Post by Darko on Apr 5, 2014 22:54:25 GMT
IF YOU ARE READING THIS POST FOR THE FIRST TIME AND ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE GAME, PLEASE READ THE MARK 2 GAME COMPANION INSTEAD OF THIS POST - IT HAS MORE UP TO DATE INFORMATION
Welcome to Hive Ulysses, a large and bloated hive in the northern tundra of the ice world 4296-Gamma. It is named after the warrior-prince and later saint of the same name, who was tragically felled by a chaos berserker atop a mountain on this world, far from his home. Though their leader was killed, the armies he commanded destroyed the remaining chaos, bringing the crusade to a close. This otherwise worthless ice rock in space has a vast natural reserve of both prometheum and elements used in the creation of power armour. As such, a huge hive was established to exploit these resources for the good of the Imperium.
Five thousand years have passed since then and the resources under Hive Ulysses are all-but used up. The once proud Hive has descended into ever-increasing states of anarchy, with little support from the uncaring Imperium who has all but forgotten 4296-Gamma. The underhive and mine network is almost completely abandoned to the scummers, scavs, mutants and gangers who reside there. The noble families are leeching what profit they can still turn, although if the Hive seems doomed to die a slow death.
In the depths of the underhive, an entirely different story plays out. The low-lives down there care not for the wider Imperium, just for gaining power and thrills in their short, violent lives. One of the major gangs has just been catastrophically wiped out by a rival, leaving a huge power vacuum. In its wake, dozens of small-time gangs have sprung up, eager to carve out a slice of territory for themselves, while avoiding the ire of the far more established and powerful gangs.
With the Hive seemingly set to tear itself apart in the near future, a thriving black market exists, with the military hardware that the PDF never has cause to use regularly sold to the lower hive. Even the nobles have a hand in it, still vying to increase their own standing in the city while there is still time. Meanwhile at the very bottom, the scum are more or less blissfully unaware of the impending stagnation of their entire city. They just keep on mining the ore and killing each other, and the Imperium doesn't even notice.
~~~~~
In this game, which revives one of the oldest and most well-loved roleplaying game series from Darkstorm Gaming history, you take the role of a nefarious gang leader and his crew of cronies.
Where this game varies from previous instalments is that everything is being scaled way down to the core of the setting. There won't be any chaos freaking space marines(!) or sisters of battle squads roaming around. While the previous games were a lot of fun, I intend to really focus on the gangs themselves this time round. Simply defending your territory from the predations of your rivals while plotting their downfall and making shady alliances with other gangs to get an advantage before back-stabbing them before they back-stab you will keep you quite occupied.
Another aspect of the previous games that bogged it down over time was money and buying new equipment/base upgrades in particular, leading to it becoming a game of one-upping each other over and over again.
This time your hideouts will be your homes, your favourite drinking holes, hidden alleyways and wherever else you conquer. Your gangers will have to regularly walk the streets as a show of force, both intimidating the weaker scum who live amongst you in this cess pit and other gangs.
There will also be a great big emphasis on the players taking the initiative to go out and commit all sorts of atrocious crimes to get by, be it raiding other gangs for their loot, robbing stores and businesses (not that they typically have much down here) or even taking a great risk by attacking powerful entities, such as the trade guilds of the upper hive or larger NPC gangs. Those who manage such feats will surely gain great wealth and power, but they risk everything in the process.
Also, I will be using a simplified version of the Necromunda core rulebook rules to determine combat, injuries and experience. I know some people aren't happy about the number of games using rules systems these days (and I assure you in future games such as Space Hulk II, it will be like the good old days) but this is a Necromunda game and I want it to feel like such.
EDIT: If you are reading this and have no idea about the setting or what the hell is going on, then please simply PM me and I will explain it all. Or, alternatively, search for Lexicanum (the warhammer 40,000 wiki) and just read up on everything.
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GANG CREATION
You have 1000 Throne Gelt (Hive currency) to spend on recruiting gang members and buying starting equipment for them
- Each gang can only have one leader
- You must have a minimum of 3 people to be a gang
- You can include as many gangers as you want
- You can have as many juvies as you want so long as you don't have more juvies than gangers
- You can have up to 2 heavies
- All gang members of any rank start with a free knife
Step 1: creating a leader
Your gang leader is free of cost, but you will have to pay for their equipment.
This is the head honcho, the don, the big cheese. They're either the toughest, meanest, most intelligent, cunning, charismatic or otherwise skilled enough to be the leader of a gang.
If they die, then the ganger with the next highest LD value will take over as the new leader (and likely need a new fleshed-out character sheet as befits them).
If two potential leaders have the same LD value, then they will fight it out.
If another ganger reaches the same LD value or higher than the gang leader, then they might challenge the current leader to a fight to be in charge. Ganger scum are fickle by nature and will usurp each other if possible!
If your leaders' decisions continually prove poor, unprofitable or result in repeated deaths, the gang is more likely to rebel or want a new leader.
If your gang leader has great success and keeps the approval of his gangers, then they will be more loyal, inspired and generally more likely to do well in the jobs they are given.
Their starting stats are as follows:
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 4
A: 1
LD: 8
Weapons: The gang leader can use any type of weapon.
If your gang leader is leading your gang then they can use his LD value in terms of morale-based tests so long as the leader isn't out of action, dead or fleeing already. While committing your leader to battle can be risky (and sometimes unavoidable), this can make the difference between triumphing over your foes and your gang routing for the sake of their own lives.
XP: 70
Rank: Gang Champion (Leader)
Experienced gangers (75 thrones)
Some gangers are simply more skilled or experienced than most and they are highly sought after by new gangs.
WS: 3
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 7
Weapons: They may use melee, pistols, basic and grenades
A particular set of skills...: when one of these gangers is hired, they may add +1 to any stat.
XP: 50
Rank: Ganger
Gangers (50 thrones)
This lot make up the mainstray of your gang. They are fairly experienced and reliable, but generally not clever enough to lead a gang themselves.
WS: 3
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 6
Weapons: They may use melee, pistols, basic and grenades
XP: 30
Rank: New Ganger
Heavies (95 Thrones) [0-2]
These are the biggest, strongest members of the gang and they bring the heavy or special weapons into turf wars.
They are also often amongst the most intelligent, as they have greater experience and know-how with maintaining weapons than others.
If the heavy firepower wasn't incentive enough, then the magic they can work on the gang's weapons usually is.
WS: 2
BS: 3
S: 4
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 6
XP: 60
Rank: Gang Champion (Heavy)
Weapons: they may use melee, pistols, special, basic, heavy and grenades
Weapon maintenance: the first time in a battle that a weapon would normally jam, it is ignored because of the extra care the heavy as put into looking after the gang's weapons.
Juves (25 Thrones)
Inexperienced, and usually reckless youngsters eager to join a gang, they are relatively useless and often used as meat shields by the more experienced gangers.
On the other hand, they are very cheap to hire and with a little time and effort, they can improve quickly to become fully-fledged gangers.
WS: 2
BS: 2
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 5
Weapons: they may use melee, pistols and grenades
XP: 0
Rank: Green Juve
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Character sheet - every character in a gang needs one. Leaders are most important so their sheets are more extensive whereas the rest have much smaller sheets.
Leader sheet:
Name:
Gang Name:
Weapon list:
Age:
Gender:
Rank: (see the experience section)
Personality:
Appearance:
Background:
Weapons:
Armour:
Experience Points:
Skills:
Stats:
Gang member sheet:
Name:
Gender:
Rank:
Weapons:
Armour:
XP:
Skills:
Stats:
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Each fighter you recruit can be armed with one or more of the weapons listed. Initially only weapons from the starting weapons list below may be chosen, but once the game starts the entire black market is available.
A fighter can only ever carry one heavy weapon but they can carry any number of other weapons (within common sense).
When the gang is first created, some weapons may only be taken by the gang leader.
Grenades and missiles must be bought separately but other weapons are assumed to have a supply of ammo available once purchased. (Not including special ammunition)
There are three different starting weapon lists and you must choose one.
The first is melee-orientated, the second is balanced and the third is ranged-orientated. Whichever one you pick, you will ALWAYS be able to buy weapons from that list without having to check the black market.
Leader Weapons: only one of each of these can be purchased from the starting lists to represent the fact that your leader reserves the best gear for themselves, at least initially. While you could give these weapons to other gangers, your leader is probably the best fighter in your gang at the start and it'd be wiser to see how your gangers develop before giving them better gear to suit their growing skills.
List 1 - weapon/cost
Melee:
Knife - 5
Sword - 10
Club/Maul/Bludgeon - 10
Massive Axe/Club/Sword - 15
Chain/Flail - 10
Chain Knife - 20
Shock Maul - 25
Pistols:
Autopistol - 15
Stub gun - 10
Basic weapons:
Autogun - 20
Shotgun - 20
Special weapons:
Flamer - 40
Grenade Launcher - 130
Heavy weapons:
Auto-cannon - 300
Heavy Stubber - 120
Heavy Bolter - 180
Leader Only:
Chainsword or Chain Axe - 25
Bolt Pistol - 20
Boltgun - 35
List 2
Melee:
Knife - 5
Sword - 10
Club/Maul/Bludgeon - 10
Chain/Flail - 10
Pistols:
Autopistol - 15
Laspistol - 15
Stub gun - 10
Basic weapons:
Autogun - 20
Lasgun - 25
Shotgun - 20
Special weapons:
Flamer - 40
Grenade Launcher - 130
Bolt-action sniper rifle - 30
Heavy weapons:
Missile Launcher - 185
Heavy Stubber - 120
Heavy Bolter - 180
Leader Only:
Chainsword - 25
Meltagun - 95
List 3
Melee:
Knife - 5
Club/Maul/Bludgeon - 10
Pistols:
Autopistol - 15
Bolt pistol - 20
Laspistol - 15
Stub gun - 10
Basic weapons:
Autogun - 20
Boltgun - 35
Lasgun - 25
Shotgun - 20
Special weapons:
Meltagun - 95
Plasma gun - 70
Long-Las - 40
Heavy weapons:
Heavy stubber - 120
Heavy Plasma gun - 285
Man-portable Lascannon - 400
Leader Only:
Needle Rifle - 230
Plasma pistol - 25
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Generic explosives and special ammo (good for one battle) that can be taken:
Frag Grenade - 30 thrones
Krak Grenade - 50 thrones
Frag Missile - 35 thrones
Krak Missile - 115 thrones
Stub gun dum-dum bullets - 5 thrones
Man-Stopper shotgun shell - 5
Hot-shot shotgun shell - 5
Bolt shotgun shell - 15
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New weapons
Bolt-action sniper rifle - same as autogun but much longer range, great accuracy at long range (+1) rather than short range.
