NecrOREmunda

Disclaimer Credits Author: Donato Ranzato Cover Artwork: Scott Johnson One Roll Engine: Greg Stolze Necromunda Setting: Games Workshop Ltd. Playtesters Jasper van Eeuwijk, Samuel Ranzato, Marc Asselman, Jeffrey Mulder.

Special Thanks Disclaimer This document is a unoficial and unlicensed roleplaying game based on Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 and Greg Stolzes One Roll Engine. The author is in no way afiliated with Greg Stolze, Games Workshop or its subsidiaries. The mention of, or reference to any original material, company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. All material copyrighted by other authors and referenced in this ocument remains copyright of its respective owners. Under no circumstances does this document seek to invalidate the material within any of the mentioned books, instead it aims to increase their value to the customer. To sum it up: Buy their books!

Copyright NecrOREmunda is © 2008 Donato Ranzato.

All rights reserved. The exception to this are element of the ORE, REIGN or Warhammer intellectual properties. This document may reproduced for personal use only and it may neither be distributed for proit nor in large quantities. One Roll Engine and REIGN is © 2007 Greg Stolze.

All rights reserved. Warhammer is a registered Trademark of Games Workshop Ltd. All rights reserved.

This is not a complete game!

It only ofers guidelines and rule modifications on how to run Necromunda using the One Roll Engine of REIGN. It also assumes a certain degree of familiarity with both the ORE rules system and the Warhammer 40,000 setting. To effectively use this document you should have access to at least three books: the Dark Heresy roleplaying game, The Necromunda Living Rulebook and the REIGN corebook.

For more information about the Houses and Hive Primus download the Necromunda Background PDF on the Specialist-games.com website.

Introduction The hives of Necromunda rise from the ash wastes like sheer mountain peaks.

Spire upon spire, tower upon tower, the hives climb so far above the poisoned clouds they pierce the planet’s atmosphere. To its millions of inhabitants each hive is a diverse and complete world as isolated from the surrounding ash wastes and adjoining hives as from deep space and the distant stars.

No-one knows how old the hives of Necromunda are.

Their very size is testament to many thousands of years of growth, sprawling layer upon layer, climbing ever higher above the planet’s polluted surface. The deepest and oldest layers now lie far underground, buried by the corrosive ash that piles around the hive’s base. These parts of the hive were abandoned long ago, and now they are dark and dangerous places inhabited only by mutant things spawned by chemical pollutants, disease and madness. Where the hive breaks the surface its broad base spans ten miles or more from edge to edge. From ground level the man-made mountain rises ever more steeply upwards. Weathered walls of adamantium climb through the phosphorescent layer of undercloud, a pall of acidic dust which clings to the surface of Necromunda like a shroud. The hive reaches skywards through ghostly shadow, until it eventually penetrates the cloud base and emerges into the hard light of the sun. At cloud top level the hive walls stand almost five miles above the ash waste.

Above the dust layer the hive narrows into a single tall spike, a tower studded with a million lights. It stretches almost vertically above the sickly glowing cloud and reaches towards the stars. The spire is covered with armourplas blisters of many shapes and sizes. Domes on its surface shield carefully nurtured vegetation from the thin and arid air.

Slim towers break from the outer shell, palaces of massive and elegant proportions yet barely significant in comparison to the hive. Cantilevered balconies hundreds of metres long jut out into open space forming the base for new construction sites. Broad circular landing platforms hang from the spire walls, and higher still gaping dark holes lead to spaceports inside the hive.

Such are the hives of Necromunda, from their dark roots to their glittering tips. Each hive is a complete, self-contained world as varied and complex as any planet in the vast Imperium.

A man born in the middle-layer of a hive can live and die without seeing Necromunda’s sky or setting foot upon the surface. He can labour in the guild factories or perhaps ply the trade of his family. In this way the vast majority devote their lives and their endeavours to creating the massive wealth of the world.

Not all men are content to serve in the timeless fashion: a small minority dream of better things. Some crave wealth, power, or simply to escape from bludgeoning poverty. Others seek to escape the restrictions of the guilds or the crippling social order of House and Hive.

