flipping the pages 
  frantically, he opens to a page covered in writing 
  and a depiction of the Great Weapon.
  “See…see…AGM-86…W-80 nuclear 
  warhead…250 kiloton yield…it looks like a…
  large metal…cylinder…but it isn’t here.  We’ve 
  dissected the entire missile and it is gone.  Just a 
  hollow cavity.  If you don’t have it, and WE don’t 
  have it…then someone else has it!”
  Sprocket knows nothing more about the missile, or 
  who took it.  Under no circumstances will he tell why 
  the Wastelords want the bomb, and will let the PCs 
  assume it is for use against them (if you are playing 
  this scenario stand-alone, however, you can assume 
  this is the truth).
  WHAT NEXT?
  Having secured the site, a handful of thinkers from 
  Spilunk and Bazaar arrive later that night to examine 
  the wreckage more thoroughly (and conﬁrm what 
  Sprocket knew) and make plans to have the missile 
  taken back to Dry Fort where they can install the 
  guidance system and make ﬁnal repairs.  A ramp, 
  similar to the one the Wastelords built here, will also 
  be constructed at Dry Fort.
  However, it is clear that the task the PCs set out 
  to do – secure the Great Weapon so it can be turned 
  against the Wastelords – is not yet complete.  The 
  warhead is missing!
  In addition to this fact, the PCs have learned two 
  very important things.  The ﬁrst is the intelligence in 
  the journal captured from the Wastelord patrol, which 
  gives details on how the raiders move into the Trade 
  Lands from across the mountains.  This will prove an 
  important piece of information, allowing the council 
  to plan an ambush on the next batch of reinforcements 
  coming into the valley.  By cutting off this road, they 
  can prevent the Wastelords from bolstering their 
  numbers with more men and their infamous iron-clad 
  vehicles, which without access to the riverbed will be 
  unable to cross the mountains so readily.
  Most mysterious of all, however, is the sighting of 
  unidentiﬁed ﬁgures near the missile site.  Whoever 
  they were, and whatever community they belonged to, 
  their appearance so close to the salvage efforts makes 
  them prime candidates for having taken the missing 
  warhead.  With this in mind, the PCs are instructed 
  to follow the mountain trail and discover where they 
  came from…
  A few of the Spilunk thinkers will remain with 
  the PCs, to help recover the warhead if and when 
  it is found.  They will not participate in the battle, 
  however, unless things go really bad*.  They strongly 
  suggest the PCs arm themselves with powerful 
  automatic riﬂes from the fallen Wastelords, which will 
  come in handy against whatever threat the alliance 
  must now face.
  * If in your opinion the characters do not seem 
  capable of defeating the defenders of Monastery, 
  you may wish to assign the party a couple of typical 
  warriors from either Bazaar or Spilunk to help even 
  the odds.
  MONASTERY (EL 11)
  “Monastery” is a tiny community founded high in 
  the rocky, wind-swept hills overlooking the desert 
  valley.  Monastery has stood here for generations; it 
  has certainly stood since before the Fall, evidenced by 
  the aging masonry depicting mourning angels, tearful 
  cherubs, and the images of long-forgotten Christ 
  ﬁgures all over its broken façade.
  Erected long ago as a monastic retreat for the 
  Carmelite order, Monastery was picked for its 
  isolation among high peaks, and the stunning views of 
  the valley below, to remind its faithful inhabitants of 
  the beauty of God’s Creation.  Home to no more than 
  thirty or so monks before the Fall, the retreat was all 
  but forgotten when the Great War broke out – a war 
  that erased all remains of humanity.
  THEIR INVOLVEMENT
  The mutants of Monastery are directly descended 
  from the Ancients who originally inhabited the 
  monastery.  Quiet, withdrawn, and benevolent, when 
  the Fall came they survived the nuclear exchange by 
  virtue of their relative isolation, atop this mountain.
  In time the monks of the original monastery 
  attempted to leave their high retreat and ﬁnd out what 
  happened to the rest of mankind.  Sadly they were 
  unable to survive among ruthless traders, raiders, and 
  the more savage societies that dominated the rest of 
  the world outside of the region.  Most of the scouts 
  sent out to make friendly contact met with mysterious 
  fates.  Only a handful returned, some with men and 
  women willing to follow them back, speaking of 
  horrors they were subjected to by the anarchist gangs 
  that now ruled the world.  Civilization, to them, was 
  gone.  They took in who they could, and prepared to 
  shut their doors forever.
  Giving up on the world, the monks made the 
  
  40
  Monastery their home for generations to come.  Over 
  time they began to mutate, and in their isolation 
  changed from humans into truly monstrous things.
  The breed of horrible mutants living in Monastery 
  came not only to fortify the old Monastery over time, 
  but also to plumb its ancient secrets to keep the ways 
  of the old order alive.  With the passing of the years, 
  the simple mutant creatures have kept up the manner 
  and dress of the old Carmelite monks that were their 
  ancestors, in some disjointed attempt to resurrect a 
  way of life more suitable to their withdrawn existence.  
  This way of life has proven fruitful; fasting from 
  meats and cheeses meant they did not need to keep 
  animals (which would complicate the delicate balance 
  of resources on the mountaintop), and a general 
  abstinence from sex has kept the population from 
  exploding out of control.
  In time, the inhabitants of Monastery evolved into 
  a deeply ritualistic, isolated community of a quasi-
  monastic, reclusive nature, but one that was entirely 
  self-sufﬁcient.
  The Monastery would have remained a lost secret, 
  content in its retreat, if not for the observations of 
  the monks of the valley ﬂoor in the days and weeks 
  past.  Seeing the movements of the Wastelords by 
  day (in snaking columns of dust kicked up by their 
  armies), and watching the movement of others 
  through a primitive spy glass, they came to realize 
  something was up in the valley.  Earlier observation 
  of the movements of a single ﬁgure (the Scav, who 
  ﬁrst found the crashed missile site) alerted them to 
  the presence of the wreckage – a terrible, apocalyptic 
  weapon they recognized from the old writings 
  they had wisely protected in the Sacristy library.  
  Something had to be done!
  After much debate, the mutant monks (and “nuns”, 
  who are equal members now) decided they could not 
  stand idly by while one savage faction or another from 
  the valley fought over the ancient weapon – it would 
  certainly end up in the bomb’s detonation, and the 
  issuance of another era of death and misery.  In the 
  end, they decided to send a small party out by night 
  and into the valley, to retrieve the most dangerous part 
  of the old weapon – its warhead – under the cover 
  of darkness.  Dragging it off, they brought it back to 
  Monastery where they now hide it, seeing their actions 
  as protecting the entire valley from its devastating 
  potential.
  Unfortunately, though ultimately benevolent in 
  nature, the decrepit mutants of Monastery have long 
  learned not to trust outsiders of any kind.  Sadly, they 
  will no doubt view the PCs with the same distrust, 
  and thinking them to be a party of cutthroats come to 
  steal the warhead, will certainly shoot ﬁrst and ask 
  questions later to defend their mountain stronghold.
  IRONY
  The irony of the whole encounter is, of course, the 
  fact that the monks and nuns of Monastery are not 
  actually a threat to the PCs.  The monks sought out 
  the weapon and stole the warhead for one simple but 
  dedicated reason – to keep it out of the hands of the 
  raiders of the valley.  To this end they have committed 
  themselves to defending the warhead against all 
  comers – PCs included.
  Sadly their well-meaning resolve will only spell 
  their undoing, and even more tragically, at the hands 
  of none other than the PCs themselves.  Though they 
  may approach with goodwill, the monks and nuns 
  believe the characters to be nothing more than a raider 
  scouting party and will ﬁre at them on ﬁrst sight.
  KEY TO THE MONASTERY
  1. FRONT GATE
  The wall surrounding the ancient Monastery has been 
  kept up with the best efforts of the monks and nuns 
  of the settlement, using natural stone and mud bricks 
  wherever infrequent sandstorms or rockslides have 
  claimed parts of the structure.
  At the end of the mountain trail there is an opening 
  leading into the Monastery compound.  However, the 
  walls here have been constructed with arrow slits and 
  loopholes, permitting defenders to rain ﬁe down on 
  those advancing up the mountain.
  GM’s Note:  Defenders ﬁring from behind the cover 
  of these loopholes receive nine-tenths cover (+10 
  cover bonus to AC, +4 cover bonus to Reﬂex saves).
  2. SEMINARY TOWER
  This rather impressive stone tower serves as the 
  primary lookout for the occupants of the Monastery, 
  overlooking the only navigable route up the 
  mountainside to the fortress.  It can be reached from 
  the ground level by a stone stairwell leading straight 
  up to the upper level lookout, or from the second ﬂoor 
  to the Seminary proper.
  Treasure:  Located at the top of the seminary tower 
  is a makeshift spy glass made from old metal parts 
  and glass scavenged from the valley wasteland, and 
  assembled by a past member of Monastery’s mutant 
  clergy (a cunning fellow who studied extensively the 
  science of the Ancients).  The spy glass is mounted 
  on a swiveling ring, allowing it to look out any of the 
  openings, in all four cardinal directions.  Its range is 
  roughly ten miles on a clear day; it can certainly be 
  used to spy on the various towns and villages across 
  the valley.  The spy glass itself weighs a hefty 50 lbs, 
  and would difﬁcult to port around without risking 
  damaging it.
  GM’s Note:  Defenders ﬁring from the windows of 
  the Seminary Tower receive one-half cover (+4 cover 
  bonus to AC, +2 cover bonus to Reﬂex saves).
  
  41
  3. SEMINARY
  The seminary is the domicile of the monks and nuns 
  of the community; it was also once a school, but the 
  old books were long ago removed to the Sacristy 
  library to better protect them.
  Though many of the interior walls have long ago 
  crumbled away, the outer walls of this stately building 
  remain intact, creating a shelter from the high winds 
  and cold winters on the mountain.  Here the monks 
  and nuns live, on blankets and sleeping bags on the 
  ﬂoor, like some decrepit refugee camp that has stood 
  for generations.
  Living, sleeping, cooking, and laundry are all 
  done in the same communal area (on all three ﬂoors, 
  including the attic); as such there is very little privacy 
  for the occupants – though none is needed.  The 
  monks and nuns live in harmony here and do not 
  covet each other’s meager belongings, or even each 
  other’s mate (a rare decency in this world indeed).  
  Cooking ﬁres add smoke to the cavernous ruined 
  seminary building, but the strictly vegetarian food 
  supply is adequate and the company more than 
  enough to make life here tolerable, if not in many 
  ways truly “utopian”.
  GM’s Note:  Defenders ﬁring from the windows of 
  the Seminary receive one-half cover (+4 cover bonus 
  to AC, +2 cover bonus to Reﬂex saves).
  4. RECTORY
  This building once served as a refuge and gathering 
  place for the monks for years, but a ﬁre several 
  decades ago effectively damage the structure beyond 
  use, collapsing the second level in on the ﬁrst and 
  killing several monks and nuns residing there.
  The inhabitants of the Monastery no longer come 
  here, leaving the building abandoned.
  
