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Credits

CreditsOriginal Concept and Design: Jeff Combos

Additional Design: Colin Chapman, Jamie Gooch, Stephen Herron, Matt Somers, M. Sechin Tower

Written by: Jeff Combos, Brannon Boren, James Carpio, Colin Chapman, M.Sechin Tower, Greg Yates

Additional Material: Tom Cadorette, John Kahane, Melissa McNally, Daniel Potter, Joseph C. Wolf

Creative Director: Jeff Combos

Lead Editor: Melissa McNally

Editor: M. Sechin Tower

Art Director: Jeff Combos

Graphics and Layout: Ginormous Industries, LLC.

Cover Art: Jeff Slemons

Cartographer: Stephen Daniele

Interior Art: Stephen Daniele, Claudio Pozas, Chad Sergesketter, Jeff Slemons

Photographer: Aaron Nanto (www.chronicleproductions.com)

Project Manager: Melissa McNally

Playtesters: Monty Ashley, Brannon Boren, Tom Cadorette, Colin Chapman, Jim Cook, Eric Haddock, Shawn Hilton, Amy Hunter, Kathy Johnson, John Kahane, Ed Matuskey, Andrew McColl, Melissa McNally, Terry Neil, Doug Picanzi, Daniel Potter, Nestor Rodriguez, Jennifer Running Deer, Abra Soule, Justin Speyer, Katie Tower, M. Sechin Tower, Mark Walling, Tammy Walling

Acknowledgement: Thanks go to the following people: Stephen, for his ongoing enthusiasm and support; Sandra, for her talent and uncanny ability to juggle everything that needs to be done; Sechin, for rising to every challenge and without whom this book would have been greatly delayed; and special thanks to Melissa, for all her sacrifices and hard work. This book, if it existed at all, would be much poorer without her Herculean efforts. Also, special thanks to all the Exile Game Studio forum members, who have proved to be smart, creative, and a never-ending source of inspiration.

4509 Interlake Ave N. #318 Seattle, WA 98103 USA

©2007 Exile Game Studio, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. Exile Game Studio, Secrets of the Surface

World, Hollow Earth Expedition, Ubiquity Roleplaying System and logos are trademarks of Exile Game Studio, LLC. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Exile Game Studio, LLC. All characters, names, places, and text herein

are copyrighted by Exile Game Studio, LLC.The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.

This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

PRINTED IN THAILAND

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Table of Contents

ContentsIntroduction 4 A Warning Too Late 5

Chapter 1: Characters 6 Sample Characters 28

Chapter 2: Supernatural Powers 44

Chapter 3: Secret Societies 52

Chapter 4: The Surface World 72

Chapter 5: Equipment Catalog 90

Chapter 6: Weird Science 132

Chapter 7: Vehicle Combat 142

Sample Adventure: Prisoner of the Reich 148

Index 156

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What is Secrets of the Surface World?

Step back in time and immerse yourself in the mys-terious and intrigue-filled world circa 1936. Here you will find evil organizations possessing strange, terrible powers—and thirsting for more. Villains plot to over-throw civilization, while unlikely heroes battle valiantly to stop them from achieving their dastardly goals.

Secrets of the Surface World is a source book for the Hollow Earth Expedition roleplaying game. It expands the game world and provides an infinite number of possibilities for new adventures. With Secrets in hand, your campaign can remain entirely on the surface world or act as a starting point to lead your players into the Hollow Earth. As a pulp adventure sourcebook, Secrets provides more information about the things you’ve come to expect from Hollow Earth Expedition: secret societies, supernatural powers, and weird science!

How to Use this BookSecrets of the Surface World is divided into chapters,

each dedicated to a different aspect of the game.

Chapter 1: Characters provides additional material for creating surface world characters.

Sample Characters features eight new surface world characters.

Chapter 2: Supernatural Powers includes rules for supernatural powers, including psychic abilities and sorcery.

Chapter 3: Secret Societies lists organizations that may help or hinder your character.

Chapter 4: The Surface World describes some of the most intriguing surface world locations.

Chapter 5: Equipment Catalog details weapons, vehicles, and gear of the era.

Chapter 6: Weird Science describes how to create powerful gadgets and inventions.

Chapter 7: Vehicle Combat includes rules for attacking vehicles and performing stunts.

Sample Adventure takes the characters on a thrill-ing surface world adventure.

And now, without further ado, we invite you to discover the Secrets of the Surface World…

IntroductIon

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***Official Transmission***

21:12 4.3.36

Attn: Wolfram von Wartenburg

Wewelsburg CastleMessage:Professor Rookwood in custody.

Above communication intercepted.

We can use this to our advantage.Dr. Elmar Wurmhausen

5

Al-Konbas HotelCairo, EgyptApril, 1936

Dear Victor,

I am in danger, and desperately need your help. I am hesitant to put this down on paper, lest it fall into the wrong hands, but the potential consequences outweigh my con-cerns. My message is urgent, so I must take the risk…

My theory was correct. Using my notes, I was able to locate the Temple of Thot. Inside we made a remark-able discovery. Our excavations unearthed an ancient Atlantean portal!

It is unlike anything I have ever seen, and will most certainly astound and delight the entire Order of Pro-metheus. I have spent several weeks deciphering the glyphs engraved upon the portal, and have learned a great deal. Oh Victor—the device will surely speed humanity toward its destiny! The possibilities for sci-entific advancement are nearly endless. Members from all three Supreme Colleges will be keenly interested in the impact this amazing device will have upon their research. An entire Symposium could be dedicated to unlocking its secrets!

I regret that my need for haste does not allow me to share more with you. For now, I am afraid you will have to be content with this short description. The Thule Society has learned of my great discovery and will stop at nothing to possess it. I am being followed. I have felt strange, malevolent eyes upon me for the last fortnight, and I’m positive that someone has rifled through my hotel room on more than one occasion. It is fortunate I carry my journal on my person at all times. I shudder to think what would happen if the Thule Society should come into possession of my notes.

It is of vital importance that we retain owner-ship of the portal. Our enemies would seek to do evil with it, and I cannot allow that to happen. I am making arrangements to move it to a safe location. I have a friend here who is helping me, and he seems most able. I only hope that we can act before it is too late.

The most important thing for you to know is that the portal can only be opened by an Atlantean or one of their pure-blooded

descendents. I believe that this is one way the Atlan-teans ensured the security of their incredible technology. My daughter, whom you know, is one of those rare per-sons who can activate the portal. I have kept her secret these many years in an attempt to give her a normal life. I met her parents when I was seeking Atlantean descendents and I sheltered them for a time. They were happy in my home, but others came looking for them, and they had to flee. They wanted their newborn daughter to have a chance at a normal life, so they left her with me. I can still remember their tear-filled eyes as they turned to walk away. I have neither seen nor heard from them since that night.

In the event that something happens to me, I beg of you to protect my daughter. Hide her, and do not allow her to come looking for me. Under no circumstances should she fall under the control of the Thule Society. I cannot stress enough that the consequences to humanity would be devastating if our enemies get their hands on both the portal and my daughter.

Your friend in science,

Dr. J. M. RookwoodFellow of the Supreme College of PhysicsOrder of Prometheus

A WArnIng too LAte

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Table of ContentsIntroductionA Warning too LateCh. 1: CharactersSample CharactersCh. 2: Supernatural PowersCh. 3: Secret SocietiesCh. 4: The Surface WorldCh. 5: Equipment CatalogCh. 6: Weird ScienceCh. 7: Vehicle CombatSample AdventureIndex