Long-Las - same as lasgun but able to deliver pin-point accuracy at distance, but difficult to hit closer targets. (+2 long range, -1 short range) Slightly longer range.
Shock Maul - same as club but if an enemy goes down from a shock maul hit they automatically go out of action but suffer no serious injury after the battle.
Chain Axe - same as a chainsword except it re-rolls to wound, however it cannot parry. Same cost.
Nomad Rifle - the most powerful sniper rifle, it is a rare and prestigious weapon. Unlike the advanced needle rifle, it simply uses sheer brute force to kill rather than ingenious technology and poison. Each one is a masterfully hand-crafted weapon and they are surprisingly reliable, making them highly sought after. It is rumoured that there are only three in the entire Hive, two of which reside in the display rooms of nobles. (Long range, +1 to hit at long, -1 short, strength 6, -4Sv, 1 Dam, 3+ ammo roll)
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Experience (XP)
XP determines the overall skill of your ganger, their 'rank' in the gang hierarchy and generally represents how skilled they are. The more XP a ganger earns, the faster they will increase in rank which will allow them to improve their skills and stats.
These are the usual ways of getting XP, although I may reward XP for other things, where appropriate, such as random events.
Action/XP
Put an enemy out of action - 5XP
Put an enemy leader out of action - 10XP
Survive a battle without going down - 10XP
Participate in a victory - 5XP
Triumphant Leadership (Gang Leader only) - 10XP
Hit an enemy - 1XP
Secure loot - 1XP
Defeat a mutant - +10XP
Spotting an enemy raider - +2XP
Free a prisoner held by the enemy - +5XP
Successfully conquer or defend a territory - +15XP
Successful Driving Test - +1XP
Successfully initiate tailing/racing - +1XP
Penetrating a vehicle's armour by ramming it - +5XP
Run down/drive by attack an enemy - +5XP
Critically damage an enemy vehicle - +10XP
The XP/Rank track is as follows:
0-5 Green Juve
6-10 Juve
11-15 Juve
16-20 Top Juve
21-30 New Ganger
31-40 Ganger
41-50 Ganger
51-60 Ganger
61-80 Gang Champion
81-100 Gang Champion
101-120 Gang Champion
121-140 Gang Champion
141-160 Gang Champion
161-180 Gang Champion
181-200 Gang Champion
201-240 Gang Hero
241-280 Gang Hero
281-320 Gang Hero
321-360 Gang Hero
361-400 Gang Hero
401+ Mighty Ganger (May not advance further)
Every time the character levels up a rank, they gain either a characteristic advance or a new skill. This is done by me making a roll on the advances table to determine the result.
2D6 - Result
2-4 - New Skill (choose from any skill table and randomly generate one)
5 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 Strength; 4-6 = +1 Attack)
6 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 WS; 4-6 = +1 BS)
7 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 Initiative; 4-6 = +1 Leadership)
8 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 Wounds; 4-6 = +1 Toughness)
9- Choose any 1 skill.
10-11 - Choose any characteristic to add +1.
12 - Roll again twice, ignoring subsequent rolls of 12.
Minimum values: a characteristic may never be reduced below 1 no matter what.
Maximum values: (these are not scaled normally with 40k stats, so you cannot be stronger than a space marine)
WS: 8
BS: 8
S: 5
T: 5
W: 4
I: 6
A: 4
LD: 10
Skill tables that you can choose from:
- Agility
- Melee
- Stealth
- Strength
- Ferocity
- Special
- Shooting
AGILITY SKILLS
1: Catfall
Half the distance fallen for the purposes of calculating damage from falling.
2: Dodge
Gain an additional 6+ saving throw in addition to any others against shooting or hand-to-hand damage, and can never be ignored. However it cannot be taken against blast or flame weapons.
3: Jump Back
At the start of any melee fight the character can take an initiative test to disengage, exiting the fight without incident and moving several steps away from the opponent. If failed, the fight continues normally.
4: Leap
The ganger can make a leap to cover additional distance when he moves.
5: Quick Draw
This lets you double your initiative when testing to fast draw in a stand off or similar situation.
6: Sprint
The ganger is extremely fast and can cover up to three times the distance as normal when running or charging.
COMBAT SKILLS
1: Combat Master
If outnumbered in melee, the character gains +1 WS for every opponent over the first.
2: Disarm
The character can use this in close-combat and on a D6 roll of 4+ the opponent drops one weapon of your choice.
3: Feint
The character can convert any parries it is allowed to make (typically only sword-type weapons) into +1 attack per parry available. You can only feint or parry in each turn and must decide which.
4: Parry
The character has learned to parry even with weapons unsuited for such a move, perhaps even turning aside enemy weapons with his bare hands. If they also have a weapon like a sword that can parry then they are twice as effective.
5: Counter Attack
In combat, when both sides can make a parry they cancel out, but with this skill the character can immediately make another attack when that happens.
6: Step Aside
The character is an expert at avoiding CQC attacks. In melee, they ignore any attacks on the roll of a 4+.
STEALTH SKILLS
1: Ambush
The character is capable of concealing themselves, lying in wait and attacking other gangers from an unexpected angle. They can hide and overwatch at the same time.
2: Dive
The character can run and hide behind cover in the same move.
3: Escape Artist
If the character is ever captured after a battle, then they immediately escape with all their equipment.
4: Evade
Ducking and weaving, this character is notoriously hard to hit. Enemies shooting at him at short range suffer a -2 to hit while at long range they suffer a -1. This only applies if the fighter is in the open, and does not stack with bonuses from cover.
5: Infiltration
The ganger is adept at getting behind enemy lines. At the start of a battle at which your side started, this ganger can begin anywhere of your choosing - be it a vantage point, or right behind an enemy! They are also better at spying than your typical thug.
6: Sneak Up
Any sentry attempting to spot this model halves their normal spotting distance.
STRENGTH SKILLS
1: Body Slam
The ganger adds +2 to their WS when it charges rather than just +1.
2: Bulging Biceps
Heavies only. The heavy can move and shoot with weapons that normally prevent this, however doing so incurs a -1 to hit.
3: Crushing Blow
The character counts as having +1 Strength in close-combat.
4: Head Butt
If the ganger inflicts 2 or more hits in melee then they can instead exchange these hits to make just one with an additional strength bonus of +1 per extra hit exchanged. Ie S4 model makes to hits and exchanges, making it a S5 hit.
5: Hurl Opponent
If the character wins a combat, they can pick them up and throw them in a direction of their choosing. The thrown character takes a hit equal to the distance. This can be used to throw them into solid objects such as walls, other gangers or most effectively - off a very high place like a walkway!
6: Iron Jaw
If the ganger is hit in melee the strength of each hit is reduced by 1.
FEROCITY SKILLS
1: Berserk Charge
On a turn that the ganger charges they double their number of attacks, but cannot parry that turn.
2: Impetuous
After a melee fight, this ganger can lunge into combat with a second opponent if they are close by. There is no fight until the next round.
3: Iron Will
Gang Leader only. It allows you to re-roll a failed morale test to see if your gang retreats.
4: Killer Reputation
The ganger has such a fearsome reputation as a vicious, depraved psychopath that his foes are terrified at the thought of facing him. This causes a fear test if this ganger is close enough to an enemy.
5: Nerves of Steel
If the ganger fails a test to avoid being pinned down by enemy suppressing fire, they can re-roll the dice.
6: True Grit
When testing to see the extent of injury during a fight, 1-2 is a flesh wound, 3-5 is down and only on a 6 are they out of action.
SPECIAL SKILLS
1: Armourer
Double-checking the gang's weapons, all members of the gang ignore the first weapon jam/ammo explodes result they would otherwise suffer in a battle.
2: Fixer
Gangers only. This ganger has a certain know-how or dubious contacts in the black market. They never reveal their secrets, but somehow they are much more easily able to get a hold of rare and vaunted items.
3: Inventor
Occasionally this person might just cobble together something rather impressive. If they do, you're in for a treat...
4: Medic
The ganger has some experience patching up fellow fighters. After a battle you can ask the GM to re-roll one serious injury result if you so desire.
5: Specialist
Gangers or Juvies only. The ganger has shown an affinity for the more difficult weapons out there and can now use special weapons.
6: Weaponsmith
This ganger can ignore any failed jam/ammo and weapon explodes results on a 4+.
SHOOTING SKILLS
1: Crack Shot
When this ganger injures an opponent they roll two injury dice and pick the one that's worst for the enemy.
2: Fast Shot
The ganger can choose to, rather than firing normally, shoot up to his attack characteristic's value. Ie a character with 3 attacks can shoot 3 times in a round.
3: Gunslinger
The ganger is best with pistols and can wield one in each hand, firing them both accurately at the same time.
4: Hip Shooting
The character can run and shoot in the same round, but suffers a -1 to hit. This skill cannot be used with heavy weapons.
5: Marksman
The ganger gains +1 to hit with all ranged weapons.
6: Rapid Fire
If the character does not move, then they can shoot twice.
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Gang Rating
GR is an abstract representation of roughly how powerful your gang is compared to others. I will calculate it and update it at the end of every week in-character time.
GR = value of fighters (in thrones) + experience of fighters
ie ganger Jim is worth 150 thrones and he has 200 experience, meaning he adds 350 to the overall GR.
This is useful for all the players, after all, if one gang appears to be getting too powerful then it's likely others will band together to take them down a notch.
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Serious Injuries
In the all-too-common turf wars and street skirmishes that we will no doubt see many of over the course of this game, it is very likely that gang members will be taken out of action.
This can mean many things and until a fight is resolved the actual outcome is uncertain.
They may recover just fine, or they might suffer debilitating injuries, or they may even die. Sometimes one side is completely knocked out of action which leaves all participants in a fight to the mercy of the victorious gang!
This is why in most fights one gang will retreat after too many of their gangers go out of action, either by the decision of the controlling player to disengage or because the gangs' morale buckles and they retreat anyway.
After each battle every ganger who went out of action will have a roll made by me on a chart that will determine what happened to them.