  42
  5. SACRISTY
  This building has seen better days, but the monks of 
  Monastery try to maintain it the best they can.  Most 
  notable is the library found on the bottom ﬂoor.  From 
  these books the “monks” of the Monastery continue 
  to educate new generations about the way of life of 
  their ancestors in the order, keeping their society 
  alive.  Though their understanding of religion and 
  the monastic way of life is not entirely accurate any 
  more (due to losses of books over time), they are 
  determined to adhere to the order’s strictures as best 
  they possibly can.
  Treasure:  The library is the real “treasure” of the 
  monks (to them, even their powerful weapons are little 
  more than tools, and nothing with any real value); 
  it is stocked with almost 250 religious books and 
  preserved texts from the time of the Ancients.  These 
  range from old decaying Bibles to hagiographical 
  texts on the lives and miraculous deeds of long-
  forgotten Christian saints.  Magazines and newspapers 
  are also in abundance here, and give a fragmented and 
  dramatic history of the weeks before the Fall in faded 
  print.
  Though the books are cumbersome and make an 
  unlikely treasure hoard, groups such as the Foundation 
  or other preservationists would certainly like to 
  acquire them.  The entire collection would be worth at 
  least 2,500 cp, though extracting the collection could 
  be difﬁcult and time consuming.
  GM’s Note:  Defenders ﬁring from the windows of 
  the Sacristy receive one-half cover (+4 cover bonus to 
  AC, +2 cover bonus to Reﬂex saves).
  6. CHAPEL
  Having forgotten its original purpose, the monks have 
  used the old Chapel building (for the past generation 
  or so) as an armory and workshop in which they tinker 
  with, catalogue, and repair items they have recovered 
  from the wasteland.  Years of combing the deserts 
  by night, their movements lit only by the stars, have 
  allowed the monks and nuns to secretly recover a 
  number of powerful weapons from the low country.  
  Though generally picked from the carcasses of raiders 
  or others who have perished by some misfortune in 
  the sands, these weapons serve the monks well in their 
  defense of the Monastery.
  Treasure:  The monks keep the Chapel in relatively 
  good order, with racks of weapons and ammunition 
  distributed only in times of attack (a very, very rare 
  occurrence).  Sentries in the Seminary Tower are 
  usually armed with M4 carbines at all times, however, 
  and scouting parties (such as the one sent to recover 
  the warhead) are armed with a combination of arms, 
  as needed.
  The following items are kept here: two electro-
  saw throwers, 11 M4 carbines, one HK CAWS, two 
  Uzis, six power clips, 11 boxes of 5.56mm ammo 
  (330 rounds), 12 boxes of 9mm ammo (240 rounds), 
  2 boxes of 12-gauge shotgun shells (20 rounds), two 
  photon grenades, one power beltpack, four Molotov 
  cocktails, 80 rounds of gauss ammo, and eight juju 
  potions (1d4).
  Subtract weapons found on defending monks and 
  nuns from this total, as well as ammunition used up in 
  the battle.
  Other objects kept in the Chapel (for repairing and 
  maintaining these items) include a deluxe mechanical 
  tool kit and a UV sterilizer linked to a power pack 
  with half charge.
  GM’s Note:  The windows of the Chapel have been 
  bricked up, so they provide total cover to those inside.
  7. BATH HOUSE
  This dilapidated old building was once a bath house 
  and cistern.  Into the solid rock of the mountaintop 
  was sunk a deep shaft, which collects natural moisture 
  in the form of runoff from the mountain to keep itself 
  full.  Though the three shallow baths have long been 
  left to dry up (the water is too precious to squander), 
  the cistern is meticulously cared-for by the monks, 
  being their only real source of replenishing water on 
  the mountain.
  Treasure:  The water here is only minutely 
  contaminated by sediment from the rock, certainly not 
  enough to cause any adverse effects.  All told, there 
  are about 5,000 gallons of water remaining in the 
  cistern well (replaced naturally at a rate of about 100 
  gallons each year).
  8. GARDENS
  The pride of the Monastery inhabitants is their 
  garden.  Here, high up in the mountains, a number of 
  hardy, stubborn vegetables can efﬁciently be grown 
  – something not often seen in the wasteland at lower 
  elevations.  With their nurturing care, the monks have 
  turned what was once a dusty ﬁeld into a modest 
  garden, growing potatoes, yams, tomatoes, squash, 
  cucumbers, and zucchini.  Their crop, though small 
  and fragile, has grown to be more than adequate to 
  feed their diminutive population year-round, so long 
  as they strictly abide their rationing and continue 
  to store excess vegetables in the cooler catacombs 
  beneath the monastery for consumption in winter.
  Treasure:  Should the characters defeat the garrison 
  without damaging the gardens; they may be able to 
  comb the ﬁelds for edible foods.  There are enough 
  vegetables growing here at the moment to feed 30 
  people for about a week.
  GM’s Note:  The gardens could easily become 
  victim to the stamping boots of intruders, stray 
  explosives and gunﬁre, and other misfortunes of 
  an engagement on the monastery grounds.  The 
  GM should stress the fragility of this microcosm, 
  and having it burn down as a result of careless 
  actions would be a tragic but appropriate end to the 
  Monastery.
  
  43
  9. CATACOMBS
  Access to the Monastery catacombs is via a small 
  stone building at the center of the Gardens.  This 
  building is empty except for a tight, narrow set of 
  stone steps that descend into darkness below.
  The catacombs beneath the old Monastery were 
  carved out of solid rock by the hands of the local 
  monks well before the Fall, and was used for countless 
  decades as a repository for their dead.  The tunnels 
  are rough and poorly hewn, in some places just high 
  enough for a man to pass stooped over, and riddled 
  with niches and burial alcoves where bare bones and 
  skulls sit in silent repose, staring out through empty 
  sockets at stunned passerby.
  The catacombs would normally be quite difﬁcult 
  to navigate, if not for a series of dim oil lanterns 
  installed by the monks along one particular passage.  
  The lights are spaced just close enough so that the 
  light of one can be seen from the other – effectively 
  leading towards the cave where the monks have 
  secreted the warhead.
  If any monks retreat to the catacombs during the 
  battle, they will extinguish the lanterns and hide in 
  various alcoves, only emerging to ambush the party if 
  they near the warhead room.  They do this hoping that 
  the PCs will fear getting lost in the darkness and turn 
  back – and not ﬁgure out that the warhead is, in fact, 
  down here.
  10. FOOD STORES
  A few alcoves near the entrance to the catacombs 
  have been set aside for the storage of surplus 
  vegetables from the gardens.  Kept in sacks hung 
  from the ceiling, these consist mainly of potatoes and 
  yams.
  Treasure:  If taken, the food reserves here would 
  constitute about three month’s rations for at least 30 
  people.
  11. WARHEAD STORAGE
  This last cave was once a communal burial chamber, 
  and even now its many alcoves and niches are littered 
  with bones and small wooden boxes ﬁlled with 
  remains.  But in the center of the room is the most 
  dominant feature – a large metal-cased cylinder, only 
  slightly dented, with a faded trefoil stenciled on the 
  exterior.  This is the warhead.
  If they haven’t made their move yet, any remaining 
  monks and nuns will attack the PCs in a last-ditch 
  effort to make sure the warhead doesn’t fall into their 
  hands.  For them, it is do or die time.
  
  44
  PLAYING OUT THE BATTLE
  The battle at Monastery can take any number of 
  directions, depending on how the characters come 
  to attack the Monastery.  The following is only the 
  expected course.
  Upon ﬁrst sighting the party’s approach (through 
  the spy glass in the Seminary Tower), the Monastery 
  will go on silent alert.  Before the PCs even reach the 
  summit of the mountain, the Chapel will be broken 
  open and the armory’s contents spread out among the 
  monks and nuns for defense.
  Two sentries (monks) will remain in the Seminary 
  Tower to snipe with M4 carbines those who approach 
  the walls, at a distance of 180 ft., taking a –4 to their 
  attack roll.  This penalty drops to –2 at 120 ft., and –0 
  at 60 ft. and closer.
  own loopholes, windows, etc., also utilizing their 
  Suppressive Fire feat).
  The remaining monks in the courtyard will make 
  use of this covering ﬁre to retreat to the Seminary, 
  shutting the doors behind them.  Here they will turn 
  the building into a fortress, using the numerous 
  loopholes and defenses on the bottom ﬂoor to repel 
  the onslaught of the PCs.
  From the moment the alarm is raised, the abbot, 
  abbess, and the two trusted monks (and the two 
  remaining nuns) will descend into the catacombs, 
  extinguish the lights, and prepare to make a last ditch 
  defense of the warhead.  They will all take 10 on 
  their Hide checks, hoping to get the jump on the party 
  when and if they make it this far (since it is pitch 
  black, only the Monastery inhabitants – with their 
  advanced Sensitive Sight mutation – are likely to be 
  able to navigate underground).
  Of course, this well-practiced battle-plan may not 
  go as planned, and the PCs may ﬁnd other ways of 
  attack and inﬁltration.  Sneaking up under the cover 
  of darkness may be moderately successful; a raid 
  from the air (assuming one of the PCs can ﬂy) would 
  certainly take the monks and nuns by surprise.
   Abbot, Dedicated Hero 4 (1): hp 14; see 
  appendix.
   Abbess, Dedicated Hero 1 (1): hp 4; see 
  appendix.
   Trusted Monks, Dedicated Hero 4 (2): hp 14 
  each; see appendix.
   Superior Monks, Dedicated Hero 4 (2): hp 14 
  each; see appendix.
   Monks, Dedicated Hero 3 (6): hp 11 each; see 
  appendix.
   Nuns, Dedicated Hero 1 (4): hp 4 each; see 
  appendix.
  GM’s Note:  The monks and nuns of Monastery 
  are grotesque human mimics.  Each has a spidery, 
  deformed body frame (the result of a weakened 
  When the party comes within 40 ft. of the walls a 
  force of four more monks and both superior monks 
  will move to the loopholes (beneﬁting from their 
  cover) and ﬁre in support.  The monks will use their 
  Suppressive Fire feat to keep the PCs pinned, while 
  the superior monks will use their Burst Fire feat 
  to best effect on the most powerful attackers ﬁrst.  
  Molotov cocktails and photon grenades will only be 
  used on attackers outside the walls, for fear of the 
  spread of ﬁre or damaging the precious Gardens.
  If defense of the courtyard is compromised, the 
  defenders from the wall retreat into the compound.  
  Those in the Seminary Tower, if still alive, will 
  provide cover (again using the Suppressive Fire 
  feat), as will two nuns on the second ﬂoor of the 
  Seminary itself (ﬁring down from above from their 
  NO POSSIBILITY OF PEACE? 
  Although this adventure doesn’t cover it, players may be upset at the idea of having to destroy the 
  benevolent community at Monastery to wrest the warhead from their control – especially when, at a later 
  date, they discover it to be a dud.  Because you can never predict how your players will react (or what they 
  will do), you will have to play potential negotiations by ear.
  Keep in mind that at all times the monks and nuns will absolutely refuse to give up the warhead, pure 
  and simple, because they believe it will destroy the entire valley.  They cannot be convinced otherwise.  
  Even when presented with evidence of the Wastelords’ deprivations against the people of the valley, the 
  monks of Monastery cannot bring themselves to relinquishing such a powerful weapon – even if it is to be 
  used for the cause of the greater good.
  On top of this, the thinkers who joined the PCs from Spilunk will be a source of prodding.  Though they 
  don’t want to see anyone die over it (and would also prefer peace over violence), these men know time is 
  short and the resistance of Monastery, even if justiﬁed, may mean the death of not only their tribe, but all 
  the tribes of the valley.
  The choice will be a difﬁcult one.  But if by some means the PCs can come up with a clever way to trick 
  or deceive the monks of the Monastery (perhaps by slipping in when their guard is down, and stealing the 
  device), the fragile mountain community’s total destruction may be averted.
  One other way out might be for the players to think up the idea of “blufﬁng” the Wastelords by 
  pretending the Alliance has the warhead (when in fact they do not), but let the players come up with this 
  idea on their own – and reward them for averting the needless slaughter of the Monastery population!
  
  45
  skeleton), grossly-bloated mid-section (to house 
  their multiple stomachs), and a set of three lucid 
  blue eyes, set side-by side in a row across their faces 
  – faces which have only the vaguest, most diminished 
  vestigial human features.
  Clad in heavy robes or habits, they present a 
  horrifying sight!
  THE WARHEAD SECURED
  With the warhead secured, the thinkers from Spilunk 
  who joined the PCs enter the compound and help the 
  characters bring the weapon back up to the surface 
  from the catacombs (it requires some six men to 
  transport, due to its weight).  Here they load it onto a 
  cart, and prepare to take it back to Dry Fort with the 
  rest of the missile wreckage.
  The PCs are expected to join them, though at this 
  point they may go back to Bazaar instead if they like, 
  to recuperate, train, trade (they now have considerable 
  items with which to barter, assuming they raided the 
  Chapel armory), and prepare for the storm on the 
  horizon.  With the raider salvage party having been 
  slaughtered, and the missile now in the Alliance’s 
  hands, all-out war with the Wastelords is inevitable.
  WHAT’S NEXT?
  From this point the PCs have a number of options of 
  where they can go.  They can return with the warhead 
  to Dry Fort and ﬁll in Captain Ulz and Warlord 
  Thrakas, or they can return to Bazaar and inform the 
  Trademasters.  While they have newfound ties to Dry 
  Fort, a return to Bazaar might well be in order to stock 
  up on supplies, new weapons, and ammunition, which 
  could be vital in the near future.  Now would also be 
  a good time to allow the PCs to train and advance in 
  level, as the new abilities, hit points, and skills will be 
  important to surviving the War With The Wastelords.
  WAR WITH THE WASTELORDS
  Since your return, the elders of (Dry Fort, 
  Spilunk, or Bazaar, depending on where the 
  PCs went) have pondered the facts of your 
  intelligence gathering for a day and a night – and 
  the implications the theft of the missile will have 
  once the Wastelords realize what has happened.  
  Though given a chance to re-arm yourselves 
  and heal whatever wounds you suffered through 
  rest and medicine, secretly you ﬁnd yourselves 
  yearning to ﬁnish the job and once and for 
  all destroy the savage raiders known as the 
  Wastelords.
  Representatives of each community in 
  the alliance have made the journey to your 
  present refuge (including a representative of 
  the terminals, if they were recruited) to discuss 
  what steps are to be taken.  An air mixed with 
  excitement, dread, and indefatigable hope lingers 
  into the evening, and everyone is on edge.  
  Everyone knows the council is poised to make 
  a decision that will change the fate of the Trade 
  Lands forever.
  Finally, word comes from the council chamber.
  It is time to declare war.
  Of all the warriors in the alliance, your party 
  has been singled out and called into the presence 
  of the elders of the Three Towns.  Your devotion 
  to the cause, whether for money or loyalty, has 
  proven you able men.  Your counsel will be 
  invaluable in planning the decisive stages of the 
  war against the Wastelords.
  As you enter, Captain Ulz of Dry Fort, 
  Trademaster Gorgel, and Elder Vilic of Spilunk 
  are found gathered around a table, across which 
  is splayed a map painted on the leathery hide 
  of some unknown beast.  Marked on it are the 
  locations of the Three Towns, the trade route, its 
  many landmarks, and the Dry River.
  “They come,” says Captain Ulz, drinking from 
  a tin cup.
  Elder Vilic nods in acknowledgement, as does 
  Trademaster Gorgel.  Gorgel is quick to sum up 
  the situation.
  “The time for open war has ﬁnally come.  
  With what you men have learned in your travels 
  of the wasteland, the Wastelords were close to 
  perfecting the Great Weapon.  With much of the 
  work already done for us, hopefully we can use 
  it to destroy the Wastelords – or threaten them 
  into abandoning their cruel campaigning in the 
  Trade Lands.  The thinkers of Spilunk work on it 
  feverishly even as we speak.
  “Though it is now being repaired at Dry Fort, 
  we will not let on where we have hidden the 
  Great Weapon.  This will buy us some time, as the 
  Wastelords will be forced to scout out each town’s 
  vicinity before ﬁnding the weapon and making 
  their ﬁnal move.
  “We can assume by now the Wastelords are 
  aware the salvage party at the site are dead.  This 
  act has sealed our fate, for better or worse.  The 
  Wastelords are sure to bring the full might of their 
  armies against us.”
  “Our ﬁrst task must be to ﬁnd a way to prevent 
  reinforcements from entering the Trade Lands.  
  They have a vast army, and if we can cut off 
  their route into the Trade Lands, we will only 
  have a small part of their army to deal with.  The 
  logbook you found on the raider scouts details the 
  route the raiders use to travel over the mountains.  
  By attacking them there we will hopefully cripple 
  their supplies and curb any chance of them 
  reinforcing their brother scum already in our 
  lands.
  “Your group will perform the ambush.  We will 
  