Whatever their reasons, there is no shortage of young adventurers willing to chance all for a taste of wealth, prestige and power.NecrOREmunda is a SF-setting for Reign based upon the Necromunda tabletop skirmish game. Necromunda is a game of fierce rivalry between powerful Houses in the Necromundan hives. Houses must fight to gain territories, wealth and renown.

In NecrOREmunda, the characters aren’t only gangers fighting for survival in the nightmare undercity, but they also take on the roles of the leaders of their House. This divide allows players to focus on the story elements they choose. If they don’t care for blow-by-blow combat, they can simply send their gangs to besiege an enemy settlement. On the other hand, if they lead the attack in person, they can drastically improve the chances of success… or doom their House through foolish choices. The benefits of ruling are great, but the consequences of failure are drastic.

The System The O.R.E. system uses a dice pool of d10s equal to the character's Stat and Skill similar to that used by Storyteller system, but the method to determine success is different. In the O.R.E. system, success is determined by die result matches, such as a pair of 8s. The Width of a roll, the number of matching dice, determines the speed (and damage, if in combat) of a roll, while the Height of a roll, the face up result on the matched dice, determines how successful an action was and location of a hit in combat. Shorthand notation for writing results is Width x Height, so a pair of 8s would be written 2x8 and three 2s would be written, 3x2.

NecrOREmunda is meant to be used with the ORE-game Reign. But a GM can find plenty of inspiration in free ORE-variants like Nemesis (Madness Meters and modern weapons), Star ORE (SF-weapons) and ORE Mecha (giant robots). All these free variant can be downloaded from the Project Nemesis website.

IMPERIAL HIVE WORLDS The Imperium of Man stretches across the galaxy from rim to rim, encompassing over a million habitable worlds and untold billions of people. It is the most extensive and populous empire that has ever existed in the history of humanity. It is ruled as it has been for the last ten thousand years by the Divine Champion of Man and Protector of the Human Race, the Emperor of Mankind.

The Emperor is the greatest of all human psykers, his mental energies are godlike and his powers incomprehensible to ordinary humans. It is his mind alone which projects the Astronomican throughout the galaxy, the psychic homing beam which enables spacecraft to navigate through the fabric of warp space. Without the Emperor the Imperium would collapse and human unity would be destroyed, leaving the remaining pockets of civilization isolated and vulnerable to the infinite enemies of mankind; creatures that seek to destroy or enslave the human race.

The Emperor has long since ceased to live in any normal sense. Ten thousand years ago, following his titanic battle against the rebel Warmaster Horus, Primarch and Arch-Champion of Chaos, his mutilated and barely alive body was installed inside a sophisticated life-support machine known as the Golden Throne.

The Emperor can no longer speak and it is doubtful if he comprehends events which take place in the material universe, as his powerful mind stalks through that nefarious region of pure energy known as the Realm of Chaos, hunting the enemies of mankind. The actual administration of the Imperium is therefore undertaken by a vast bureaucracy known as the Adeptus Terra - or Priesthood of Earth.

WORLDS OF THE IMPERIUM Even the Adeptus Administratum, the administrative branch of the Adeptus Terra, does not know for certain the exact number of worlds within the Imperium. There are approximately a million, but the treacheries of space-travel, the process of time distortion, and the effects of warp storms which can isolate worlds for centuries, make an accurate count impossible.

In addition, the galaxy is a dangerous and warlike place, whore worlds are constantly under threat from alien invaders, internal rebellion, and treachery by governors. Also, new worlds are constantly being added to the Imperium: virgin worlds ripe for colonisation or old human worlds which have been rediscovered after long periods of isolation.

The worlds of the Imperium take many different forms. Some are sparsely populated agricultural worlds whose sole purpose is to provide food for less productive and more

highly populated planets. Other worlds are dedicated to specific functions, such as mineralrich mining planets, barren research stations, military observation planets, and so forth.

Most worlds of the Imperium have a reasonably mixed economy and are in most respects self- sufficient. The Adeptus Terra has very little to do with such worlds so long as their governors continue to pay their tithes and impose the Imperial laws which control and contain the emergence of mutant psykers.