Now, as you don't want this to happen very often, try and fight battles when you have the advantage and in any case always try and use cover! Armour is fairly rare in the underhive and even if you do have it it's best to hide behind a metal wall or convenient pile of rubble.
In a fight, sometimes the gangers will only suffer flesh wounds - these aren't serious and they won't get a roll on the chart of doom.
There is also another state that gangers can be in: 'down' - this just means they're on the ground and in a bad way but they're still in the fight. If they are still down at the end of a fight they have a 50% chance to suffer serious injury and 50% chance to recover with no serious harm done to them.
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TERRITORY
Territory is the lifeblood of any gang. You start with five randomly generated territories and can collect income from them every week in-game.
Unlike previous games, your gangers automatically collect income from them in their spare time without you fussing over sending ganger abc to territory 123.
However, your income is reduced every week depending on how many gangers you have. They all demand a cut of the proceeds to spend on booze, drugs, food and whatever else they desire. Shown below is how much you earn based on income compared to gang size.
Remember not to let your gang grow beyond a size you can afford to support, as you'll not earn a profit and be left behind next to the other gangs!
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GIANT KILLER BONUS
If the underdogs take on the big local gang and win, then grateful locals will come forward and reward them, or maybe your gang just went on a spree of petty theft on their way out of enemy territory.
Difference in Gang Rating/Income bonus for winning a fight
1-49 - +5
50-99 - +10
100-149 - +15
150-199 - +20
200-249 - +25
250-499 - +50
500-749 - +100
750-999 - +150
1000-1499 - +200
1500+ - +250
Territory list - the actual types of territory you can own, fight over and so forth.
Chem Pit (5 thrones)
An extensive and highly dangerous chemical pit lies nearby. The pit is a source of constantly changing chemicals, sulphurous deposits and all kinds of poisonous and corrosive substances. If you want to collect chemicals from the pit and sell them to local addicts or "scientists" then you will get a small pay.
Old Ruins (10 thrones)
There is an exposed area of ancient ruins not far from your settlement. If a ganger searches through the ruins he may find scrap pieces of archeotech, bits of old metal or interesting old curios.
Slag (15 thrones)
Near your esttlement there is an extensive network of tunnels and crawlholes full of iron slag and other solidified chemical wastes. A ganger can break it up ready to sell to local Guilders.
Mineral Outcrop (40 thrones)
Not far from your settlement there is an outcrop of mineral wastes where a ganger can collect valuable sparstones, adonite crystals and igneous adamantorite, or one of the many other kinds of mineral gems that are formed in the underhive.
Settlement (30 thrones)
The families of your gang fighters own holes or workshops inside the settlement where the gang is based. These holdings help to support the gang by providing food, shelter and a vital link with the local traders. In addition, there is a chance of a young relative leaving the settlement to join your gang, which will gain you 1 Juve.
Mine Workings (25 thrones)
In a secret location in the wastes your gang has discovered a mine. The excavations yield carnotite gems or some other valuable ores or stones. Friends of the gangers are already working in return for a slice of the proceeds. You collect your share of the profits as your gangers don't have the time to work there. You can also send slaves into the mines to increase your profit by +10 per slave. This is typically an option reserved for captured gang members, but if you want to be a body snatcher for the sake of money, then who's going to stop you... well, you'll probably find out.
Tunnels (10 thrones)
Your gang has found a buried entrance to a labyrinth of ancient service ducts beneath the dome floor, full of scrap. Also, with enough exploration, you might find that your tunnels might lead somewhere unexpected...
Vents (10 thrones)
The gang has found a concealed entrance into a network of ancient ventilation shafts, full of techno-gubbinz.
Homestead (30 thrones)
One of the gang members comes from a homestead out in the wastes. The homestead produces a crop of nutritious slime which the ganger can help his family carry to the local trade post in return for a cut of the profit.
Water Still (25 thrones)
The gang has discovered and renovated an old water still out in the wastes. The still is worked by the family or friends of one of the gangers. Guilder slave trains carry the water to local settlers making the gang a share of the proceeds.
Drinking Hole (60 thrones)
Your gang leader has inherited an old drinking hole in payment of an outstanding gambling debt. The hole earns a small sum and also provides the gang with a convenient base in the local settlement. It is a profitable business and a prize territory.
Guilder Contact (35 thrones)
A local Guilder has offered you favourable rates in return for your business doing various jobs.
You can also sell rare artefacts to the Guilder contact instead of on the Black Market for a substantially better price.
Friendly Doc (15 thrones)
One of the local medical practitioners has offered to pay you in return for blood and tissue donations from your gangers. The Doc will also give you +15 thrones for dead bodies (typically your gangers, or prisoners), providing him with a useful supply of organs and limbs.. or worse, a victim to experiment on (if alive).
Workshop (40 thrones)
The family or friends of one of your gang fighters runs a workshop in the local settlement. You can trade in bits of scrap or other odds and ends in return for cheap repair work or cash.
Gambling Den (special)
Your gang runs a gambling den in an old disused hole in your settlement. Although the income from running a game is good, it is a risky business because underhivers are notorious cheats and bad losers too. If you decide to run a gambling session, then it is possible to win or lose substantial amounts, even if you try to rig the game in your favour.
How much is at stake obviously depends on who is at the game. A scummer isn't going to have much, but a Guilder or other Gang Leaders will likely have much more to stake. Such arrangements are risky, but potentially very profitable if they go without a hitch... assuming everyone keeps their hands on the table and weapons holstered.
Spore Cave (25 thrones)
Your gang has discovered a hidden cave where many kinds of rare fungi grow, such as pearl spore and iron mould. A ganger can harvest the fungi and sell it to local traders.
Archeotech (20 thrones/special)
Your gang has discovered a hidden entrance into a small unexplored dome full of treasures from eras long since forgotten. Your gangers can collect remnants of ancient technical devices for a good amount of money.
However, you can exploit this hidden treasure trove for more money each week if you desire, adding a multiplier to the standard amount of money up to x10.
For every +x1 you add, the risk of people at the trading post getting suspicious and discovering that you have found a new source of Archeotech greatly increases.
If the secret gets out then your gangers will venture into the dome one day to find it full of scavengers, prospectors and other treasure hunters seeking their fortune, picking it bare.
If this happens, then the territory becomes Old Ruins instead.
Green Hivers (choose)
You befriended a group of settlers who have migrated from the upper Hive City to the Underhive to start a new life. Possibly your gang chanced upon the settlers lost or dying in the wastes. Maybe they are relatives or friends of one of your gangers who have deliberately sought them out. Thanks to your contacts and influence you are able to give the green hivers a good start, and naturally they are grateful for your assistance and only too pleased to help in the future. You may choose any type of territory from the chart. The territory represents the vocation of the settlers or a discovery they have chanced across in their journey to the Underhive. The territory yields the appropriate income for its type.
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THE TRADING POST
This was mentioned earlier in the post.
The Trading Post is open every weekend (in real life, by England time) where you can spend your hard-earned Thrones.
But what can you spend them on?
New Recruits - these are recruited in the same way as the original gang, using the starting weapons' list you chose.
Recruiting Hired Guns - players can hire mercenary fighters, assassins, spies, guides and other useful people.
Bounties - you can check to see if there are any new bounties, or post one of your own. Putting a high price on another gang leader's head is going to make life very difficult for them indeed.
Weapons and Equipment - Obviously in the underhive arms race, everyone will periodically want to add new gear to their force. While you can always purchase items that are on your starting list, other items will be more difficult to acquire, and often whatever the traders just so happen to have available for sale at that time is the best you'll get.
There will be new rare items up for sale every weekend, but if they aren't bought by one of the players then you can bet someone else will, and you'll be lucky to see another example of such rare and valuable items.
Selling - you can also sell unwanted items for a reduced price.
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MERCENARIES
Hiring Mercs is fairly expensive but can provide a powerful boon.
The types are:
Underhive scum - not impressive, but cheap and often more skilled than most gangers
Bounty Hunters - professionals, they can track down and bring you a target dead or alive, or they can join you directly in battle.
Ratskin scouts - nimble, and almost feral, no one knows the underhive better than them.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS: HIRELINGS
These elite and expensive characters can be hired, but unlike random mercenaries they are persistent characters and you may find them disturbing your activities of their own accord if you earn their ire. They are dangerous and not to be trifled with.
Double Tap Murphy (Mercenary, Hireling: costs 50 thrones initially, +25 after each battle)
WS: 3
BS: 5
S: 3
T: 3
W: 3
I: 3
A: 2
LD: 8
Skills: Gunslinger, Quick Draw, Dodge, Rapid Fire, Hip Shooting, Jump Back, Sprint
Equipment: Two Plasma pistols, Mesh armour, Bio-Booster
Bio: Murphy is an eccentric man, known for making wise-cracks and being the fastest draw in the underhive (or so he claims). Whether or not this is true will likely never be known, however wherever he goes there's usually one or two dead people who got just a little too arrogant around him. He is a drifter and seems to enjoy travelling and meeting new people, hiring out his particular set of skills to those who can afford his often extensive up-front price.
Sloan (Infiltrator, Assassin, Hireling) (costs 50 thrones for a spying job, 100 for an assassination)
WS: 4
BS: 6
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 5
A: 1
LD: 10
Skills: Assassinate, Ambush, Escape Artist, Evade, Infiltration, Sneak-Up
Assassinate - if Sloan can get behind a person without being detected, he can silently kill them with his knife.
Equipment: Needle Pistol, Knife, Clip Harness, Grapnel, Filter plugs, Infra-red goggles, Photo-contacts, concealed blade, smoke grenades
Bio: This is a man who sticks to the shadows. A listener. A procurer of information. In other words, he is a spy, or at least the next best thing you'll find in the underhive. A master of infiltration and even assassination if need be, Sloan is who you go to if you need something handled with a subtle touch. His plethora of rather specialised skills are rare in the underhive's denizens indeed, meaning his services are almost always in demand. He is a man of serious complexion, yet with a heart as cold as that of any killer. What sets him aside from others is that his brand of death will always be pre-meditated, calculated and planned to the last detail. As such, he does not sully his trade by joining the common gang fights which forever terrorize settlements. In the rare event that he is discovered whilst on a mission, he will either kill the witnesses or throw down a smoke grenade, leaving his enemies baffled whilst he makes a hasty escape.