  46
  send men to bolster your position once the battle 
  has commenced.  Go now to the dry bed.
  “Long live the alliance!”
  THE BATTLE OF DRY BED (EL 9)
  Traveling all night, the journey to the Dry River will 
  be eerie, silent, and uneventful.  This is fortunate, 
  because the PCs will need all of their strength for the 
  coming battle…
  You crouch down in concealed positions, 
  convinced you have chosen the best spot along 
  the raider’s route through the dry riverbed to 
  ambush them.
  Minutes seem to stretch into hours.  Hours 
  feel like an eternity, with the hot sun of morning 
  turning to afternoon, and blazing unrelentingly 
  down on each of you.
  In time, however, the misery of waiting is 
  shattered by the sounds of an approaching force 
  of men on foot, accompanied by a gas-guzzling, 
  stripped-down transport truck.  This must be the 
  ﬁrst group sent north as reinforcements.  You are 
  certain the truck is ﬁlled with supplies.
  Readying yourselves and taking cover, you 
  spot the large force of raiders, perhaps a dozen 
  in all, all armored and heavily armed.  You know 
  that you have the advantage of surprise and will 
  therefore be able to even the odds, but still you 
  remain unsure of who will live today, and who 
  will die.
  They are close enough now to see individual 
  faces.  The groan of the truck moving along the 
  dry riverbed drowns out all noise.  The ﬁrst raider 
  seems totally oblivious, singing some bawdy tune 
  drowned out by the truck’s engine.  The second 
  raider, with a more authoritative presence, seems 
  alert and wary – but he isn’t looking your way. 
  The group of raiders has passed the ﬁrst of your 
  concealed positions and is now in the “kill zone”.  
  They are unaware as you catch them completely 
  by surprise!
  BATTLE INFORMATION
  Because they are hidden, the ﬁrst round of the battle is 
  a surprise round in the characters’ favor.  Initiative is 
  determined normally after this ﬁrst opening round.
  The characters begin hidden and are considered to 
  have some degree of cover and concealment.  It is up 
  to the characters to determine where each deploys.  
  The following bits of cover are available at the 
  ambush scene:
  Old tree trunk:  One character may utilize this 
  feature.  The old tree trunk grants one-half cover.
  Piles of rocks:  Two characters may utilize this 
  feature.  The piles of rocks grant one-quarter cover to 
  each character.
  Prone and covered with sand:  Though not cover 
  per se, any number of characters may utilize this 
  defense by having their companions half-bury them 
  in sand.  This defense grants the characters one-half 
  concealment on the ﬁrst round of combat and one-
  quarter concealment every round thereafter, unless the 
  character moves (at which time the concealment is 
  negated).
  ALLIANCE FORCES
  The Alliance forces assembled for the ambush consist 
  of the PCs, as well as four warriors from Dry Fort 
  sent with them as part of the ambush team.  Due to 
  an unexpected delay getting ready to move out, the 
  reinforcements promised the PCs will arrive after the 
  battle.
   Warriors of Bazaar, Dedicated Hero 1 (4):  hp 
  6 each; see appendix.
  OPPOSITION FORCES
  The enemy consists of nine raiders, and a truck.  
  The Wastelords, realizing that the Three Towns 
  have decided not to “behave”, have called up 
  reinforcements.  These men are the ﬁrst of many.
  Seven men are on foot, including one veteran raider.  
  Two raiders are in the cab of the truck, and thus 
  receive three-quarters cover.
   Wastelord Sergeant, Tough Hero 3 (1): hp 25; 
  see appendix.
   Wastelords, Tough Hero 1 (8): hp 7 each; see 
  appendix.
   Moving Truck:  HP 44.
  Treasure:  The moving truck is loaded with 
  ammunition, fuel, and supplies.  These include three 
  M16A2 riﬂes, 600 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, six 
  concussion grenades, four Molotov cocktails, and 100 
  gallons of gasoline (which can be sold for a total of 
  upwards of 2,500 cp in Bazaar or outside the Trade 
  Lands).
  GM’s Note:  The Wastelords will attempt to ﬂee if 
  reduced to below half their number, or if the truck is 
  destroyed.  Any that manage to escape will be present 
  in the second battle (The Battle of Big Rock).
  AFTERMATH
  At the battle’s conclusion, read the following:
  As the sounds of battle subside, you realize you 
  have won.  Lowering your weapons, you look 
  about to check the condition of your comrades.
  Looking to the horizon instinctively, you see a 
  trail of dust.  A group of riders, accompanied by 
  a large number of warriors on foot, approach.  
  Calling out to your companions, you all prepare 
  to meet this new threat.
  After a short time, a rider in white armor atop 
  a horse rides up to your position.  Calling out, 
  
  47
  you show yourselves and he dismounts with a 
  laugh, apparently overjoyed at your victory.  The 
  other warriors gather as well.
  “How did the battle go?  Scum all dead?” the 
  messenger asks, and waits to hear your story, 
  a look of respect and admiration etched on 
  his young face.  With short, stubby ﬁngers, he 
  unwraps the strips of cloth from his bald head, 
  and you recognize him as a native of Bazaar.
  The other men in his group move over to the 
  captured truck, and retrieve as many arms and 
  supplies as they can.
  “Armsmaster Tolorin has sent me to you.  
  Scouts have seen large numbers of raiders 
  approaching Bazaar from the southeast.  There 
  must have been a camp in those hills that we 
  missed.  But without vehicles, the raiders there 
  will take a long time to reach Bazaar.  Our scout 
  has watched their route, and we believe it will 
  intersect the Trade Road here...” The messenger 
  bends down, and draws a rough map of the valley 
  in the sand.  You can see Bazaar, and your current 
  position.  Then he shows you where the raiders 
  were and where they are now expected to be, to 
  the east.  Then he draws an X in the sand.
  Looking up, the messenger continues, “This 
  is Big Rock, one of the Great Markers.  It is 
  important that you get there before raiders do.  
  Elders of Spilunk report a large storm coming 
  from the west.  You are in the open.  Make it to 
  Big Rock and ambush raiders when they look for 
  cover.  If raiders no make it, they will maybe lose 
  warriors in the sands.  That is good for us.”
  “I have brought men to relieve you and keep 
  the riverbed in our hands.  We will kill anyone 
  trying to come through.
  “These four other riders with us come from Dry 
  Fort.  They reinforce you.” He says, gesturing 
  to the group of riders, who nod seriously to you, 
  demonstrating that you are in command.  “These 
  four footmen come from Bazaar and will aid as 
  well.  The rest will stay here to hold the pass.”
  “Luck to you, and long live the alliance!”
  The messenger is willing to lend aid to the characters 
  before they depart for Big Rock, giving them one juju 
  potion (heals 1d4) each, two Stimshot As (each) from 
  a leather pouch strapped to his leg, and a compass.  
  The messenger then marks the compass with a strip of 
  tape, and cuts a thin line into the tape.  He informs the 
  characters that this line will lead them to Big Rock.
  THE BATTLE OF BIG ROCK (EL 9)
  Since they are needed for the war (and cannot remain 
  as a garrison of the pass), the characters must now 
  travel to Big Rock (the nearest shelter), making all 
  haste to avoid being trapped in the coming storm.  The 
  raider force, led by a powerful NPC (“Big Bert”), is 
  aggressively advancing, and is wasting no time in 
  their effort to reach the cover of Big Rock as well.
  Do not roll for random events for this journey; the 
  characters will need their strength for the coming 
  conﬂict.
  You have moved as quickly as possible from 
  the region of the dry riverbed out into the open 
  wastes.  The closest shelter will be Big Rock, 
  somewhere to the northeast, and the eerie silence 
  and stillness only seems to magnify your fear of 
  being caught when the storm ﬁnally comes.
  Several hours later, the silence has diminished 
  with a steadily growing wind.  As the gale builds 
  to a true storm of colossal proportions, the dust 
  of the desert is kicked up in a mighty tempest, 
  turning the air into a dusty soup of choking dust 
  - reducing visibility to perhaps 200 feet or less.
  You are ﬁnally relieved when you see Big Rock 
  up ahead.
  “Big Rock” is a gargantuan boulder that 
  juts straight out of the sands, towering above 
  the shifting dunes.  On the north face of this 
  monstrous rock is a broad crack that opens up 
  into a small cave below.  As you near, you see it is 
  littered with the trash left by the many who have 
  stayed here over the decades.
  Alas, as fate would have it, more shapes can 
  be seen approaching from the southeast.  This is 
  a large group of footmen, with a singularly huge 
  individual leading them on despite the intense 
  winds.
  BATTLE INFORMATION
  Both opposing forces of the allied Towns and the 
  raiders have reached Big Rock at the same time, 
  and as such a battle for shelter begins as the faint 
  screaming sound of the coming sandstorm begins to 
  build.
  Since this battle is not just a skirmish between 
  opposing groups, but a struggle to secure shelter, there 
  is no possible retreat for any of the NPCs.  None wish 
  to be stranded in the storm and all will ﬁght to the 
  death.
  ALLIANCE FORCES
  The Alliance forces consist of the player characters, 
  four warriors of Dry Fort, and four warriors of Bazaar.  
  Allow the players to control these additional forces for 
  this battle.
   Warriors of Bazaar, Dedicated Hero 1 (4): hp 
  6 each; see appendix.
   Warriors of Dry Fort, Strong Hero 1 (4): hp 6; 
  see appendix.
   Horses (4): hp 19 each; see appendix.
  
  48
  OPPOSITION FORCES
  The Wastelord force is led by a legendary raider 
  warrior of untold brutality that goes by the name of 
  “Big Bert” (named after a plush doll in the shape of 
  a big yellow bird he has carried since birth), and a 
  troupe of eight Wastelord warriors.
  Having received word of the Three Towns’ 
  rebellion, they will not be taken by surprise when the 
  PCs attack, instead being quite eager for battle.
   Big Bert, Tough Hero 4/Raider 3:  hp 55; see 
  appendix.
  “Big Bert” will lead the 
  charge to take Big Rock from 
  the alliance forces, attempting 
  to close the distance so he 
  can get within melee range.  
  He will usually raise his 
  Telekinetic Shield to provide 
  extra cover while he does this 
  to prevent being shot to pieces as 
  he charges; once in melee he will 
  either Sunder whatever weapon(s) 
  does the most damage, or merely 
  use his Heroic Surge feat to get 
  numerous heavy hits in before he goes 
  down.  If disarmed himself, he has the 
  Streetﬁghting feat to make sure even 
  his punches hit hard.
   Wastelords, Tough Hero 1 
  (8): hp 7 each; see appendix.
  AFTERMATH
  Once the battle for cover at 
  Big Rock is over, read 
  the following to 
  the players:
  Almost as soon as the last raider falls, an 
  immense wall of speeding sand assaults you and 
  almost blows you with it into the empty oblivion 
  of the desert.  Struggling against the unrelenting 
  force, you hasten back to the cover of Big Rock 
  and set up what shelter you can and prepare to 
  wait out the storm.
  For three solid days you lurk in miserable 
  conﬁnement beneath the shadow of the great 
  boulder, pressed into the large cave in its lee, 
  shielded by the canvas brought by the warriors 
  sent to aid you.  Sand slowly builds 
  up in the shelter, falling in from 
  the storm above, almost 
  threatening to suffocate 
  you all in the shelter you 
  have been forced into.  You 
  wonder if the storm will 
  ever end – and marvel at the 
  cool headedness of your allies 
  who seem used to the ferocity of the 
  roaring sands. 
  After a time, the horrible sound 
  fades and within hours your normal 
  hearing returns.  You dig your way 
  out to the freedom of the open sky and 
  take deep breaths of the still, dusty air, 
  forcing you to cough as your lungs 
  struggle.
  The landscape has changed 
  subtly; there are no bodies, no 
  familiar sights at all, everything 
  buried under several feet of 
  newly blown sand.
  It seems as though the 
  horrible desert gods have 
  claimed the battle dead 
  as their spoils.
  With their double defeat at the Dry River and 
  Big Rock, the Wastelords have lost substantial 
  reinforcements and their main supply route, and are 
  now forced to press on their campaign of retribution 
  despite being scattered across the valley by the storm.  
  Although the remaining forces are better equipped 
  to deal with the environment, they are still dirty and 
  haggard - but have suffered only minor losses up to 
  this point.
  Also paralyzed by the storm, the Wastelords were 
  not able to take advantage of the PCs’ absence.  The 
  Alliance, however, has taken the time bought by the 
  storm (three days) to continue work on the Great 
  Weapon.
  Still, the war has only begun.  After regrouping, 
  cleaning their gear, and attending to other tasks, the 
  remaining Wastelords have decided to send out three 
  parties of scouts to locate the Great Weapon and 
  report in – before joining the rest of the army for a 
  ﬁnal assault.
  SHOOTOUT AT SHINY HOUSE (EL 9)
  On your return to Bazaar you are met by a 
  small group of riders with urgent news.  You are 
  told that now that the sandstorm has subsided, 
  the main body of the Wastelords has been seen 
  advancing steadily from the desert east of Ebb, 
  towards Black Stump, possibly with the intention 
  of striking north to Dry Fort!  Scouts report that 
  this force of Wastelords is well equipped and also 
  possess armored vehicles, bristling with weapons!  
  In addition, smaller scouting parties mounted on 
  similar vehicles have been reported being seen 
  near Spilunk, Dry Fort, and Bazaar.
  Though unfortunate, it is safe to assume the 
  raiders now know where the Great Weapon is 
  