Titus the Warden (Bounty Hunter, will accept bounties or simply hunt the cruel)
WS: 5
BS: 5
S: 4
T: 3
W: 4
I: 4
A: 3
LD: 10
Skills: Disarm, Marksman, Rapid-fire, Fast Shot, Crack Shot, Iron Jaw, Combat Master, Parry, Feint
Equipment: Bolter with red-dot laser sight, Web pistol, Power maul, Bionic arm (left), carapace armour, Frag and Krak grenades
Bio: They call him 'the warden' for many reasons. Some think he was once part of the Arbites, but went rogue. If this is true, then the Arbites seem content to let him continue conducting his street law. Others simply consider him as a deadly vigilante. He maintains a high moral code - if he sees what he determines as wrongdoings then he will intervene and attempt to stop the trouble, whether that means settling a disagreement or killing an attacker on the spot. He defends the weak and defenceless, an almost suicidal lifestyle in the underhive. However, Titus is a powerful, experienced warrior and has yet to meet someone who can best him in combat. True, he once lost an arm in battle with a particularly fearsome gang leader who terrorized innocent townsfolk, yet he emerged victorious and was gifted a replacement by the people of the settlement he saved. Yet these are but reasons to either respect or hate Titus, he is feared because once he decides to hunt a bounty, he has never relented and thus never failed. Those who do not have enough sense to surrender at the mere mention of his name are beaten into submission with his power maul or trapped by his web pistol. Sometimes the target is wanted dead or leaves Titus no choice but to use deadly force, in which case a bolter round or explosive will suffice. Although he has been known to work for gang leaders who put out bounties, he may well come after even his own employer if he finds them deserving of his justice.
Bounty costs (specify +/-50% bonus for dead or alive as preferred):
Juve or Recruit - 10 thrones
Ganger - 40 thrones
Veteran ganger - 60 thrones
Gang Leader - 100 thrones
NPC/other hireling - 300 thrones
Thak Krell (Mercenary, Initial fee 20 thrones, +15 after each battle)
Skills: Counter Attack, Evade, Medic
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 3
A: 3
LD: 7
Equipment: Sawn-off Shotgun with man-stopper shells, Chainsword, leather armour
Sawn-off counts as a pistol with shotgun stats and a -1 to hit penalty at long range.
Bio: Thak is a relatively simple man and reasonably new to the mercenary business. However, he took all his equipment from men he killed and is carving out the start of a reputation for himself in the local settlements. Though he may be lacking somewhat in the intellectual department, he makes up for it with sheer wit and cunning.
Hastus 'Chef' Burn (Mercenary, Initial fee 30 thrones, +10 after each battle)
WS: 3
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 4
W: 2
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 8
Skills: Pyromaniac, Killer Reputation, Dodge
Pyromaniac - The Chef can fire twice per round with his heavy flamer.
Equipment: Autopistol, Heavy Flamer, butcher blade (Sword)
Bio: None know whether or not he was actually a chef at one time or another, but this man is known to be quiet and contemplative until the time for battle. The smell of smoke and burning flesh awakens something primeval and sadistic within him, the likes of which has terrified many enemies into submission. Unfortunately, there is no mercy to be found in this man's heart. Only cleansing flame.
Silvanus Klightus (Hired Gun, Bounty Hunter. Initial Fee 45 Thrones +25 after each battle or accepts bounties)
WS: 7
BS: 3
S: 5
T: 4
W: 3
I: 4
A: 4
LD: 8
Skills: Crushing Blow, Iron Jaw, Berserk Charge, Body Slam, Hurl Opponent
Equipment: Power Axe, Bolt pistol, carapace armour, Plasma grenades
Bio:
Silvanus is a giant amongst men, standing over seven feet tall. He is wicked, twisted and takes great pleasure hunting down those he perceives as weak - which is just about everyone. He made his name in the Gladiator Pit seven years ago when he killed every other champion in his way, until there were no more left to face him, at which point he left to sell his skills to the highest bidder.
This gargantuan man makes his living selling his skills or simply hunting the most expensive bounties. He lives to prove his might over others and subject inferiors to his will.
Many mistake him for a simple brute however, thinking he is all brawn and no brains.
Many have paid the price for such a fatal error. He is surprisingly intelligent for an Underhiver, yet he uses his smarts to create ever more inventive and painful ways of killing and torturing his targets, or indeed any who cross his path. As long as there are plenty of thrones coming to him, he'll work for anyone and kill anyone - all the while with a sickening grin across his face.
Barbosa Guilliman (Redemptionist, warrior-priest. Hireling: 50 thrones initially, +35 after each battle)
WS: 5
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 3
I: 4
A: 3
LD: 10/Fearless
Skills: Fearless, Pious Fury, Hymns of Battle, Combat Master, Killer Reputation, Berserk Charge
Pious Fury - all fighters in the gang gain +1 Attack whilst he is hired.
Hymns of Battle - all fighters in the gang gain +1LD whilst he is hired.
Equipment: Rosarius, Purifier.
Purifier - This two-handed weapon is a massive halberd with a chainblade and flamethrower attachment. It can be fired as a flamer and used in close combat as a chainsword with +1 Initiative, however it can never be used to parry.
Bio: Barbosa Guilliman was once a ministorum priest. He served with the Imperial Guard and also as a missionary on several worlds. However, when he came to the begotten Hive Oberyn, he discovered it rife with corruption and heresy. His ideals of purging all weakness from the Imperium, including even its own citizens, and achieve purity was highly set him on a warpath here.
Having been a warrior as well as a priest, few can stand in his way. The upper hive had its fair share of corruption and crime, but it was into the underhive he descended for it is where the very worst of humanity dwell. Heretics, mutants, witches and even xenos could be found. He vowed he would strive to scour it clean of all these things until his last breath.
Whilst he has both founded and lead Redemption cults in the underhive, he often wanders to where the word of the Emperor is needed most. Those he believes may be forgiven by the Emperor for their transgressions are often more than welcome to hire his skills as a warrior, as Barbosa always seeks to improve his martial prowess that he might better serve the Emperor's divine will.
He uses his earnings to support himself and also further his more personal endeavours. Barbosa also utilises his masterful skill of interrogation to extract information. These skills, combined with the fact he upholds honesty and truth as the highest virtues, have resulted in his dread reputation as always being able to detect when someone is lying. Those who try to hide the truth from him find redemption in the form of Purifier, his custom weapon of choice.
-----------------------------------------
NPC GANG - The Falcons
The Falcons are an old gang, having been around longer than most underhivers live. Their influence extends through the underhive and even the upper hive. Having recently crushed their only real rivals - Grimm's Reavers - in a cunning plan concocted by their rightly feared leader, Jaeger Ravion.
While the movements of new, tiny gangs are below the notice of the Falcons, it would be a critical mistake to antagonise them. The Falcons haven't remained so powerful for so long by messing around and taking chances, and if they are provoked or another gang openly challenges their own activities, they will not hesitate to respond with deadly force.
Although the territories of their former rivals are now being carved up by smaller gangs, with anything of real worth that Grimm's Reavers had long-since claimed by Jaeger's men, they still keep an eye on the area and send in their gangers occasionally to remind the new gangs who's in charge.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS: GANGERS
Jaeger Ravion, leader of the Falcons:
WS: 6
BS: 5
S: 3
T: 4
W: 4
I: 4
A: 2
LD: 10
Sv: 3+
Age: Living Legend in his 40s
Rank: Mighty Ganger
Equipment: Power Sword, Needle pistol, Krak grenade, Carapace armour
Skills: Nerves of Steel, True Grit, Crack Shot, Fast Shot, Iron Will, Combat Master, Disarm, Feint, Counter Attack
Veteran Falcon
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 4
W: 2
I: 4
A: 2
LD: 8
Sv: 5+
Equipment: Mesh Armour, , Chain Knife
Skills: Iron Jaw
Falcon Ganger
WS: 3
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 4
A: 1
LD: 7
Sv: 6+
Equipment: Metal armour, Autogun or shotgun, club
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SPECIAL CHARACTERS: GUILDERS
Lady Diona Thebe
WS: 2
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 9
Lady Thebe is the current Chief Guilder of the Guild Emporium. That makes her the single most powerful person in the entire underhive. She strives to emulate the lofty presence that the nobles miles above possess, seeking to vaunt herself over the common scum, despite the fact that anywhere else in Hive Ulysses she is still just underhive scum - a fact that no doubt infuriates her to no end. But down here, she may as well be the Emperor Himself, for there is nowhere her influence cannot reach and nothing she cannot buy.
Captain Victor Roth
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 4
T: 4
W: 3
I: 3
A: 3
LD: 9
Sv: 4+
Once a captain in the PDF, he got sick of wasting away. He wasn't doing any good or defending anyone and serving twenty years in the PDF before receiving his pay was not how he wanted to spend his life. So he went AWOL with almost an entire platoon of his men behind him, heading into the underhive. They were packing military-grade hardware and the skills to use them, offering their services to the highest bidder. He could have easily formed his own gang and carved out his own slice of the underhive, but it isn't his style.
He never wanted to be a criminal, and here he servers a purpose. He and his men form the bulk of the Guild Enforcers and they are the closest thing to a law enforcement body in this sector. Mostly his duties involve overseeing the peace in Gelttown, but he is not at all afraid to get his hands dirty and he has a reputation for personally dealing with the enemies of the Guild.
Tall and broad-shouldered, his reputation also has him as something of a ladies man, and he frequents the Golden Gelt on his nights off. However, the rumours that he is involved with Lady Thebe have never been addressed and none are foolish enough to pry into the captain's private life. It is said that he and Jaeger Ravion have met on several occasions, a few of which involved exchanging shots at each other, yet despite the odds they supposedly have a good deal of respect for one another.
That doesn't change the fact that they appear to loathe each other, yet even more unusual is the fact that on the rare occasions that Ravion personally does business with the Guild the two kick back in the Golden Gelt and laugh over old stories. How the most feared Gang Lord in the sector can even sit in the same room as the man who cut out his eye is a mystery no one has ever quite figured out.