  49
  – Dry Fort.  The main body of the raider army, 
  heading northeast, must be coming to make a 
  ﬁnal retributive strike.
  Though certainly willing to die for the alliance, 
  the brave cavalrymen of Dry Fort will not be able 
  to stand against such a show of force for long.  
  Though the Spilunk thinkers scramble to get the 
  Great Weapon ready for when the Wastelords 
  arrive for a ﬁnal showdown, it will be cutting it 
  close.
  Your party will be mounted on the spare horses 
  the messengers have brought, and rushed to Dry 
  Fort to meet the combined armies of Bazaar, 
  Spilunk, and the ‘Fort for what can only be the 
  decisive battle of the war.
  This encounter occurs when the PCs come up the trail 
  from Bazaar.  They will stumble upon a desperate 
  scene at one of the Trade Route’s navigational 
  markers:  “Shiny House”.
  The shelter of Shiny House glitters for miles 
  in every direction, a beacon of safety from the 
  sandstorms of the valley.  As you draw close 
  you see how this place got its name:  Shiny 
  House reveals itself as the remains of an 
  ancient camping trailer, gutted and looted, yet 
  structurally intact.  A haunting place, one can 
  see their reﬂection in the silvery metal from a 
  considerable distance.
  But all is not well at Shiny House.  The dunes 
  echo with the sound of gunﬁre, and a dark 
  smudge of oily smoke rises from the ruins of a 
  crashed Wastelords’ scout car.  A ring of wagons 
  has been set up around Shiny House, in its 
  shadow, as defenders from Bazaar blaze away at 
  a force of Wastelords who apparently have them 
  under siege.
  As you appear, the warriors behind the 
  makeshift stockade cheer, praying that you will be 
  their much-anticipated relief.
  BATTLE INFORMATION
  Only a few hours ago a convoy of reinforcements 
  from Bazaar, making its way to Dry Fort, came under 
  attack by Wastelord scouts packed in their roaring, 
  gas-guzzling vehicle.  Having spied the launch ramp 
  outside of Dry Fort and having radioed its location in, 
  they were returning to the main body of the Wastelord 
  army when they came across an opportunity to deal 
  the Alliance a costly blow.
  Camping out near Shiny House just long enough 
  to water their horses before moving on, the Bazaar 
  soldiers were taken totally by surprise.  Though 
  several were cut down in the ambush, a few lucky 
  shots by the defenders destroyed the Wastelord battle 
  car, somewhat evening the odds.
  The current situation is a stalemate.  The warriors 
  from Bazaar are pinned down behind a makeshift 
  barricade formed by their wagons, in a rough circle 
  with Shiny House in the center.  The Wastelords, now 
  dismounted, are scattered in a broader circle outside of 
  this, keeping the defenders pinned down with sporadic 
  gunﬁre.
  When the PCs arrive, they come from a 
  southeasterly direction.  Assuming you are using 
  miniatures, use a small box or other rectangular object 
  (such as a box of playing cards) to represent the 
  trailer that is Shiny House.  Place three six-sided dice 
  stacked end to end (or playing cards) around this to 
  represent the four wagons of the Bazaar caravan.  The 
  defenders set up behind this cover (which counts as 
  three-fourths cover).
  Outside of this the attackers set up no closer than 
  40 feet, with at least 20 feet between each raider.  The 
  PCs enter from the southeast side of the “battleﬁeld”.
  ALLIANCE FORCES
  The Alliance forces consist of four surviving 
  defenders inside the improvised perimeter.  They are 
  in various states of injury, with low ammo supplies 
  – and will be glad to see the PCs!
   Warriors of Bazaar, Dedicated Hero 1 (4): hp 
  4, 2, 2, 3, 1; see appendix.
  OPPOSITION FORCES
  The Wastelords have greater numbers, but are totally 
  exposed out in the open.  They must make a Spot 
  check (against the PCs’ Hide) to notice the characters 
  approaching from behind.  If they fail, they will be 
  taken totally off guard when the PCs attack.
   Veteran Wastelords, Tough Hero 2 (3):  hp 12, 
  10, 10; see appendix.
   Wastelords, Tough Hero 1 (6): hp 6, 6, 6, 3, 3, 
  2; see appendix.
  AFTERMATH
  Once the battle is over, read the following:
  With the deaths of the last raiders, the defenders 
  behind the wall of wagons rise (despite being 
  bloody and exhausted) to celebrate your victory.  
  You have saved them from certain death at the 
  hands of the Wastelords, who had ambushed them 
  only an hour or so before you showed up.  As you 
  approach they run to embrace you, and to give 
  solemn thanks for your timely arrival.
  One of the men doesn’t seem as happy as the 
  others, however.  Nursing his arm, bleeding from 
  a bullet wound, he walks up to inform you of what 
  can only be bad news.
  “I fear the enemy were already able to radio 
  what they knew, even before we destroyed their 
  vehicle…they came from the direction of Dry 
  Fort.  They must have seen the Great Weapon 
  
  50
  there.  Now the entire Wastelord force will be 
  converging on the citadel there for a ﬁnal battle.”
  You take a moment to assure the brave warrior 
  that you already knew this, and that he and his 
  men did not fail the Alliance.  Soothed by this 
  assurance, he asks for your help in getting the 
  wagons hitched.
  “If we hurry we can make it to Dry Fort before 
  the rest of the raiders do!”
  FINAL BATTLE AT DRY FORT (EL 12)
  With the defeat of the enemy at Big Rock, and 
  the cutting off of their escape route via the Dry 
  River, the Wastelords ﬁnally realize that they 
  have lost control over the people of the Trade 
  Lands.  Fearing the rebellion of the Three 
  Towns has the potential to overwhelm them, 
  they have coalesced into one large force, and 
  are making for Dry Fort at top speed for a ﬁnal 
  confrontation.
  The noise of horse hooves echoes across the 
  desert landscape, as more than a dozen riders 
  from Dry Fort arrange themselves along the 
  nearest dusty rise.  Elsewhere the sands are 
  pockmarked with countless men and boys from 
  Bazaar, clad in their untarnished white armor and 
  grasping riﬂes, while behind this human crescent 
  can be seen your allies from Spilunk, their own 
  albino faces formed into grim countenances of 
  determined resistance.
  Dry Fort looms in the background, its mud 
  ramparts looking for the entire world like the 
  insurmountable barriers of some Ancient-era 
  citadel.  Steel shutters raised, you can see 
  stern-faced men and womenfolk staring 
  out with bows in hand, ready to lay down 
  punishing ﬁre to protect their bastion.
  A ﬂag is slowly raised over the fort, 
  combining the colors of all three communities in 
  the Alliance.
  The sun is bright and brilliant.  It is high noon.  
  The wind is beginning to pick up and the horizon 
  echoes with another form of thunder altogether.
  The men, only moments ago 
  squatting to rest, stand up to get 
  a better look.  Even you have to shield your eyes 
  from the sun to see out to the great distance of the 
  approaching force.
  There, stretching in a line at least three 
  hundred yards wide is a truly massive force of 
  raiders, perhaps 100 or stronger.  Mounted on 
  vehicles or marching on foot, these are your 
  mortal enemy.  The Wastelords!
  Though you catch yourselves shivering, you 
  stand ready.
  It is time to free the people of the Trade Lands 
  once and for all!
  This, then, is the decisive moment that will decide the 
  fate of the Trade Lands.  Will the towns, bastions of 
  free trade and civilization, fall to the savage onslaught 
  of the powerful raiders - or will the characters prevail 
  and lead the settlements to a great victory?
  When they join ranks with the army forming in the 
  shadow of Dry Fort prior to the battle, the characters 
  are permitted to share in the defenders’ resources of 
  meds.  They may use up to twelve juju potions (each 
  healing d4) and six Stimshot As (in ready syringes) to 
  heal themselves before the coming engagement.
  BATTLE INFORMATION
  In this battle, no quarter will be asked nor given.  The 
  allies of the Three Towns see this as the opportunity 
  to end the raider threat once and for all that they have 
  been waiting for their entire lives.  The Wastelords, for 
  their part, are desperate to reclaim the Great Weapon 
  (for their own reasons; see the alternate endings 
  at the end of this module for details).
  The PCs will be engaged in only a small 
  part of the large scale conﬂict whirling around 
  Dry Fort.  Still, their success (or failure) will 
  dictate how the rest of the battle fares for the Alliance.  
  As such, their participation is crucial in deciding the 
  difference between victory and total defeat.
  
  51
  The battleﬁeld should be prepared ahead of time 
  by the GM, who should roll a number of d6s on the 
  playing surface (depending on your playing area, this 
  could be a tabletop or a ﬂoor), leaving the dice where 
  they lie to represent boulders strewn about the desert 
  landscape near Dry Fort.
  The number on the each die will show the size (and 
  cover given) of each boulder, should anyone seek 
  cover.  Consult the following chart to determine the 
  cover:
  Roll
  Cover
  1
  No appreciable cover
  2
  One-quarter
  3
  One-half
  4
  Three-quarters
  5
  Nine-tenths
  6
  Total
  ALLIANCE FORCES
  The Alliance forces in the immediate area of the PCs 
  consist of six warriors from Bazaar, four warriors 
  from Dry Fort, two warriors from Spilunk, and 
  any survivors from the Shootout At Shiny House.  
  In addition, if the PCs managed to convince the 
  terminals of the Dry Forest to join the Alliance, they 
  will have sent six warriors and a gront for this ﬁnal 
  engagement against the Wastelords, all of which will 
  be under the PCs’ command.
   Warriors of Bazaar, Dedicated Hero 1 (6):  hp 
  6 each; see appendix.
   Warriors of Dry Fort, Strong Hero 1 (4): hp 6; 
  see appendix.
   Horses (4): hp 19 each; see appendix.
   Warriors of Spilunk, Smart Hero 1 (2): hp 4 
  each; see appendix.
   Terminals (6): hp 7 each; see appendix or 
  Darwin’s World page 317.
   Gront (1): hp 35; see appendix or Darwin’s 
  World page 292.
   Covering Fire (3):  In addition to those forces 
  above, the Allied forces receive covering ﬁre of 
  arrows from the defenders in the fort.  At the start of 
  each round the players may make three free missile 
  attacks, each at +2, doing 1d8 damage (compound 
  bows); keep in mind that these attacks are done 
  without the beneﬁt of any special feats (such as 
  Precise Shot), and thus should not be used without 
  some thought.
  OPPOSITION FORCES
  Cut off from their supplies and reinforcements, on 
  their last tanks of gasoline, and desperate to reclaim 
  the Great Weapon, the Wastelords are here at Dry Fort 
  in force.  Though the enemy lines are extensive, the 
  PCs face only the primary thrust of the attacking army.
  The “army group” engaging the PCs’ sector of the 
  lines consists of a force of twenty-four Wastelords 
  and the “Slaughterwagon” (a modiﬁed battle car) 
  personally command by a man the people identify as 
  “Kyren”, leader of the Wastelords (whether or not this 
  is the true Kyren as detailed in the Darwin’s World 2nd 
  Edition rules, or merely a double acting in his place, 
  depends on which ending you choose to use for this 
  adventure; see later for details).  
  Note that the Slaughterwagon has a crew of four 
  Wastelord warriors, one of which drives the vehicle, 
  one who crews the ring-mounted M2HB, and two that 
  ﬁre weapons from within.
   Kyren, Charismatic Hero 6/Raider 3:  hp 60; 
  see appendix.
  Since this is the last battle, use the Wastelord leader 
  as effectively as possible.  If he is shielded from ﬁre 
  he will use his Coordinate ability to give bonuses 
  to as many veteran Wastelords (sergeant included) 
  as possible before sending them into battle.  If he 
  is exposed from the start to enemy attacks, he will 
  merely engage by using Heroic Surge and Double Tap 
  feats.  He may also attempt to close to make the most 
  of his Point Blank Shot (doing more damage) and 
  Frightful Presence (to scatter lower-level NPCs like 
  sheep) feats.
   Wastelord Sergeant, Tough Hero 3 (1): hp 25; 
  see appendix.
   Veteran Wastelords, Tough Hero 2 (3): hp 18 
  each; see appendix.
   Wastelords, Tough Hero 1 (20):  hp 7 each; see 
  appendix.
   Slaughterwagon (Battle Car):  -1 Initiative 
  (tinkered); HP 36.  The ‘wagon is modiﬁed with 
  a mounted weapon (M2HB with 500 rounds of 
  ammunition) and has been tinkered (see Tinker 
  advanced class) with to add +1 to its Initiative.
  AFTERMATH
  Once the ﬁnal battle for Dry Fort seems won, read the 
  following to the players:
  The battle rages all around you, and though there 
  are dead Wastelords everywhere, there seems to 
  be an equal amount of slain defenders strewn 
  about the ﬁeld of battle.
  Having stopped the Wastelord advance in your 
  area, you use the moment’s respite to withdraw 
  back to the launch site of the Great Weapon, 
  where the last remaining thinkers from Spilunk 
  can be seen struggling to activate it.
  As you run up to offer your assistance, lending 
  your great strength to move the Great Weapon 
  into position, one of the thinkers takes up a 
  bullhorn and shouts over the din of battle.
  “Wastelord scum!  The Great Weapon is ours!  
  And you thought you could use it to terrorize us!  
  We have turned it to face the lands from which 
  you come!  Surrender now or we will use it to 
  destroy your people!!!”
  