Equipment: Flak Armour, Artificer Bolt pistol with Inferno shells, chainsword, frag and krak grenades
Skills: True Grit, Nerves of Steel, Crushing Blow, Hurl Opponent, Rapid Fire, Marksman
Guild Enforcer
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 8
Sv: 4+
Skills: Nerves of Steel, Specialist or Medic or Marksman
Equipment: Flak Armour, Lasgun or (special: meltagun, plasma gun or flamer or grenade launcher or long-las) or shotgun, shock maul, las pistol, frag grenade
Welcome to Hive Ulysses, a large and bloated hive in the northern tundra of the ice world 4296-Gamma. It is named after the warrior-prince and later saint of the same name, who was tragically felled by a chaos berserker atop a mountain on this world, far from his home. Though their leader was killed, the armies he commanded destroyed the remaining chaos, bringing the crusade to a close. This otherwise worthless ice rock in space has a vast natural reserve of both prometheum and elements used in the creation of power armour. As such, a huge hive was established to exploit these resources for the good of the Imperium.
Five thousand years have passed since then and the resources under Hive Ulysses are all-but used up. The once proud Hive has descended into ever-increasing states of anarchy, with little support from the uncaring Imperium who has all but forgotten 4296-Gamma. The underhive and mine network is almost completely abandoned to the scummers, scavs, mutants and gangers who reside there. The noble families are leeching what profit they can still turn, although if the Hive seems doomed to die a slow death.
In the depths of the underhive, an entirely different story plays out. The low-lives down there care not for the wider Imperium, just for gaining power and thrills in their short, violent lives. One of the major gangs has just been catastrophically wiped out by a rival, leaving a huge power vacuum. In its wake, dozens of small-time gangs have sprung up, eager to carve out a slice of territory for themselves, while avoiding the ire of the far more established and powerful gangs.
With the Hive seemingly set to tear itself apart in the near future, a thriving black market exists, with the military hardware that the PDF never has cause to use regularly sold to the lower hive. Even the nobles have a hand in it, still vying to increase their own standing in the city while there is still time. Meanwhile at the very bottom, the scum are more or less blissfully unaware of the impending stagnation of their entire city. They just keep on mining the ore and killing each other, and the Imperium doesn't even notice.
~~~~~
In this game, which revives one of the oldest and most well-loved roleplaying game series from Darkstorm Gaming history, you take the role of a nefarious gang leader and his crew of cronies.
Where this game varies from previous instalments is that everything is being scaled way down to the core of the setting. There won't be any chaos freaking space marines(!) or sisters of battle squads roaming around. While the previous games were a lot of fun, I intend to really focus on the gangs themselves this time round. Simply defending your territory from the predations of your rivals while plotting their downfall and making shady alliances with other gangs to get an advantage before back-stabbing them before they back-stab you will keep you quite occupied.
Another aspect of the previous games that bogged it down over time was money and buying new equipment/base upgrades in particular, leading to it becoming a game of one-upping each other over and over again.
This time your hideouts will be your homes, your favourite drinking holes, hidden alleyways and wherever else you conquer. Your gangers will have to regularly walk the streets as a show of force, both intimidating the weaker scum who live amongst you in this cess pit and other gangs.
There will also be a great big emphasis on the players taking the initiative to go out and commit all sorts of atrocious crimes to get by, be it raiding other gangs for their loot, robbing stores and businesses (not that they typically have much down here) or even taking a great risk by attacking powerful entities, such as the trade guilds of the upper hive or larger NPC gangs. Those who manage such feats will surely gain great wealth and power, but they risk everything in the process.
Also, I will be using a simplified version of the Necromunda core rulebook rules to determine combat, injuries and experience. I know some people aren't happy about the number of games using rules systems these days (and I assure you in future games such as Space Hulk II, it will be like the good old days) but this is a Necromunda game and I want it to feel like such.
EDIT: If you are reading this and have no idea about the setting or what the hell is going on, then please simply PM me and I will explain it all. Or, alternatively, search for Lexicanum (the warhammer 40,000 wiki) and just read up on everything.
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GANG CREATION
You have 1000 Throne Gelt (Hive currency) to spend on recruiting gang members and buying starting equipment for them
- Each gang can only have one leader
- You must have a minimum of 3 people to be a gang
- You can include as many gangers as you want
- You can have as many juvies as you want so long as you don't have more juvies than gangers
- You can have up to 2 heavies
- All gang members of any rank start with a free knife
Step 1: creating a leader
Your gang leader is free of cost, but you will have to pay for their equipment.
This is the head honcho, the don, the big cheese. They're either the toughest, meanest, most intelligent, cunning, charismatic or otherwise skilled enough to be the leader of a gang.
If they die, then the ganger with the next highest LD value will take over as the new leader (and likely need a new fleshed-out character sheet as befits them).
If two potential leaders have the same LD value, then they will fight it out.
If another ganger reaches the same LD value or higher than the gang leader, then they might challenge the current leader to a fight to be in charge. Ganger scum are fickle by nature and will usurp each other if possible!
If your leaders' decisions continually prove poor, unprofitable or result in repeated deaths, the gang is more likely to rebel or want a new leader.
If your gang leader has great success and keeps the approval of his gangers, then they will be more loyal, inspired and generally more likely to do well in the jobs they are given.
Their starting stats are as follows:
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 4
A: 1
LD: 8
Weapons: The gang leader can use any type of weapon.
If your gang leader is leading your gang then they can use his LD value in terms of morale-based tests so long as the leader isn't out of action, dead or fleeing already. While committing your leader to battle can be risky (and sometimes unavoidable), this can make the difference between triumphing over your foes and your gang routing for the sake of their own lives.
XP: 70
Rank: Gang Champion (Leader)
Experienced gangers (75 thrones)
Some gangers are simply more skilled or experienced than most and they are highly sought after by new gangs.
WS: 3
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 7
Weapons: They may use melee, pistols, basic and grenades
A particular set of skills...: when one of these gangers is hired, they may add +1 to any stat.
XP: 50
Rank: Ganger
Gangers (50 thrones)
This lot make up the mainstray of your gang. They are fairly experienced and reliable, but generally not clever enough to lead a gang themselves.
WS: 3
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 6
Weapons: They may use melee, pistols, basic and grenades
XP: 30
Rank: New Ganger
Heavies (95 Thrones) [0-2]
These are the biggest, strongest members of the gang and they bring the heavy or special weapons into turf wars.
They are also often amongst the most intelligent, as they have greater experience and know-how with maintaining weapons than others.
If the heavy firepower wasn't incentive enough, then the magic they can work on the gang's weapons usually is.
WS: 2
BS: 3
S: 4
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 6
XP: 60
Rank: Gang Champion (Heavy)
Weapons: they may use melee, pistols, special, basic, heavy and grenades
Weapon maintenance: the first time in a battle that a weapon would normally jam, it is ignored because of the extra care the heavy as put into looking after the gang's weapons.
Juves (25 Thrones)
Inexperienced, and usually reckless youngsters eager to join a gang, they are relatively useless and often used as meat shields by the more experienced gangers.
On the other hand, they are very cheap to hire and with a little time and effort, they can improve quickly to become fully-fledged gangers.
WS: 2
BS: 2
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 5
Weapons: they may use melee, pistols and grenades
XP: 0
Rank: Green Juve
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Character sheet - every character in a gang needs one. Leaders are most important so their sheets are more extensive whereas the rest have much smaller sheets.
Leader sheet:
Name:
Gang Name:
Weapon list:
Age:
Gender:
Rank: (see the experience section)
Personality:
Appearance:
Background:
Weapons:
Armour:
Experience Points:
Skills:
Stats:
Gang member sheet:
Name:
Gender:
Rank:
Weapons:
Armour:
XP:
Skills:
Stats:
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Each fighter you recruit can be armed with one or more of the weapons listed. Initially only weapons from the starting weapons list below may be chosen, but once the game starts the entire black market is available.
A fighter can only ever carry one heavy weapon but they can carry any number of other weapons (within common sense).
When the gang is first created, some weapons may only be taken by the gang leader.
Grenades and missiles must be bought separately but other weapons are assumed to have a supply of ammo available once purchased. (Not including special ammunition)
There are three different starting weapon lists and you must choose one.
The first is melee-orientated, the second is balanced and the third is ranged-orientated. Whichever one you pick, you will ALWAYS be able to buy weapons from that list without having to check the black market.
Leader Weapons: only one of each of these can be purchased from the starting lists to represent the fact that your leader reserves the best gear for themselves, at least initially. While you could give these weapons to other gangers, your leader is probably the best fighter in your gang at the start and it'd be wiser to see how your gangers develop before giving them better gear to suit their growing skills.
List 1 - weapon/cost
Melee:
Knife - 5
Sword - 10
Club/Maul/Bludgeon - 10
Massive Axe/Club/Sword - 15
Chain/Flail - 10
Chain Knife - 20
Shock Maul - 25
Pistols:
Autopistol - 15
Stub gun - 10
Basic weapons:
Autogun - 20
Shotgun - 20
Special weapons:
Flamer - 40
Grenade Launcher - 130
Heavy weapons:
Auto-cannon - 300
Heavy Stubber - 120
Heavy Bolter - 180
Leader Only:
Chainsword or Chain Axe - 25
Bolt Pistol - 20
Boltgun - 35
List 2
Melee:
Knife - 5
Sword - 10
Club/Maul/Bludgeon - 10
Chain/Flail - 10
Pistols:
Autopistol - 15
Laspistol - 15
Stub gun - 10
Basic weapons:
Autogun - 20
Lasgun - 25
Shotgun - 20
Special weapons:
Flamer - 40
Grenade Launcher - 130
Bolt-action sniper rifle - 30
Heavy weapons:
Missile Launcher - 185
Heavy Stubber - 120
Heavy Bolter - 180
Leader Only:
Chainsword - 25
Meltagun - 95
List 3
Melee:
Knife - 5
Club/Maul/Bludgeon - 10
Pistols:
Autopistol - 15
Bolt pistol - 20
Laspistol - 15
Stub gun - 10
Basic weapons:
Autogun - 20
Boltgun - 35
Lasgun - 25
Shotgun - 20
Special weapons:
Meltagun - 95
Plasma gun - 70
Long-Las - 40
Heavy weapons:
Heavy stubber - 120
Heavy Plasma gun - 285
Man-portable Lascannon - 400
Leader Only:
Needle Rifle - 230
Plasma pistol - 25
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Generic explosives and special ammo (good for one battle) that can be taken:
Frag Grenade - 30 thrones
Krak Grenade - 50 thrones
Frag Missile - 35 thrones
Krak Missile - 115 thrones
Stub gun dum-dum bullets - 5 thrones
Man-Stopper shotgun shell - 5
Hot-shot shotgun shell - 5
Bolt shotgun shell - 15
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New weapons
Bolt-action sniper rifle - same as autogun but much longer range, great accuracy at long range (+1) rather than short range.