  52
  Depending on whether or not you plan to play this 
  adventure as part of the intended two-part series, 
  precede with either Ending A or its alternate, Ending 
  B.
  Ending A provides a link from this vital climax to 
  the beginning of the great adventure in party two of 
  the series, The New World Order.
  Use Ending B if you have been playing Against 
  The Wastelords as a stand-alone adventure.  Ending 
  B wraps up the epic conﬂict with heroic closure, with 
  details of ﬁnal rewards for the brave PCs.
  ENDING A
  As if bending under the mighty threat of the 
  Great Weapon, in moments the last vestiges of the 
  raider army slowly retreat, then break into a rout.  
  Within ﬁve minutes all that remains is a swirling 
  dust storm in their wake – and a long period for 
  friendly forces to count the dead.
  The raiders have been defeated.  But as they 
  retreat over the dunes and out of sight, there is a 
  loud BANG from the Great Weapon, as the entire 
  contraption – roped together with bundles of wire 
  – falls apart in a pile of junk.
  One of the surviving warriors from Spilunk 
  turns and grins, as if ﬁnally able to let you in on 
  his community’s private joke.
  “The warhead was a dud all along.  We found 
  that out after we brought it here.  We tried to ﬁx it 
  but…but it saved the Alliance nonetheless.”
  The bluff – an unbelievable stroke of bravado 
  - seems to have worked.
  As you search the area following the 
  Wastelords’ retreat, a loud buzzing sound alerts 
  you.  Following the noise, you soon come to 
  the wreckage of an armored vehicle.  Sitting 
  there you see a knobby metal box with dials and 
  wires sticking out of it, sitting on the seat next 
  to the dead driver.  The buzzing appears to be 
  coming from the small round screen in the face 
  of the artifact.  Soon, the buzzing gives way to 
  a crackling, and then a voice booms out, “Yup, 
  heard ya.  We’re coming.”
  Looking to one another, you listen further, as 
  another voice continues, “Yeah, passed through 
  the riverbed a while ago.  Mopped up some 
  pathetic resistance.  We’re almost there.  We’ll 
  be there in about ﬁve minutes...There’s about a 
  hundred of us...(pause)...You hear me?…(pause)...
  Dammit! Answer me, scumbag!..(pause)...
  “Ahhh, I see.  Well, well, well.  I guess you 
  savages won.  If you are listening…there’s no 
  escape.”
  Staring at one another in wide-eyed disbelief, 
  you realize that the raiders had called for 
  reinforcements, a force far larger than the 
  Alliance ever imagined.  Those reinforcements 
  have broken the bottleneck at the dry riverbed 
  and are almost upon you.
  You quickly gather your gear, but the condition 
  of the alliance armies (though victorious) forces 
  you to realize that you don’t have a chance of 
  surviving another wave of attackers.
  The huge dust cloud soon reveals a large group 
  of raiders, many more than you just defeated.  
  The Wastelords form a crescent that slowly 
  encircles the whole of Dry Fort, as they close 
  around you.  So far no one has ﬁred, and your 
  surviving allies slowly lower their weapons, 
  hoping for mercy in the face of this huge force.  
  The fact that the raiders have not yet engaged 
  you seems to indicate they have something else in 
  mind…
  The Wastelords approach alert and heavily 
  armed.  The new reinforcements are in possession 
  of a number of armored vehicles, including four 
  motorcycle-sidecar combinations, three sedans, 
  and a minibus.  All are heavily modiﬁed with 
  armor plate, mesh window armor, spikes, and 
  ram-plates.  Two of the sedans have open roofs 
  and a ring mount equipped with a ﬂamethrower.  
  Wary looking Wastelords point these heavy 
  weapons at you, the group nearest their lines.
  As they come to an unexpected stop, one of the 
  raiders gets off the last sedan’s hood and walks 
  towards you.  He raises his hand, and the other 
  raiders seem to relax - a little.  It seems this one 
  wants to talk.  Looking at the unrealistic odds, 
  you decide to hear what he has to say.
  “Well, well, well.  What a bunch of bronze.  
  Kinda ruined my little operation here, didn’t you?  
  No problem,” he says, taking a long, slow breath 
  from a wrapped up, stinking weed in his mouth.  
  “Guess you guys are good.”
  Looking at him, it is obvious this well-armed 
  and armored individual is sizing you up.  “Damn!  
  I gotta give it to you guys.  How the hell did you 
  kill my general?”
  “What about Big Bert?” says one of the 
  raiders, casually holding a pump-gun.
  “Hell yeah.  Big Bert too.” Says the true 
  Wastelord leader.  Then he looks over to the 
  remains of the Great Weapon, crumbled and 
  broken.
  “Looks like you ruined our one big chance…”
  “Here it is.  Seems we got the same problems, 
  you and us.  Can’t say sorry or anything about 
  being a raider, you know how it is.  Anyways, you 
  guys have earned my respect.  You’re lucky I don’t 
  just kill you; you’re in no shape to ﬁght back.
  “So I got a prop for ya.  Since you destroyed 
  our weapon, you gotta solve our problem…
  ’manually’.  Not only will we let ya live, we may 
  even pay you when you’re done.  Whaddya say?”
  With that, a number of the raiders cock their 
  weapons and level them at you.  The sight of more 
  
  53
  raiders ﬂanking the settlement of Dry Fort makes 
  the sheer futility of resistance sink home.
  Still in shock, one of you speaks up.  “What 
  about the Great Weapon?  If not for destroying 
  us…what was it for?”
  “Handling our ‘little problem’.  What, you 
  chuckleheads thought we went through all of this 
  to conquer your puny tribes?  Ha!  Not a chance.  
  There are a hundred villages like yours on the 
  other side of the mountains that we could prey on.  
  No.  We’ve got bigger ﬁsh to fry…”
  The leader won’t explain anything until he has been 
  given a decision.  The characters now have a choice 
  to make.  If they refuse, they face a force equal to 
  the original wave, but armed with automatic riﬂes, 
  shotguns, and at least two ﬂamethrowers in the sedans. 
  For the time being use the statistics for Kyren’s look-
  alike to represent the true “Wastelord”.  Fighting 
  would now be foolish, and would probably spell the 
  end of the Three Towns.
  If they accept the Wastelords’ offer, they will (for the 
  time being) save the Three Towns from destruction, 
  and spare their own lives.  They are now ready to 
  continue with part two of this adventure series, which 
  picks up after a fragile alliance is forged with the 
  Wastelords to ﬁght…The New World Order.
  ENDING B
  As if bending under the mighty threat of the 
  Great Weapon, in moments the last vestiges of the 
  raider army slowly retreat, then break into a rout.  
  Within ﬁve minutes all that remains is a swirling 
  dust storm in their wake – and a long period for 
  friendly forces to count the dead.
  The raiders have been defeated.  But as they 
  retreat over the dunes and out of sight, there is a 
  loud BANG from the Great Weapon, as the entire 
  contraption – roped together with bundles of wire 
  – falls apart in a pile of junk.
  One of the surviving warriors from Spilunk 
  turns and grins, as if ﬁnally able to let you in on 
  his community’s private joke.
  “The warhead was a dud all along.  We found 
  that out after we brought it here.  We tried to ﬁx it 
  but…but it saved the Alliance nonetheless.”
  The bluff – an unbelievable stroke of bravado 
  - seems to have worked.
  A thorough search of the destroyed raider 
  vehicles and the scores of their dead reveals their 
  power is over.  Thanks to you, their threat to 
  the Trade Lands – and the world as a whole - is 
  ﬁnally ended.
  There was much gained from your work; 
  in addition to the bounty taken from the dead 
  raiders and from the many foes you have defeated 
  in your effort, you no doubt will be rewarded 
  upon your return to Bazaar.  Perhaps even more 
  importantly, you have earned the respect of the 
  three communities of the Trade Lands.
  This, by itself, is a near priceless reward.
  FINAL REWARDS
  Upon returning to Bazaar, the characters will ﬁnd that 
  the merchants are grateful for their contributions to 
  the war of liberation.  They are given their 500 corium 
  pieces, as promised, and celebrated as heroes.  In 
  addition, the characters are given the offer of what is 
  known as “female access”.  In exchange for forfeiting 
  250 corium from their reward, the characters will be 
  allowed to “attempt to contribute to the gene pool” of 
  the community and enjoy the attention of one of the 
  town’s “furniture” for a night.
  Ironically, any goods bought in Bazaar by the PCs 
  from now on will have their prices raised by 20% 
  - a barely concealed attempt by the merchants to get 
  some of their currency back!  Though appreciative of 
  the sacriﬁces the PCs made for the people of the Trade 
  Lands, it was a deal based on proﬁt after all (for both 
  sides), and when all is said and done, business is still 
  business!
  The same treatment will not be felt in Spilunk or 
  Dry Fort, however, where the PCs’ selﬂess deeds is 
  not so readily forgotten.
  The delegate from Dry Fort, Captain Ulz, survived 
  the war with minor injuries and a kill count rivaling 
  that of the best PCs.  Still serious in demeanor despite 
  the baptism of ﬁre they shared, not even a smile 
  breaks his grim countenance when he ﬁnally meets 
  up with the PCs in Bazaar or Dry Fort.  He comes to 
  express the sincere thanks of his people, and gives 
  each of the characters two full waterskins (ﬁlled with 
  pure uncontaminated water, enough to see them out 
  of the Trade Lands and to a more civilized region), 
  and offers the group a number of desert horses (if 
  any were caught while staying at Dry Fort, these will 
  include any the PCs personally subdued), one for each 
  character!  A great reward indeed!  The horses are, of 
  course, handed over with all the necessary trappings.
  Elder Vilic of Spilunk is also happy to see the 
  triumph of the characters, and insists on buying them 
  a round of fermented othyhol from the common-house 
  in Bazaar.  Only before leaving for Spilunk will he 
  give the characters their reward:  a pair of working 
  shock gloves and a fully charged power beltpack to 
  go with it.  If asked about the items, Elder Vilic will 
  simply state that his people have no need for such 
  “junk”; with the end of the Wastelords they have 
  decided to give up the ways of war once and for all, 
  and from now on will seek a peaceful lifestyle in a 
  manner not unlike those mysterious folk who died at 
  Monastery for the good of the Trade Lands.
  This concludes the adventure, Against the 
  Wastelords.
  