Long-Las - same as lasgun but able to deliver pin-point accuracy at distance, but difficult to hit closer targets. (+2 long range, -1 short range) Slightly longer range.
Shock Maul - same as club but if an enemy goes down from a shock maul hit they automatically go out of action but suffer no serious injury after the battle.
Chain Axe - same as a chainsword except it re-rolls to wound, however it cannot parry. Same cost.
Nomad Rifle - the most powerful sniper rifle, it is a rare and prestigious weapon. Unlike the advanced needle rifle, it simply uses sheer brute force to kill rather than ingenious technology and poison. Each one is a masterfully hand-crafted weapon and they are surprisingly reliable, making them highly sought after. It is rumoured that there are only three in the entire Hive, two of which reside in the display rooms of nobles. (Long range, +1 to hit at long, -1 short, strength 6, -4Sv, 1 Dam, 3+ ammo roll)
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Experience (XP)
XP determines the overall skill of your ganger, their 'rank' in the gang hierarchy and generally represents how skilled they are. The more XP a ganger earns, the faster they will increase in rank which will allow them to improve their skills and stats.
These are the usual ways of getting XP, although I may reward XP for other things, where appropriate, such as random events.
Action/XP
Put an enemy out of action - 5XP
Put an enemy leader out of action - 10XP
Survive a battle without going down - 10XP
Participate in a victory - 5XP
Triumphant Leadership (Gang Leader only) - 10XP
Hit an enemy - 1XP
Secure loot - 1XP
Defeat a mutant - +10XP
Spotting an enemy raider - +2XP
Free a prisoner held by the enemy - +5XP
Successfully conquer or defend a territory - +15XP
Successful Driving Test - +1XP
Successfully initiate tailing/racing - +1XP
Penetrating a vehicle's armour by ramming it - +5XP
Run down/drive by attack an enemy - +5XP
Critically damage an enemy vehicle - +10XP
The XP/Rank track is as follows:
0-5 Green Juve
6-10 Juve
11-15 Juve
16-20 Top Juve
21-30 New Ganger
31-40 Ganger
41-50 Ganger
51-60 Ganger
61-80 Gang Champion
81-100 Gang Champion
101-120 Gang Champion
121-140 Gang Champion
141-160 Gang Champion
161-180 Gang Champion
181-200 Gang Champion
201-240 Gang Hero
241-280 Gang Hero
281-320 Gang Hero
321-360 Gang Hero
361-400 Gang Hero
401+ Mighty Ganger (May not advance further)
Every time the character levels up a rank, they gain either a characteristic advance or a new skill. This is done by me making a roll on the advances table to determine the result.
2D6 - Result
2-4 - New Skill (choose from any skill table and randomly generate one)
5 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 Strength; 4-6 = +1 Attack)
6 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 WS; 4-6 = +1 BS)
7 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 Initiative; 4-6 = +1 Leadership)
8 - Characteristic Increase (roll again: 1-3 = +1 Wounds; 4-6 = +1 Toughness)
9- Choose any 1 skill.
10-11 - Choose any characteristic to add +1.
12 - Roll again twice, ignoring subsequent rolls of 12.
Minimum values: a characteristic may never be reduced below 1 no matter what.
Maximum values: (these are not scaled normally with 40k stats, so you cannot be stronger than a space marine)
WS: 8
BS: 8
S: 5
T: 5
W: 4
I: 6
A: 4
LD: 10
Skill tables that you can choose from:
- Agility
- Melee
- Stealth
- Strength
- Ferocity
- Special
- Shooting
AGILITY SKILLS
1: Catfall
Half the distance fallen for the purposes of calculating damage from falling.
2: Dodge
Gain an additional 6+ saving throw in addition to any others against shooting or hand-to-hand damage, and can never be ignored. However it cannot be taken against blast or flame weapons.
3: Jump Back
At the start of any melee fight the character can take an initiative test to disengage, exiting the fight without incident and moving several steps away from the opponent. If failed, the fight continues normally.
4: Leap
The ganger can make a leap to cover additional distance when he moves.
5: Quick Draw
This lets you double your initiative when testing to fast draw in a stand off or similar situation.
6: Sprint
The ganger is extremely fast and can cover up to three times the distance as normal when running or charging.
COMBAT SKILLS
1: Combat Master
If outnumbered in melee, the character gains +1 WS for every opponent over the first.
2: Disarm
The character can use this in close-combat and on a D6 roll of 4+ the opponent drops one weapon of your choice.
3: Feint
The character can convert any parries it is allowed to make (typically only sword-type weapons) into +1 attack per parry available. You can only feint or parry in each turn and must decide which.
4: Parry
The character has learned to parry even with weapons unsuited for such a move, perhaps even turning aside enemy weapons with his bare hands. If they also have a weapon like a sword that can parry then they are twice as effective.
5: Counter Attack
In combat, when both sides can make a parry they cancel out, but with this skill the character can immediately make another attack when that happens.
6: Step Aside
The character is an expert at avoiding CQC attacks. In melee, they ignore any attacks on the roll of a 4+.
STEALTH SKILLS
1: Ambush
The character is capable of concealing themselves, lying in wait and attacking other gangers from an unexpected angle. They can hide and overwatch at the same time.
2: Dive
The character can run and hide behind cover in the same move.
3: Escape Artist
If the character is ever captured after a battle, then they immediately escape with all their equipment.
4: Evade
Ducking and weaving, this character is notoriously hard to hit. Enemies shooting at him at short range suffer a -2 to hit while at long range they suffer a -1. This only applies if the fighter is in the open, and does not stack with bonuses from cover.
5: Infiltration
The ganger is adept at getting behind enemy lines. At the start of a battle at which your side started, this ganger can begin anywhere of your choosing - be it a vantage point, or right behind an enemy! They are also better at spying than your typical thug.
6: Sneak Up
Any sentry attempting to spot this model halves their normal spotting distance.
STRENGTH SKILLS
1: Body Slam
The ganger adds +2 to their WS when it charges rather than just +1.
2: Bulging Biceps
Heavies only. The heavy can move and shoot with weapons that normally prevent this, however doing so incurs a -1 to hit.
3: Crushing Blow
The character counts as having +1 Strength in close-combat.
4: Head Butt
If the ganger inflicts 2 or more hits in melee then they can instead exchange these hits to make just one with an additional strength bonus of +1 per extra hit exchanged. Ie S4 model makes to hits and exchanges, making it a S5 hit.
5: Hurl Opponent
If the character wins a combat, they can pick them up and throw them in a direction of their choosing. The thrown character takes a hit equal to the distance. This can be used to throw them into solid objects such as walls, other gangers or most effectively - off a very high place like a walkway!
6: Iron Jaw
If the ganger is hit in melee the strength of each hit is reduced by 1.
FEROCITY SKILLS
1: Berserk Charge
On a turn that the ganger charges they double their number of attacks, but cannot parry that turn.
2: Impetuous
After a melee fight, this ganger can lunge into combat with a second opponent if they are close by. There is no fight until the next round.
3: Iron Will
Gang Leader only. It allows you to re-roll a failed morale test to see if your gang retreats.
4: Killer Reputation
The ganger has such a fearsome reputation as a vicious, depraved psychopath that his foes are terrified at the thought of facing him. This causes a fear test if this ganger is close enough to an enemy.
5: Nerves of Steel
If the ganger fails a test to avoid being pinned down by enemy suppressing fire, they can re-roll the dice.
6: True Grit
When testing to see the extent of injury during a fight, 1-2 is a flesh wound, 3-5 is down and only on a 6 are they out of action.
SPECIAL SKILLS
1: Armourer
Double-checking the gang's weapons, all members of the gang ignore the first weapon jam/ammo explodes result they would otherwise suffer in a battle.
2: Fixer
Gangers only. This ganger has a certain know-how or dubious contacts in the black market. They never reveal their secrets, but somehow they are much more easily able to get a hold of rare and vaunted items.
3: Inventor
Occasionally this person might just cobble together something rather impressive. If they do, you're in for a treat...
4: Medic
The ganger has some experience patching up fellow fighters. After a battle you can ask the GM to re-roll one serious injury result if you so desire.
5: Specialist
Gangers or Juvies only. The ganger has shown an affinity for the more difficult weapons out there and can now use special weapons.
6: Weaponsmith
This ganger can ignore any failed jam/ammo and weapon explodes results on a 4+.
SHOOTING SKILLS
1: Crack Shot
When this ganger injures an opponent they roll two injury dice and pick the one that's worst for the enemy.
2: Fast Shot
The ganger can choose to, rather than firing normally, shoot up to his attack characteristic's value. Ie a character with 3 attacks can shoot 3 times in a round.
3: Gunslinger
The ganger is best with pistols and can wield one in each hand, firing them both accurately at the same time.
4: Hip Shooting
The character can run and shoot in the same round, but suffers a -1 to hit. This skill cannot be used with heavy weapons.
5: Marksman
The ganger gains +1 to hit with all ranged weapons.
6: Rapid Fire
If the character does not move, then they can shoot twice.
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Gang Rating
GR is an abstract representation of roughly how powerful your gang is compared to others. I will calculate it and update it at the end of every week in-character time.
GR = value of fighters (in thrones) + experience of fighters
ie ganger Jim is worth 150 thrones and he has 200 experience, meaning he adds 350 to the overall GR.
This is useful for all the players, after all, if one gang appears to be getting too powerful then it's likely others will band together to take them down a notch.
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Serious Injuries
In the all-too-common turf wars and street skirmishes that we will no doubt see many of over the course of this game, it is very likely that gang members will be taken out of action.
This can mean many things and until a fight is resolved the actual outcome is uncertain.
They may recover just fine, or they might suffer debilitating injuries, or they may even die. Sometimes one side is completely knocked out of action which leaves all participants in a fight to the mercy of the victorious gang!
This is why in most fights one gang will retreat after too many of their gangers go out of action, either by the decision of the controlling player to disengage or because the gangs' morale buckles and they retreat anyway.
After each battle every ganger who went out of action will have a roll made by me on a chart that will determine what happened to them.
Now, as you don't want this to happen very often, try and fight battles when you have the advantage and in any case always try and use cover! Armour is fairly rare in the underhive and even if you do have it it's best to hide behind a metal wall or convenient pile of rubble.