  54
  FROM HERE
  If you’re playing Against The Wastelords as part of 
  the planned three-part series, Ending A provides a 
  relatively seamless introduction to part two, The New 
  World Order.
  If you’re playing Against The Wastelords as a 
  stand-alone adventure, the ending can be an excellent 
  springboard into other adventures.  Assuming that this 
  was the characters’ ﬁrst adventure (considering the 
  low level of Against The Wastelords, this is probably 
  the case), leaving the Trade Lands for the outside 
  world on a journey of discovery would make an 
  excellent ending (or beginning, depending on how you 
  choose to see it).  Having done such heroic deeds for 
  the people of Bazaar, Dry Fort, and Spilunk, they will 
  always be able to call the Trade Lands home, even 
  when they are far away in such places as Styx or the 
  Far Desert.
  If by some unfortunate circumstance the PCs failed 
  to thwart the Wastelords in the ﬁnal battle (a quite 
  possible occurrence, considering their numbers and 
  relative power), the ending might be very different.  
  Captured by the raiders, their failure may become a 
  realistic introduction to, say, Death By Corium Light, 
  where the characters play the roles of slaves and 
  prisoners sold to the corium miners of Lil’ Vegas.  
  Whether or not they choose to escape and start their 
  lives anew with their shame behind them, or escape 
  from Lil’ Vegas and return with their experiences and 
  treasures to ﬁnally defeat the Wastelords, Against 
  The Wastelords can be an excellent introduction to 
  adventures elsewhere.
  SANDYVILLE
  It is unlikely the PCs will ever go as far as visiting 
  Sandyville, once they learn the village has been 
  destroyed by the Wastelords in their search for one of 
  the parts of the “Great Weapon”.  If they do decide 
  to visit, however, this section is meant to detail the 
  ransacked remains of that unfortunate community.  
  This can be especially important if you feel the 
  characters are lacking in experience, as the small 
  encounter in Sandyville may be enough to give them 
  the experience they need to reach 3rd level by the time 
  they can train at Dry Fort (see later for details).
  Attacked in a surprise raid, the defenders of 
  Sandyville were unable to do much more than annoy 
  the determined Wastelords.  The ruins of Sandyville 
  are now quite desolate, the bodies of the recently 
  massacred locals left to rot in the sun.
  A pack of wild dogs from the desert have sensed the 
  death and decay here and moved into the ruins for the 
  time being, content on feeding off of the carrion for 
  a week or so.  When the PCs approach, these animals 
  will make themselves known, and will ﬁght to defend 
  what they consider “theirs”.
  KEY TO SANDYVILLE
  1. WRECKED COMPOUND
  The ramshackle wooden walls that once protected 
  the compound of Sandyville seems to have fallen 
  in recent days.  Collapsed or bulldozed in certain 
  areas, it is obvious vehicle-mounted attackers 
  simply plowed through the defenses to slaughter 
  the innocent people hiding on the other side.
  As you step cautiously through the broken wall 
  into the compound, you are immediately assaulted 
  by a nauseating stench of decayed ﬂesh.  A mass 
  of humanoid bodies lay strewn about the area, 
  rotting in the searing sun, their ﬂesh recently 
  picked at by scavenging animals.
  The bodies of more than a dozen men are scattered all 
  about this place, taken off guard when the Wastelords 
  attacked.  Only a handful were able to make it to the 
  redoubt (area 2); the rest were cut down in the panic.
  A search of the bodies uncovers nothing; apparently 
  the Wastelords were quite thorough in taking 
  everything of use for their army.  All that remains is a 
  grisly monument to their savagery.
  2. REDOUBT
  Whatever this was, one can only guess.  A low 
  stone building, much of the brickwork has 
  cracked and blackened, no doubt due to some 
  explosion or ﬁre.
  The defenders used this low stone building as a last-
  ditch “bunker”, in which they could keep their women 
  and children and ﬁght off attackers.  Sadly, due to the 
  surprise nature of the Wastelords’ attack, few made it 
  to the shelter of the redoubt.  Those who did attempted 
  to ﬁre back with the muskets kept within, until one 
  of the Wastelords threw a Molotov cocktail through 
  one of the ﬁring positions.  Flailing about, the poor 
  defender caused the black powder kept inside the 
  bunker to ignite, killing everyone inside.
  Entering the redoubt, one ﬁnds only the charred 
  remains of humanoid bodies, and a few broken and 
  burned weapons.
  Treasure:  A Search check (DC 15) uncovers one 
  black powder riﬂe, still operable despite a thick 
  coating of ash.
  3. WATER SHED
  This building appears to have been a storage 
  shed for the locals’ water supply.
  
  55
  The corrugated metal door barring entrance to this 
  precious cache was torn off its hinges, the lock blown 
  away by riﬂe ﬁre.  Inside, broken shelves that once 
  held plastic containers, metal jerry cans, and clay 
  jugs of water were stolen.  Not a single drop of water 
  remains.
  4. BURNED-OUT BUILDINGS
  Whatever this building was once used for, it is no 
  longer clear.  Burned black, the roof having caved 
  in on itself, the interior is merely a collection of 
  unrecognizable cinders.
  It is apparent that these buildings burned down during 
  the attack (a tear grenade was thrown through the 
  windows of each, and the buildings soon caught ﬁre).  
  Nothing of interest is found within either.
  5. GAS STATION
  The main building seems to have been abandoned 
  long ago, due to extensive damage, even before 
  the attack that massacred the inhabitants of 
  Sandyville.  Bits of stone fall from the cracked 
  and leaning roof, suggesting that it might even 
  topple in the next sand storm.
  The locals, for fear of its collapse, left this building 
  empty.  Over the years they risked venturing in to 
  scavenge what they could; as such, nothing of interest 
  remains inside.
  6. DEN (EL 3)
  A large hole in one side of this nondescript 
  outbuilding is all the damage it seems to have 
  suffered over the years.  A pack of wild dogs sits 
  near this entrance, making good use of the shade 
  offered by the building while keeping an eye out 
  for trespassers on their territory.
  When the PCs approach the ruins of the compound, 
  the animals here will attempt to Spot them.  If they 
  detect the party’s intrusion, the entire pack will move 
  to area 1 as a group, barking and growling in an effort 
  to scare them PCs off.  If they persist in advancing, 
  the animals will ﬁght defend the carrion at the site.
   Small Dogs (9):  hp 6 each; see appendix or d20 
  Modern.
  Treasure:  Inside the den, a few of the younger pups 
  have dragged a corpse to playfully nip at.  This corpse 
  still wears a stainless steel wrist watch (the power cell 
  has about a year left on it).
  
  56
  APPENDIX:
  NPC & CREATURE STATISTIC BLOCKS
  NPCS
   Abbot, Dedicated Hero 4:  CR 4; Medium-size 
  Humanoid; HD 4d6+4; HP 14; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 
  30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, 
  +2 class); BAB +3; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6-1, 
  riﬂe butt), or +5 ranged (2d8, HK CAWS); Full Atk 
  +2 melee (1d6-1, riﬂe butt), or +5 ranged (2d8, HK 
  CAWS); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Faith, Skill 
  Emphasis (Knowledge, theology and philosophy)*; 
  AL Monastery; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; AP 7; 
  Rep +2; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 
  12.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Degenerate.
  Skills:  Disguise –5, Hide +4*, Knowledge (ancient 
  lore) +6, Knowledge (technology) +4, Knowledge 
  (theology and philosophy) +7*, Listen +6, Move 
  Silently +4*, Read/Write Language (Ancient), Sense 
  Motive +12*, Speak Language (Gutter Talk), Spot +6, 
  Treat Injury +9.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Attentive*, 
  Burst Fire, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post 
  Apocalyptic Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy*.
  Mutations and Defects:  Multiple Stomachs, 
  Sensitive Sight (x2).  Aberrant Deformity, Adrenaline 
  Deﬁciency, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Possessions:  Burlap robes, HK CAWS, two boxes 
  of 12-gauge shotgun shells.
   Abbess, Dedicated Hero 1:  CR 1; Medium-size 
  Humanoid; HD 1d6+1; HP 4; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 13, touch 13, ﬂat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 
  class); BAB +0; Grap -1; Atk -1 melee (1d6-1, riﬂe 
  butt), or +2 ranged (2d8, M4); Full Atk -1 melee (1d6-
  1, riﬂe butt), or +2 ranged (2d8, M4); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SQ Skill Emphasis (Knowledge, theology 
  and philosophy)*; AL Monastery; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, 
  Will +3; AP 5; Rep +1; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, 
  Wis 15, Cha 12.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Degenerate.
  Skills:  Disguise –5, Hide +5*, Knowledge (ancient 
  lore) +2, Knowledge (technology) +2, Knowledge 
  (theology and philosophy) +4*, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +5*, Read/Write Language (Ancient), Speak 
  Language (Gutter Talk), Spot +4, Treat Injury +6.
  Feats:  Personal Fierarms Proﬁciency, Post 
  Apocalyptic Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Stealthy*.
  Mutations and Defects:  Multiple Stomachs, 
  Sensitive Sight (x2).  Aberrant Deformity, Adrenaline 
  Deﬁciency, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Possessions:  Filthy black habit, M4 carbine, one 
  box of 5.56mm ammo.
   Bargin, Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3:  CR 3; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d8+3; HP 17; Mas 13; 
  Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 13, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 
  13 (+2 class, +1 leather armor); BAB +2; Grap +1; 
  Atk +1 melee (1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed), or +2 
  ranged (1d8, crossbow); Full Atk +1 melee (1d3-1 
  nonlethal, uarmed), or +2 ranged (1d8, crossbow); 
  FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Survival Sense, 
  Wasteland Lore; AL none; SV Fort +3; Ref +2, Will 
  +3; AP 6; Rep +3; Str 8, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 
  15, Cha 14.
  Occupation and Background:  Slaver, Resentful.
  Skills:  Bluff +10*, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +4*, 
  Listen +10*, Navigate +8, Spot +10*, Survival +8.
  Feats:  Alertness*, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Deceptive*, Primitive Technology, Renown, Silver 
  Tongue, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Track.
  Mutations and Defects:  Sensitive Sight.  Negative 
  Chemical Reaction.
  Possessions:  Leather armor, crossbow, 10 
  crossbow bolts, 100 cp.
   Big Bert, Tough Hero 4/Raider 3:  CR 7; Large 
  Humanoid; HD 4d10+12 plus 3d10+9; HP 55; Mas 
  20; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 15, touch 13, ﬂat-
  footed 14 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +3 class, +1 leather armor, 
  +1 chaps and chains); BAB +6; Grap +14; Atk +10 
  melee (2d8+6, huge hammer, two-handed); Full Atk 
  +10/+5 melee (2d8+6, huge hammer, two-handed); FS 
  5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Bloodthirsty Cry, Chaps 
  and Chains +1, Remain Conscious, Second Wind; AL 
  Wastelords; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +2; AP 9; Rep 
  +2; Str 19, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 11.
  HOLOGRAM PROJECTOR (NEW ITEM)
  This item appears similar to a ﬂat black trophy stand, with a button or dial concealed inconspicuously on 
  the front, back, or bottom.  When the button is pressed an emitter creates a 3D holographic image, ﬂoating 
  roughly three inches to a foot above the unit.  Still images rotate a full 360 degrees over the course of thirty 
  seconds; moving images play over and over again like a looped ﬁlm reel.
  Just like VCRs or DVD players today, images projected by these devices depend on the individual image 
  card inserted.  An image card generally sells for 50 cp.  Power Source:  Cell.
  Price:  1,000 cp.
  
  57
  Occupation and Background:  Predator, Tribal.
  Skills:  Bluff –2, Diplomacy –2, Disguise –2, Hide 
  –3, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (tactics) +3, Navigate 
  +3, Spot +3, Survival +4.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Heroic 
  Surge, Improved Damage Threshold, Power Attack, 
  Primitive Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Streetﬁghting, Sunder, Super Mutant, Telekinetic 
  Shield.
  Mutations and Defects:  Gigantism (x3), 
  Telekinesis.  Bilirubin Imbalance, Sensitivity (acid, 
  x2).
  Neural Mutations:  5 Telekinesis uses per day.
  Possessions:  Huge hammer, leather armor, plush 
  doll, one concussion grenade.
   Kyren, Charismatic Hero 6/Raider 3:  CR 9; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 6d6+6 plus 3d10+3; 
  HP 60; Mas 12; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 17, touch 
  14, ﬂat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +2 class, +2 tactical vest, 
  +1 chaps and chains); BAB +6; Grap +5; Atk +5 
  melee (1d4-1, pistol whip), or +9 ranged (2d8, Desert 
  Eagle); Full Atk +5/+0 melee (1d4-1, pistol whip), or 
  +9/+4 ranged (2d8, Desert Eagle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SQ Bloodthirsty Cry, Chaps and Chains 
  +1, Charm, Coordinate, Fast Healing 2, Fast Talk; AL 
  Wastelords; SV Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +3; AP 10; Rep 
  +4; Str 8, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 15.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Resurrector.
  Skills:  Bluff +9, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +8, 
  Gather Information +5, Intimidate +11, Knowledge 
  (ancient lore) +11, Knowledge (current events) +9, 
  Knowledge (technology) +9, Knowledge (tactics) +10, 
  Navigate +4, Read/Write (Ancient), Sense Motive 
  +3, Speak Language (Ancient), Speak Language 
  (Unislang), Survival +2.
  Feats:  Bull’s Eye, Double Tap, Frightful Presence, 
  Hard-Eyed, Heroic Surge, Lightning Reﬂexes, 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, 
  Post Apocalyptic Technology, Precise Shot, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accelerated White Blood 
  Cell Activity.  Immune-System Abnormality.
  Possessions:  Tactical vest, mastercraft Desert 
  Eagle, four boxes of .50AE ammo, four ready syringes 
  of Stimshot B.
   Monks, Dedicated Hero 3:  CR 3; Medium-size 
  Humanoid; HD 3d6+3; HP 11; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 
  30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, 
  +2 class); BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, 
  riﬂe butt), or +4 ranged (2d8, M4); Full Atk +3 melee 
  (1d6+1, riﬂe butt), or +4 ranged (2d8, M4); FS 5 
  ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Aware, Skill Emphasis 
  (Knowledge, theology and philosophy)*; AL 
  Monastery; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +4; AP 6; Rep 
  +1; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 7.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Degenerate.
  Skills:  Disguise –8, Hide +3, Knowledge (ancient 
  lore) +2, Knowledge (technology) +1, Knowledge 
  (theology and philosophy) +9*, Listen +10*, Move 
  Silently +3, Read/Write (Ancient), Speak Language 
  (Gutter Talk), Spot +10*, Treat Injury +5.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Alertness*, 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Suppressive 
  Fire.
  Mutations and Defects:  Multiple Stomachs, 
  Sensitive Sight (x2).  Aberrant Deformity, Adrenaline 
  Deﬁciency, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Possessions:  Burlap robes, M4 carbine, one box of 
  5.56mm ammo, Molotov cocktail or photon grenade.
   Monks (Trusted), Dedicated Hero 4:  CR 4; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 4d6+4; HP 14; Mas 12; 
  Init +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 12 
  (+2 Dex, +2 class); BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee 
  (1d6+2, riﬂe butt), or +6 ranged (3d6, electro-saw 
  thrower); Full Atk +5 melee (1d6+2, riﬂe butt), or +6 
  ranged (3d6, electro-saw thrower); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SQ Aware, Skill Emphasis (Knowledge, 
  theology and philosophy)*; AL Monastery; SV Fort 
  +3, Ref +3, Will +5; AP 7; Rep +2; Str 14, Dex 14, 
  Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 7.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Degenerate.
  Skills:  Disguise –8, Hide +4, Knowledge (ancient 
  lore) +2, Knowledge (technology) +2, Knowledge 
  (theology and philosophy) +6*, Listen +9, Move 
  Silently +4, Read/Write (Ancient), Speak Language 
  (Gutter Talk), Spot +9, Survival +6.
  Feats:  Advanced Technology, Futuristic Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, Post Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Track, 
  Weapon Focus (electro-saw thrower).
  Mutations and Defects:  Multiple Stomachs, 
  Sensitive Sight (x2).  Aberrant Deformity, Adrenaline 
  Deﬁciency, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Possessions:  Burlap robes, electro-saw thrower, 
  two power clips.
   Monks (Superior), Dedicated Hero 4:  CR 4; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 4d6+4; HP 14; Mas 12; 
  Init +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 12 
  (+2 Dex, +2 class); BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee 
  (1d6+2, riﬂe butt), or +6 ranged (2d6, Uzi); Full Atk 
  +5 melee (1d6+2, riﬂe butt), or +6 ranged (2d6, Uzi); 
  FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Faith, Skill Emphasis 
  (Knowledge, theology and philosophy)*; AL 
  Monastery; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; AP 7; Rep 
  +2; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 7.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Degenerate.
  Skills:  Disguise –8, Hide +4, Knowledge (ancient 
  lore) +2, Knowledge (technology) +2, Knowledge 
  
  58
  (theology and philosophy) +6*, Listen +11*, Move 
  Silently +4, Read/Write (Ancient), Speak Language 
  (Gutter Talk), Spot +11*, Survival +6.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Alertness*, 
  Burst Fire, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post 
  Apocalyptic Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Weapon Focus (Uzi).
  Mutations and Defects:  Multiple Stomachs, 
  Sensitive Sight (x2).  Aberrant Deformity, Adrenaline 
  Deﬁciency, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Possessions:  Burlap robes, Uzi, two boxes of 9mm 
  ammo.
   Nuns, Dedicated Hero 1:  CR 1; Medium-size 
  Humanoid; HD 1d6+1; HP 4; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 13, touch 13, ﬂat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 
  class); BAB +0; Grap -1; Atk -1 melee (1d6-1, riﬂe 
  butt), or +2 ranged (2d8, M4); Full Atk -1 melee (1d6-
  1, riﬂe butt), or +2 ranged (2d8, M4); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SQ Skill Emphasis (Knowledge, theology 
  and philosophy)*; AL Monastery; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, 
  Will +3; AP 5; Rep +1; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, 
  Wis 15, Cha 12.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Degenerate.
  Skills:  Disguise –5, Hide +3, Knowledge (ancient 
  lore) +2, Knowledge (technology) +2, Knowledge 
  (theology and philosophy) +4*, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +3, Read/Write Language (Ancient), Speak 
  Language (Gutter Talk), Spot +4, Treat Injury +6.
  Feats:  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Post 
  Apocalyptic Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Suppressive Fire.
  Mutations and Defects:  Multiple Stomachs, 
  Sensitive Sight (x2).  Aberrant Deformity, Adrenaline 
  Deﬁciency, Skeletal Deterioration.
  Possessions:  Filthy black habit, M4 carbine, one 
  box of 5.56mm ammo.
   Skag, Strong Hero 4:  CR 4; Medium-size 
  Humanoid; HD 4d8+8; HP 40; Mas 17; Init +1; Spd 
  25 ft.; Defense 16, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, 
  +3 class, +2 leather armor); BAB +4; Grap +7; Atk +8 
  melee (1d10+6, heavy ﬂail, two-handed); Full Atk +8 
  melee (1d10+6, heavy ﬂail, two-handed); FS 5 ft. by 
  5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Improved Melee Smash, Melee 
  Smash; AL Bargin; SV Fort +4; Ref +2, Will +1; AP 
  7; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, 
  Cha 7.
  Occupation and Background:  Slave, Tribal.
  Skills:  Balance +5, Intimidate +5, Listen +4*, Spot 
  +2*, Survival +8.
  Feats:  Alertness*, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Gladiator, Improved 
  Damage Threshold, Improved Initiative, Primitive 
  Technology, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Weapon 
  Focus (heavy ﬂail).
  Mutations and Defects:  Extreme Resilience (x2), 
  Multiple Stomachs.  Atrophied Cerebellum (Wis), 
  Hunchback, Under-Developed Organ (voice box).
  Possessions:  Heavy ﬂail, leather armor.
   Sprocket, Smart Hero 3/Tinker 5:  CR 8; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d6+3 plus 5d6+5; HP 
  20; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 
  16, ﬂat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 class); BAB +3; Grap 
  +4; Atk +2 melee (1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed), or 
  +7 ranged (1d8 plus poison, mastercraft crossbow); 
  Full Atk +2 melee (1d3-1 nonlethal, unarmed), or 
  +7 ranged (1d8 plus poison, mastercraft crossbow); 
  FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Jury Rig +2, Savant 
  (Demolitions)*, Savant (Repair)*, Tech Weapon, 
  Tinkercraft, Tinkering; AL Wastelords; SV Fort +3, 
  Ref +4, Will +7; AP 10; Rep +3; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 
  13, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 9.
  Occupation and Background:  Repairman, 
  Visionary Reinventor.
  Skills:  Bluff +0, Climb +1, Computer Use +7, 
  Craft (chemical) +11*, Craft (electronic) +14*, Craft 
  (mechanical) +13, Decipher Script +10, Demolitions 
  +15*, Diplomacy -1, Disable Device +14, Disguise 
  –3, Escape Artist +4, Hide +6, Knowledge (ancient 
  lore) +9, Knowledge (physical sciences) +9, 
  Knowledge (technology) +14, Read/Write Language 
  (Ancient), Repair +13*, Research +11, Search +7*, 
  Sleight of Hand +4, Speak Language (Unislang), 
  Tumble +4.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Builder*, 
  Modern Vehicles Discipline, Post Apocalyptic 
  Technology, Reactive Shooter, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Vulture*, Weapon Focus (crossbow).
  Mutations and Defects:  Abnormal Joint 
  Flexibility, Accumulated Resistance (disease).  
  Bilirbuin Imbalance, Underdeveloped Organ (lung).
  Possessions:  Mastercraft crossbow (folds down 
  so can be concealed within a coat; springs open when 
  a switch is hit, as a free action), 12 crossbow bolts, 
  four poisoned bolts smeared with strychnine in special 
  quiver, two doses of Stimshot A in ready syringes.
   “The Scav”, Post-Apocalyptic Hero 3/Scav 
  2:  CR 5; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 
  2d8+2; HP 37; Mas 13; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; Defense 18, 
  touch 17, ﬂat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +4 class, +1 leather 
  armor); BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d6+1, 
  metal baton), or +7 ranged (2d10, HK PSG-1); Full 
  Atk +4 melee (1d6+1, metal baton), or +7 ranged 
  (2d10, HK PSG-1); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ 
  Scav Scan, Sneak Attack (+1d6), Survival Sense, 
  Wasteland Lore; AL none; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will 
  +3; AP 9; Rep +0; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 
  14, Cha 8.
  Occupation and Background:  Wanderer, Feral.
  Skills:  Climb +2, Hide +10*, Listen +2, Move 
  Silently +10*, Navigate +2, Search +6, Spot +6, 
  Survival +6.
  Feats:  Far Shot, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  
  59
  Post Apocalyptic Technology, Radiation Sense, 
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Stealthy*, Track.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated Resistance 
  (disease).  Cystic Fibrosis.
  Possessions:  HK PSG-1, two boxes (8 rounds) of 
  7.62mm ammo, metal baton, one dose of Stimshot A in 
  ready syringe, map (see detail), leather armor.
   Warlord Thrakas, Strong Hero 3/Guardian 
  5:  CR 8; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d8+2 plus 
  5d10+5; HP 45; Mas 14; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; Defense 
  18, touch 16, ﬂat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +5 class, +2 
  leather armor); BAB +8; Grap +11; Atk +12 melee 
  (1d8+7, battle axe); Full Atk +12/+7 melee (1d8+7, 
  battle axe); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Defender 
  +2, DR 2/-, Improved Melee Smash, Melee Smash, 
  Tactical Aid; AL Dry Fort; SV Fort +7, Ref +5, Will 
  +3; AP 5; Rep +1; Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 
  12, Cha 6.
  Occupation and Background:  Military, Resentful.
  Skills:  Disguise –8, Handle Animal +1, Intimidate 
  +9, Jump +5, Knowledge (current events) +2, 
  Knowledge (tactics) +3, Ride +7, Speak Language 
  (Unislang), Survival +7.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Armor 
  Proﬁciency (light), Cleave, Mounted Archery, 
  Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Primitive 
  Technology, Ride By Attack, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency, Track, Weapon Focus (battle axe), 
  Weapon Specialization (battle axe).
  Mutations and Defects:  Aberrant Endoskeletal 
  Encasing, Extreme Resilience (x2).  Aberrant 
  Deformity (shriveled nose), Hunchback (x2).
  Possessions:  Battle axe, weighted net, leather 
  armor, three juju potions (1d4), horse with trappings.
   Wastelord, Tough Hero 1:  CR 1; Medium-size 
  Humanoid; HD 1d10+2; HP 7; Mas 14; Init +2; Spd 
  30 ft.; Defense 14, touch 13, ﬂat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, 
  +1 class, +1 leather armor); BAB +0; Grap +1; Atk +1 
  melee (1d6+1, riﬂe butt) or +2 ranged (2d8, M16A2); 
  Full Atk +1 melee (1d6+1, riﬂe butt), +2 ranged 
  (2d8, M16A2); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Fast 
  Healing 2, Remain Conscious; AL Wastelords; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1; AP 5; Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 
  15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation and Background:  Predator, 
  Resurrector.
  Skills:  Climb +2, Drive +4, Intimidate +2, 
  Jump +2, Read/Write Language (Unislang), Speak 
  Language (Unislang), Spot +2, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Post 
  Apocalyptic Technology, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accelerated White Blood 
  Cell Activity.  Cystic Fibrosis.
  Possessions:  M16A2, two boxes of 5.56mm 
  ammunition, leather armor.
   Wastelord Sergeant, Tough Hero 3:  CR 3; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d10+6 plus 3; HP 25; 
  Mas 14; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 15, touch 14, 
  ﬂat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 class, +1 leather armor); 
  BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, riﬂe butt) or 
  +4 ranged (2d8, M16A2); Full Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, 
  riﬂe butt), +4 ranged (2d8, M16A2); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SQ Fast Healing 2, Remain Conscious, 
  Second Wind; AL Wastelords; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, 
  Will +2; AP 6; Rep +1; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, 
  Wis 12, Cha 8.
  Occupation and Background:  Predator, 
  Resurrector.
  Skills:  Climb +2, Drive +4, Intimidate +2, 
  Jump +2, Read/Write Language (Unislang), Speak 
  Language (Unislang), Spot +2, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Improved 
  Initiative, Post Apocalyptic Technology, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Toughness.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accelerated White Blood 
  Cell Activity.  Cystic Fibrosis.
  Possessions:  M16A2, two boxes of 5.56mm 
  ammunition, leather armor, tear gas grenade.
   Wastelords Veteran, Tough Hero 2:  CR 2; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 2d10+4 plus 3; HP 18; 
  Mas 14; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 15, touch 14, 
  ﬂat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 class, +1 leather armor); 
  BAB +1; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, riﬂe butt) or 
  +3 ranged (2d8, M16A2); Full Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, 
  riﬂe butt), +3 ranged (2d8, M16A2); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SQ Fast Healing 2, Remain Conscious; 
  AL Wastelords; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; AP 6; 
  Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 
  8.
  Occupation and Background:  Predator, 
  Resurrector.
  Skills:  Climb +2, Drive +4, Intimidate +2, 
  Jump +2, Read/Write Language (Unislang), Speak 
  Language (Unislang), Spot +2, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency, Post 
  Apocalyptic Technology, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accelerated White Blood 
  Cell Activity.  Cystic Fibrosis.
  Possessions:  M16A2, two boxes of 5.56mm 
  ammunition, leather armor.
   Warrior of Bazaar, Dedicated Hero 1:  CR 1; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d8+2; HP 6; Mas 15; 
  Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 14, touch 13, ﬂat-footed 
  12 (+2 Dex, +1 class, +1 leather armor); BAB +0; 
  Grap +0; Atk +0 melee (1d4, tonfa), or +2 ranged 
  (2d8, pipe riﬂe); Full Atk +0 melee (1d4, tonfa), or +2 
  ranged (2d8, pipe riﬂe); FS 5 ft. by 5ft.; Reach 5 ft.; 
  SQ Empathy; AL Bazaar; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will 
  +2; AP 5; Rep +1; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 
  