In a fight, sometimes the gangers will only suffer flesh wounds - these aren't serious and they won't get a roll on the chart of doom.
There is also another state that gangers can be in: 'down' - this just means they're on the ground and in a bad way but they're still in the fight. If they are still down at the end of a fight they have a 50% chance to suffer serious injury and 50% chance to recover with no serious harm done to them.
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TERRITORY
Territory is the lifeblood of any gang. You start with five randomly generated territories and can collect income from them every week in-game.
Unlike previous games, your gangers automatically collect income from them in their spare time without you fussing over sending ganger abc to territory 123.
However, your income is reduced every week depending on how many gangers you have. They all demand a cut of the proceeds to spend on booze, drugs, food and whatever else they desire. Shown below is how much you earn based on income compared to gang size.
Remember not to let your gang grow beyond a size you can afford to support, as you'll not earn a profit and be left behind next to the other gangs!
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GIANT KILLER BONUS
If the underdogs take on the big local gang and win, then grateful locals will come forward and reward them, or maybe your gang just went on a spree of petty theft on their way out of enemy territory.
Difference in Gang Rating/Income bonus for winning a fight
1-49 - +5
50-99 - +10
100-149 - +15
150-199 - +20
200-249 - +25
250-499 - +50
500-749 - +100
750-999 - +150
1000-1499 - +200
1500+ - +250
Territory list - the actual types of territory you can own, fight over and so forth.
Chem Pit (5 thrones)
An extensive and highly dangerous chemical pit lies nearby. The pit is a source of constantly changing chemicals, sulphurous deposits and all kinds of poisonous and corrosive substances. If you want to collect chemicals from the pit and sell them to local addicts or "scientists" then you will get a small pay.
Old Ruins (10 thrones)
There is an exposed area of ancient ruins not far from your settlement. If a ganger searches through the ruins he may find scrap pieces of archeotech, bits of old metal or interesting old curios.
Slag (15 thrones)
Near your esttlement there is an extensive network of tunnels and crawlholes full of iron slag and other solidified chemical wastes. A ganger can break it up ready to sell to local Guilders.
Mineral Outcrop (40 thrones)
Not far from your settlement there is an outcrop of mineral wastes where a ganger can collect valuable sparstones, adonite crystals and igneous adamantorite, or one of the many other kinds of mineral gems that are formed in the underhive.
Settlement (30 thrones)
The families of your gang fighters own holes or workshops inside the settlement where the gang is based. These holdings help to support the gang by providing food, shelter and a vital link with the local traders. In addition, there is a chance of a young relative leaving the settlement to join your gang, which will gain you 1 Juve.
Mine Workings (25 thrones)
In a secret location in the wastes your gang has discovered a mine. The excavations yield carnotite gems or some other valuable ores or stones. Friends of the gangers are already working in return for a slice of the proceeds. You collect your share of the profits as your gangers don't have the time to work there. You can also send slaves into the mines to increase your profit by +10 per slave. This is typically an option reserved for captured gang members, but if you want to be a body snatcher for the sake of money, then who's going to stop you... well, you'll probably find out.
Tunnels (10 thrones)
Your gang has found a buried entrance to a labyrinth of ancient service ducts beneath the dome floor, full of scrap. Also, with enough exploration, you might find that your tunnels might lead somewhere unexpected...
Vents (10 thrones)
The gang has found a concealed entrance into a network of ancient ventilation shafts, full of techno-gubbinz.
Homestead (30 thrones)
One of the gang members comes from a homestead out in the wastes. The homestead produces a crop of nutritious slime which the ganger can help his family carry to the local trade post in return for a cut of the profit.
Water Still (25 thrones)
The gang has discovered and renovated an old water still out in the wastes. The still is worked by the family or friends of one of the gangers. Guilder slave trains carry the water to local settlers making the gang a share of the proceeds.
Drinking Hole (60 thrones)
Your gang leader has inherited an old drinking hole in payment of an outstanding gambling debt. The hole earns a small sum and also provides the gang with a convenient base in the local settlement. It is a profitable business and a prize territory.
Guilder Contact (35 thrones)
A local Guilder has offered you favourable rates in return for your business doing various jobs.
You can also sell rare artefacts to the Guilder contact instead of on the Black Market for a substantially better price.
Friendly Doc (15 thrones)
One of the local medical practitioners has offered to pay you in return for blood and tissue donations from your gangers. The Doc will also give you +15 thrones for dead bodies (typically your gangers, or prisoners), providing him with a useful supply of organs and limbs.. or worse, a victim to experiment on (if alive).
Workshop (40 thrones)
The family or friends of one of your gang fighters runs a workshop in the local settlement. You can trade in bits of scrap or other odds and ends in return for cheap repair work or cash.
Gambling Den (special)
Your gang runs a gambling den in an old disused hole in your settlement. Although the income from running a game is good, it is a risky business because underhivers are notorious cheats and bad losers too. If you decide to run a gambling session, then it is possible to win or lose substantial amounts, even if you try to rig the game in your favour.
How much is at stake obviously depends on who is at the game. A scummer isn't going to have much, but a Guilder or other Gang Leaders will likely have much more to stake. Such arrangements are risky, but potentially very profitable if they go without a hitch... assuming everyone keeps their hands on the table and weapons holstered.
Spore Cave (25 thrones)
Your gang has discovered a hidden cave where many kinds of rare fungi grow, such as pearl spore and iron mould. A ganger can harvest the fungi and sell it to local traders.
Archeotech (20 thrones/special)
Your gang has discovered a hidden entrance into a small unexplored dome full of treasures from eras long since forgotten. Your gangers can collect remnants of ancient technical devices for a good amount of money.
However, you can exploit this hidden treasure trove for more money each week if you desire, adding a multiplier to the standard amount of money up to x10.
For every +x1 you add, the risk of people at the trading post getting suspicious and discovering that you have found a new source of Archeotech greatly increases.
If the secret gets out then your gangers will venture into the dome one day to find it full of scavengers, prospectors and other treasure hunters seeking their fortune, picking it bare.
If this happens, then the territory becomes Old Ruins instead.
Green Hivers (choose)
You befriended a group of settlers who have migrated from the upper Hive City to the Underhive to start a new life. Possibly your gang chanced upon the settlers lost or dying in the wastes. Maybe they are relatives or friends of one of your gangers who have deliberately sought them out. Thanks to your contacts and influence you are able to give the green hivers a good start, and naturally they are grateful for your assistance and only too pleased to help in the future. You may choose any type of territory from the chart. The territory represents the vocation of the settlers or a discovery they have chanced across in their journey to the Underhive. The territory yields the appropriate income for its type.
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THE TRADING POST
This was mentioned earlier in the post.
The Trading Post is open every weekend (in real life, by England time) where you can spend your hard-earned Thrones.
But what can you spend them on?
New Recruits - these are recruited in the same way as the original gang, using the starting weapons' list you chose.
Recruiting Hired Guns - players can hire mercenary fighters, assassins, spies, guides and other useful people.
Bounties - you can check to see if there are any new bounties, or post one of your own. Putting a high price on another gang leader's head is going to make life very difficult for them indeed.
Weapons and Equipment - Obviously in the underhive arms race, everyone will periodically want to add new gear to their force. While you can always purchase items that are on your starting list, other items will be more difficult to acquire, and often whatever the traders just so happen to have available for sale at that time is the best you'll get.
There will be new rare items up for sale every weekend, but if they aren't bought by one of the players then you can bet someone else will, and you'll be lucky to see another example of such rare and valuable items.
Selling - you can also sell unwanted items for a reduced price.
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MERCENARIES
Hiring Mercs is fairly expensive but can provide a powerful boon.
The types are:
Underhive scum - not impressive, but cheap and often more skilled than most gangers
Bounty Hunters - professionals, they can track down and bring you a target dead or alive, or they can join you directly in battle.
Ratskin scouts - nimble, and almost feral, no one knows the underhive better than them.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS: HIRELINGS
These elite and expensive characters can be hired, but unlike random mercenaries they are persistent characters and you may find them disturbing your activities of their own accord if you earn their ire. They are dangerous and not to be trifled with.
Double Tap Murphy (Mercenary, Hireling: costs 50 thrones initially, +25 after each battle)
WS: 3
BS: 5
S: 3
T: 3
W: 3
I: 3
A: 2
LD: 8
Skills: Gunslinger, Quick Draw, Dodge, Rapid Fire, Hip Shooting, Jump Back, Sprint
Equipment: Two Plasma pistols, Mesh armour, Bio-Booster
Bio: Murphy is an eccentric man, known for making wise-cracks and being the fastest draw in the underhive (or so he claims). Whether or not this is true will likely never be known, however wherever he goes there's usually one or two dead people who got just a little too arrogant around him. He is a drifter and seems to enjoy travelling and meeting new people, hiring out his particular set of skills to those who can afford his often extensive up-front price.
Sloan (Infiltrator, Assassin, Hireling) (costs 50 thrones for a spying job, 100 for an assassination)
WS: 4
BS: 6
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 5
A: 1
LD: 10
Skills: Assassinate, Ambush, Escape Artist, Evade, Infiltration, Sneak-Up
Assassinate - if Sloan can get behind a person without being detected, he can silently kill them with his knife.
Equipment: Needle Pistol, Knife, Clip Harness, Grapnel, Filter plugs, Infra-red goggles, Photo-contacts, concealed blade, smoke grenades
Bio: This is a man who sticks to the shadows. A listener. A procurer of information. In other words, he is a spy, or at least the next best thing you'll find in the underhive. A master of infiltration and even assassination if need be, Sloan is who you go to if you need something handled with a subtle touch. His plethora of rather specialised skills are rare in the underhive's denizens indeed, meaning his services are almost always in demand. He is a man of serious complexion, yet with a heart as cold as that of any killer. What sets him aside from others is that his brand of death will always be pre-meditated, calculated and planned to the last detail. As such, he does not sully his trade by joining the common gang fights which forever terrorize settlements. In the rare event that he is discovered whilst on a mission, he will either kill the witnesses or throw down a smoke grenade, leaving his enemies baffled whilst he makes a hasty escape.