  60
  13, Cha 12.
  Occupation and Background:  Merchant, 
  Resurrector.
  Skills:  Gamble +2, Knowledge (business) +3, 
  Knowledge (current events) +2, Listen +2, Navigate 
  +3, Sense Motive +2, Speak Language (Trade), Speak 
  Language (Unislang), Spot +2, Survival +2.
  Feats:  Far Shot, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Post-Apocalyptic Technology, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Accumulated 
  Resistance (disease), Superior Kidney Development.  
  Brachydactyly, Photosensitivity.
  Possessions:  5.56mm pipe riﬂe, 30 rounds of 
  5.56mm ammo, tonfa, leather armor, bullet bandoleer, 
  signal whistle, sungoggles, one juju potion (1d4).
   Warrior of Dry Fort, Strong Hero 1:  CR 1; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d8+2; HP 6; Mas 14; 
  Init +1; Spd 20 ft; Defense 13, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 
  12 (+1 Dex, +1 class, +1 leather armor); BAB +1; 
  Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d8+3, battle axe); Full Atk 
  +3 melee (1d8+3, battle axe); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 
  5 ft.; SQ DR 2/-, Melee Smash; AL Dry Fort; SV Fort 
  +3, Ref +1, Will +1; AP 5; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 13, 
  Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 5.
  Occupation and Background:  Military, Resentful.
  Skills:  Craft (structural) +1, Disguise –9, Handle 
  Animal +0, Jump +2, Knowledge (tactics) +2, 
  Navigate +2*, Ride +5, Speak Language (Unislang), 
  Survival +4*.
  Feats:  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, Guide*, 
  Mounted Combat, Primitive Technology, Ride By 
  Attack, Simple Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Aberrant Endoskeletal 
  Encasing, Extreme Resilience (x2).  Aberrant 
  Deformity (shriveled nose), Hunchback (x2).
  Possessions: Battle axe, leather armor, three juju 
  potions (1d4), horse with trappings.
   Warrior of Spilunk, Smart Hero 1:  CR 1; 
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d6+1; HP 4; Mas 12; 
  Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 9, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 9; 
  BAB +0; Grap +0; Atk +0 melee (1d3 nonlethal, 
  unarmed); Full Atk +0 melee (1d3 nonlethal, 
  unarmed); FS 5 ft. by 5ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Savant 
  (Decipher Script)*; AL Spilunk; SV Fort +3, Ref -1, 
  Will +4; AP 5; Rep +0; Str 8, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 14, 
  Wis 13, Cha 14.
  Occupation and Background:  Academic, 
  Resentful.
  Skills:  Bluff +8, Concentration +3, Craft 
  (structural) +6, Craft (visual art) +6, Decipher 
  Script +7*, Diplomacy +6, Gather Information 
  +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (ancient lore) +6, 
  Knowledge (behavioral sciences) +4, Knowledge 
  (technology) +6, Profession (any) +5, Search +6, 
  Sense Motive +7, Speak Language (Trade), Speak 
  Language (Unislang), Spot +0.
  Feats:  Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Mind Strike 
  (3d6), Mind Stun, Primitive Technology, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency.
  Mutations and Defects:  Telepathy (x3).  Albinism, 
  Neuroﬁbromitosis, Pituitary Deformation.
  Neural Mutations:  8 Telepathy uses per day, DC 
  +2.
  Possessions:  None.
  CREATURES
   “Brood Mother”, Abomination:  CR 3; Large 
  Aberration; HD 4d8+16; HP 28; Mas 18; Init +0; Spd 
  20 ft.; Defense 16, touch 9, ﬂatfooted 16 (-1 size, +7 
  natural); BAB +3; Grap +11; Atk +6 melee (1d4+6, 
  slam); Full Atk +7 melee (1d4+6, 4 slams); FS 10 ft. 
  by 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; SQ Amorphous, Dark Vision, 
  Photosensitive, Fast Healing, Frightful Presence; AL 
  Sandman tribe; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +1; AP 0; 
  Rep +0; Str 18, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 5, Wis 5, Cha 7.
  Skills:  Climb +6, Hide –2, Jump +6, Listen +1, 
  Move Silently +2, Spot +1.
  Feats:  None.
   Carrion Raptor:  CR 2; Large Animal; 
  HD 3d8+9; HP 23; Mas 16; Init +4; Spd 45 ft.; 
  Defense 19, touch 13, ﬂatfooted 15 (-1 size, +4 
  Dex, +6 natural); BAB +2; Grap +8; Atk +5 melee 
  (1d10+3/19-20, bite); Full Atk +5 melee (1d10+3/19-
  20, bite); FS 10 ft. by 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; SQ Tearing 
  Beak; AL none; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +4; AP 0; 
  Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Jump +7, Listen +8, Spot +8 (+16 in 
  daylight).
  Feats:  Weapon Finesse (bite).
   Desert Horse:  CR 1; Large Animal; HD 3d8+9; 
  HP 22; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 60 ft.; Defense 14, touch 
  10, ﬂatfooted 13 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural); BAB 
  +2; Grap +9; Atk +4 melee (1d4+3, hoof); Full Atk +4 
  melee (1d4+3, 2 hooves), +2 melee (1d3+3, bite); FS 
  10 ft. by 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; SQ Padded Feet, Scent, 
  Stampede, Tremorsense; AL none; SV Fort +6, Ref 
  +4, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 
  2, Wis 13, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Listen +4, Spot +10.
  Feats:  None.
   Small Dog:  CR 1/3; Small Animal; HD 1d8+2; 
  HP 6; Mas 15; Init +3; Spd 40 ft.; Defense 14, touch 
  14, ﬂatfooted 11 (+1 size, +3 Dex); BAB +0; Grap 
  -3; Atk +2 melee (1d4+1, bite); Full Atk +2 melee 
  (1d4+1, bite); FS 10 ft. by 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ 
  Scent; AL none; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1; AP 0; 
  Rep +0; Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Jump +3, Listen +5, Spot +6, Survival +1 
  (+5 when tracking by scent), Swim +5
  Feats:  None.
  
  61
   Gront:  CR 4; Large Beast; HD 4d10+28; HP 
  35; Mas 25; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 16, touch 9, 
  ﬂatfooted 16 (-1 size, +7 natural); BAB +4; Grap +15; 
  Atk +10 melee (1d8+10, bite); Full Atk +10 melee 
  (1d8+10, bite); FS 10 ft. by 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; SQ 
  Padded Feet; AL none; SV Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +1; 
  AP 0; Rep +0; Str 25, Dex 11, Con 25, Int 2, Wis 10, 
  Cha 2.
  Skills:  Balance +10, Climb +9, Jump +10, Move 
  Silently +10, Spot +2.
  Feats:  Improved Initiative, Iron Will.
   Horse:  CR 1; Large Animal; HD 3d8+6; HP 19; 
  Mas 15; Init +1; Spd 60 ft.; Defense 13, touch 10, 
  ﬂatfooted 12 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +3 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 none; 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.
   Lurking Panther:  CR 2; Medium-size Animal; 
  HD 3d8+6; HP 20; Mas 15; Init +4; Spd 40 ft., 
  climb 20 ft.; Defense 17, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 13 (+4 
  Dex, +3 natural); BAB +2; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee 
  (1d6+4, claw); Full Atk +6 melee (1d6+4, 2 claws), 
  +1 melee (1d3+2, bite); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; 
  SQ Pounce, Improved Grab, Scent, Rake 1d6+2; AL 
  none; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 
  18, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Balance +7, Hide +11, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +7, Spot +8.
  Feats:  None.
   Monstrous Scorpion: CR 2; Large Vermin; HD 
  4d8+8; hp 32; Init +0; Spd 50 ft; AC 14 (-1 size, 
  +5 natural); Atk 2 claws +5 melee 1d6+3, sting +0 
  melee 1d6+1 and poison; SA Improved grab, squeeze, 
  poison; SQ Vermin; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +1, Will 
  +1; Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2.
  Skills and Feats:  Climb +11, Hide +3, Spot +7.
   Monstrous Spider: CR 2; Large Vermin; HD 
  4d8+4; hp 30; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft, climb 20 
  ft; AC 14 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural); Atk Bite 
  +4 melee 1d8+3 and poison; SA Poison, web; SQ 
  Vermin; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 15, 
  Dex 17, Con 12, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2.
  Skills and Feats:  Climb +14, Hide +6, Jump +2*, 
  Spot +7*.
   Snofﬂe Hog:  CR 2; Medium-size Mutant Beast; 
  HD 3d10+12; HP 22; Mas 18; Init +2; Spd 40 ft.; 
  Defense 20, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 18 (+2 Dex, +8 
  natural); BAB +3; Grap +7; Atk +7 melee (1d6+6, 
  gore); Full Atk +7 melee (1d6+6, gore), +1 melee 
  (1d3+2, bite); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Quills, 
  Scent, Stubborn; AL none; SV Fort +7, Ref +5, Will 
  +1; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 
  10, Cha 4.
  Skills:  Listen +5, Spot +5.
  Feats:  Improved Bull Rush.
   Sandman:  CR ½; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 
  1d8+1; HP 6; Mas 12; Init +5; Spd 30 ft., burrow 10 
  ft.; Defense 11, touch 11, ﬂatfooted 10 (+1 Dex); BAB 
  +1; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4+1, bite); Full Atk 
  +2 melee (1d4+1, bite), +0 melee (1d3+1, 2 claws); 
  FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Photosensitive, 
  Tremorsense; AL Sandman tribe; SV Fort +1, Ref +4, 
  Will +0; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, 
  Wis 10, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Climb +3, Hide +5, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +3, Spot +3.
  Feats:  Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, 
  Multiattack.
   Sandman Chief, Strong Hero 3:  CR 3; Medium-
  size Humanoid; HD 3d8+6; HP 27; Mas 15; Init 
  +6; Spd 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.; Defense 14, touch 14, 
  ﬂatfooted 12 (+2 Dex, +2 class); BAB +3; Grap 
  +6; Atk +6 melee (1d4+5, bite); Full Atk +6 melee 
  (1d4+5, bite), +4 melee (1d3+5, 2 claws); FS 5 ft. by 
  5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Melee Smash +2, Photosensitive, 
  Rend 2d3+4, Tremorsense; AL Sandman tribe; SV 
  Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 
  14, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 4.
  Skills:  Climb +7, Hide +6, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +6, Spot +4.
  Feats:  Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, 
  Multiattack, Power Attack, Rend, Simple Weapons 
  Proﬁciency.
   Terminal :  CR ½; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 
  2d8+3; HP 7; Mas 11; Init -1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 9, 
  touch 9, ﬂatfooted 9 (-1 Dex); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk 
  +3 melee (1d4+2, claw), or +0 ranged (1d6+2 plus 
  poison, javelin); Full Atk +3 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws), 
  or +0 ranged (1d6+2 plus poison, javelin); FS 5 ft. 
  by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Short Life Span, Homicidal 
  Frenzy; AL Terminal village; SV Fort +3, Ref -1, Will 
  +2; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 9, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 
  11, Cha 6.
  Skills:  Hide +2, Listen +3, Spot +2, Survival +4.
  Feats:  Forsaken, Iron will, Power Attack, Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Toughness.
   Utarn:  CR 2; Medium-size Aberration; HD 
  3d8+3; HP 17; Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 
  15, touch 12, ﬂatfooted 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural); BAB 
  +2; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6, bite); Full Atk +2 
  melee (1d6, bite); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ 
  Blindsight, Paralysis, Impregnation, Scent; AL none; 
  SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 11, 
  Dex 15, Con 13, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 5.
  Skills and Feats: Hide +9, Jump +7.
  
  62
  Player Map
  
  63
  Scav Map
  
  64
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  Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability 
  with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work 
  containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, 
  independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered 
  Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not 
  constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of 
  any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title 
  and interest in and to that Product Identity.
  8. Identiﬁcation: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly 
  indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game 
  Content.
  9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish 
  updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this 
  License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally 
  distributed under any version of this License.
  10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with 
  every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open 
  Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written 
  permission from the Contributor to do so.
  12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the 
  terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content 
  due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not 
  Use any Open Game Material so affected.
  13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to 
  comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of 
  becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination 
  of this License.
  14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, 
  such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it 
  enforceable.
  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.
  Against the Wastelords Copyright 2003, RPGObjects; Author Dominic Covey 
  and Chris Covey
  Darwin’s World 2nd Edition Copyright 2003, RPGObjects; Authors Dominic 
  Covey and Chris Davis.
  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 Against 
  the Wastelords 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™.
  All monster, npc, and trap statistics blocks are open content.   All other 
  content is closed.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Darwins World/Darwin's World Against the Wastelords.pdf