Titus the Warden (Bounty Hunter, will accept bounties or simply hunt the cruel)
WS: 5
BS: 5
S: 4
T: 3
W: 4
I: 4
A: 3
LD: 10
Skills: Disarm, Marksman, Rapid-fire, Fast Shot, Crack Shot, Iron Jaw, Combat Master, Parry, Feint
Equipment: Bolter with red-dot laser sight, Web pistol, Power maul, Bionic arm (left), carapace armour, Frag and Krak grenades
Bio: They call him 'the warden' for many reasons. Some think he was once part of the Arbites, but went rogue. If this is true, then the Arbites seem content to let him continue conducting his street law. Others simply consider him as a deadly vigilante. He maintains a high moral code - if he sees what he determines as wrongdoings then he will intervene and attempt to stop the trouble, whether that means settling a disagreement or killing an attacker on the spot. He defends the weak and defenceless, an almost suicidal lifestyle in the underhive. However, Titus is a powerful, experienced warrior and has yet to meet someone who can best him in combat. True, he once lost an arm in battle with a particularly fearsome gang leader who terrorized innocent townsfolk, yet he emerged victorious and was gifted a replacement by the people of the settlement he saved. Yet these are but reasons to either respect or hate Titus, he is feared because once he decides to hunt a bounty, he has never relented and thus never failed. Those who do not have enough sense to surrender at the mere mention of his name are beaten into submission with his power maul or trapped by his web pistol. Sometimes the target is wanted dead or leaves Titus no choice but to use deadly force, in which case a bolter round or explosive will suffice. Although he has been known to work for gang leaders who put out bounties, he may well come after even his own employer if he finds them deserving of his justice.
Bounty costs (specify +/-50% bonus for dead or alive as preferred):
Juve or Recruit - 10 thrones
Ganger - 40 thrones
Veteran ganger - 60 thrones
Gang Leader - 100 thrones
NPC/other hireling - 300 thrones
Thak Krell (Mercenary, Initial fee 20 thrones, +15 after each battle)
Skills: Counter Attack, Evade, Medic
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 3
A: 3
LD: 7
Equipment: Sawn-off Shotgun with man-stopper shells, Chainsword, leather armour
Sawn-off counts as a pistol with shotgun stats and a -1 to hit penalty at long range.
Bio: Thak is a relatively simple man and reasonably new to the mercenary business. However, he took all his equipment from men he killed and is carving out the start of a reputation for himself in the local settlements. Though he may be lacking somewhat in the intellectual department, he makes up for it with sheer wit and cunning.
Hastus 'Chef' Burn (Mercenary, Initial fee 30 thrones, +10 after each battle)
WS: 3
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 4
W: 2
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 8
Skills: Pyromaniac, Killer Reputation, Dodge
Pyromaniac - The Chef can fire twice per round with his heavy flamer.
Equipment: Autopistol, Heavy Flamer, butcher blade (Sword)
Bio: None know whether or not he was actually a chef at one time or another, but this man is known to be quiet and contemplative until the time for battle. The smell of smoke and burning flesh awakens something primeval and sadistic within him, the likes of which has terrified many enemies into submission. Unfortunately, there is no mercy to be found in this man's heart. Only cleansing flame.
Silvanus Klightus (Hired Gun, Bounty Hunter. Initial Fee 45 Thrones +25 after each battle or accepts bounties)
WS: 7
BS: 3
S: 5
T: 4
W: 3
I: 4
A: 4
LD: 8
Skills: Crushing Blow, Iron Jaw, Berserk Charge, Body Slam, Hurl Opponent
Equipment: Power Axe, Bolt pistol, carapace armour, Plasma grenades
Bio:
Silvanus is a giant amongst men, standing over seven feet tall. He is wicked, twisted and takes great pleasure hunting down those he perceives as weak - which is just about everyone. He made his name in the Gladiator Pit seven years ago when he killed every other champion in his way, until there were no more left to face him, at which point he left to sell his skills to the highest bidder.
This gargantuan man makes his living selling his skills or simply hunting the most expensive bounties. He lives to prove his might over others and subject inferiors to his will.
Many mistake him for a simple brute however, thinking he is all brawn and no brains.
Many have paid the price for such a fatal error. He is surprisingly intelligent for an Underhiver, yet he uses his smarts to create ever more inventive and painful ways of killing and torturing his targets, or indeed any who cross his path. As long as there are plenty of thrones coming to him, he'll work for anyone and kill anyone - all the while with a sickening grin across his face.
Barbosa Guilliman (Redemptionist, warrior-priest. Hireling: 50 thrones initially, +35 after each battle)
WS: 5
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 3
I: 4
A: 3
LD: 10/Fearless
Skills: Fearless, Pious Fury, Hymns of Battle, Combat Master, Killer Reputation, Berserk Charge
Pious Fury - all fighters in the gang gain +1 Attack whilst he is hired.
Hymns of Battle - all fighters in the gang gain +1LD whilst he is hired.
Equipment: Rosarius, Purifier.
Purifier - This two-handed weapon is a massive halberd with a chainblade and flamethrower attachment. It can be fired as a flamer and used in close combat as a chainsword with +1 Initiative, however it can never be used to parry.
Bio: Barbosa Guilliman was once a ministorum priest. He served with the Imperial Guard and also as a missionary on several worlds. However, when he came to the begotten Hive Oberyn, he discovered it rife with corruption and heresy. His ideals of purging all weakness from the Imperium, including even its own citizens, and achieve purity was highly set him on a warpath here.
Having been a warrior as well as a priest, few can stand in his way. The upper hive had its fair share of corruption and crime, but it was into the underhive he descended for it is where the very worst of humanity dwell. Heretics, mutants, witches and even xenos could be found. He vowed he would strive to scour it clean of all these things until his last breath.
Whilst he has both founded and lead Redemption cults in the underhive, he often wanders to where the word of the Emperor is needed most. Those he believes may be forgiven by the Emperor for their transgressions are often more than welcome to hire his skills as a warrior, as Barbosa always seeks to improve his martial prowess that he might better serve the Emperor's divine will.
He uses his earnings to support himself and also further his more personal endeavours. Barbosa also utilises his masterful skill of interrogation to extract information. These skills, combined with the fact he upholds honesty and truth as the highest virtues, have resulted in his dread reputation as always being able to detect when someone is lying. Those who try to hide the truth from him find redemption in the form of Purifier, his custom weapon of choice.
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NPC GANG - The Falcons
The Falcons are an old gang, having been around longer than most underhivers live. Their influence extends through the underhive and even the upper hive. Having recently crushed their only real rivals - Grimm's Reavers - in a cunning plan concocted by their rightly feared leader, Jaeger Ravion.
While the movements of new, tiny gangs are below the notice of the Falcons, it would be a critical mistake to antagonise them. The Falcons haven't remained so powerful for so long by messing around and taking chances, and if they are provoked or another gang openly challenges their own activities, they will not hesitate to respond with deadly force.
Although the territories of their former rivals are now being carved up by smaller gangs, with anything of real worth that Grimm's Reavers had long-since claimed by Jaeger's men, they still keep an eye on the area and send in their gangers occasionally to remind the new gangs who's in charge.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS: GANGERS
Jaeger Ravion, leader of the Falcons:
WS: 6
BS: 5
S: 3
T: 4
W: 4
I: 4
A: 2
LD: 10
Sv: 3+
Age: Living Legend in his 40s
Rank: Mighty Ganger
Equipment: Power Sword, Needle pistol, Krak grenade, Carapace armour
Skills: Nerves of Steel, True Grit, Crack Shot, Fast Shot, Iron Will, Combat Master, Disarm, Feint, Counter Attack
Veteran Falcon
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 4
W: 2
I: 4
A: 2
LD: 8
Sv: 5+
Equipment: Mesh Armour, , Chain Knife
Skills: Iron Jaw
Falcon Ganger
WS: 3
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 1
I: 4
A: 1
LD: 7
Sv: 6+
Equipment: Metal armour, Autogun or shotgun, club
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SPECIAL CHARACTERS: GUILDERS
Lady Diona Thebe
WS: 2
BS: 3
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 9
Lady Thebe is the current Chief Guilder of the Guild Emporium. That makes her the single most powerful person in the entire underhive. She strives to emulate the lofty presence that the nobles miles above possess, seeking to vaunt herself over the common scum, despite the fact that anywhere else in Hive Ulysses she is still just underhive scum - a fact that no doubt infuriates her to no end. But down here, she may as well be the Emperor Himself, for there is nowhere her influence cannot reach and nothing she cannot buy.
Captain Victor Roth
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 4
T: 4
W: 3
I: 3
A: 3
LD: 9
Sv: 4+
Once a captain in the PDF, he got sick of wasting away. He wasn't doing any good or defending anyone and serving twenty years in the PDF before receiving his pay was not how he wanted to spend his life. So he went AWOL with almost an entire platoon of his men behind him, heading into the underhive. They were packing military-grade hardware and the skills to use them, offering their services to the highest bidder. He could have easily formed his own gang and carved out his own slice of the underhive, but it isn't his style.
He never wanted to be a criminal, and here he servers a purpose. He and his men form the bulk of the Guild Enforcers and they are the closest thing to a law enforcement body in this sector. Mostly his duties involve overseeing the peace in Gelttown, but he is not at all afraid to get his hands dirty and he has a reputation for personally dealing with the enemies of the Guild.
Tall and broad-shouldered, his reputation also has him as something of a ladies man, and he frequents the Golden Gelt on his nights off. However, the rumours that he is involved with Lady Thebe have never been addressed and none are foolish enough to pry into the captain's private life. It is said that he and Jaeger Ravion have met on several occasions, a few of which involved exchanging shots at each other, yet despite the odds they supposedly have a good deal of respect for one another.
That doesn't change the fact that they appear to loathe each other, yet even more unusual is the fact that on the rare occasions that Ravion personally does business with the Guild the two kick back in the Golden Gelt and laugh over old stories. How the most feared Gang Lord in the sector can even sit in the same room as the man who cut out his eye is a mystery no one has ever quite figured out.
Equipment: Flak Armour, Artificer Bolt pistol with Inferno shells, chainsword, frag and krak grenades
Skills: True Grit, Nerves of Steel, Crushing Blow, Hurl Opponent, Rapid Fire, Marksman
Guild Enforcer
WS: 4
BS: 4
S: 3
T: 3
W: 2
I: 3
A: 1
LD: 8
Sv: 4+
Skills: Nerves of Steel, Specialist or Medic or Marksman
Equipment: Flak Armour, Lasgun or (special: meltagun, plasma gun or flamer or grenade launcher or long-las) or shotgun, shock maul, las pistol, frag grenade