HIVE WORLDS Hive worlds are another extremely important type of world. Hive Worlds are planets which, in all but a few cases, were settled thousands of years ago, often before the time of the Imperium, during the Dark Age of Technology when mankind first spread throughout the galaxy.

A Hive World has a population which far outweighs its own ability to feed or support it, often exceeding a thousand billion people on a planet the size of Earth. Such vast numbers of people exert such pressure upon the environment that few hive worlds can sustain life naturally. Many have no free ground surface left because they are entirety built over, with new buildings constructed on top of old ones, to the extent that the planet is no more than a huge urban conglomeration.

Hive Worlds are tough places: little value is attached to human life and air, light and food are often precious and rare commodities. Because the populations or Hive Worlds are so large they are almost impossible to control. As a consequence it is generally the case that hive societies are extremely brutal and dangerous. Violence is often institutionalized and accepted, and upholding the law is commonly a matter of exerting personal power and influence. In such a situation a man depends upon his friends and family, those whose livelihoods depend on him and those to whom he can promise support.

Every hive world has its unique environment, history, and circumstances. Confrontation is set upon the hive world of Necromunda. This volume contains copious details about the planet of Necromunda, its hives, and its teeming population. Necromunda is merely one of the hundreds of such worlds scattered throughout the galaxy.

NECROMUNDA Necromunda was founded 15,000 years ago as a mining and manufacturing colony. The ensuing millennia have not changed its basic purpose very much; Necromunda is still a world of mines, factories, refineries and processing plants. The planet is a vast powerhouse of industry, making thousands and thousands of different items for use throughout nearby planetary systems.

Nothing which can contribute to the planet’s output has been left untouched. From the tops of the highest mountains to the depths of the oceans, the wealth of Necromunda has been ripped out. Mountains have been reduced to rubble for the ore they contain; oceans have been turned into little more than chemical sludge ponds. The once fertile plains have disappeared under huge urban developments of great housing and factory blocks, forming new ranges of manmade mountains every bit as tall as the long since flattened natural land features. These huge towering urban complexes are known as city hives, or simply as hives, and their individual peaks or towers are called city spires or spires. A close group of hives is known as a hive cluster.

Between the hives deserts of industrial ash cover the surface of the planet with a mobile, corrosive skin. Over this desert lies a cloud layer of airborne pollution, so that the great spires of the city hives rise from a drifting mist of tainted vapor like islands out of the sea.

Despite being reduced to such a hellish state, Necromunda is still a valuable world to the Imperium. Although little of Necromunda’s original resources remain, the waste-heaps of previous generations have become a new source of riches. Necromunda lives on the accumulated wastes of its past: its people have learned to scavenge, reclaim and recycle everything in order to squeeze a living from their exhausted world.

Over the millennia, the population of Necromunda has increased well beyond the planet’s capacity to support it. As a consequence it is wholly reliant on synthetic and imported food.

Each hive has its recycling plants which convert used organic matter into synthetic food.

Real food is imported from off-planet, but is an expensive luxury which only the most wealthy and prestigious Necromundans can afford.

As generation after generation adds to the building and rebuilding of the hives, new layers of habitation are created and the hives continue to grow upwards. These towering hives dominate the wasteland around them like clusters of impossibly gigantic termite hills.

Beneath the hives and extending around them under the wasteland itself lies a honeycomb of ancient disused factories and a labyrinth formed from the sewers and service tunnels of an earlier age.

Necromunda’s population has never been counted and the chances are that it never will be because the number of people involved is simply too large. There are probably more people on Necromunda than have ever lived in the entire history of Terra up until the end of the twentieth century. An attempted census of Trazior Hive four thousand years ago revealed an estimated population of a billion in the upper habitation levels alone - no further attempt has been made to count Necromunda’s population in Trazior or any other of the several thousand hives on the planet.

The society of Necromunda is reasonably typical of larger Hive Worlds. No attempt is made to enforce central administration upon the entire population; indeed such a thing would prove impossible on a world where most people remain unrecorded by any authority.

Instead, a kind of feudal system has evolved by which individual people owe loyalty to others, who in their turn owe their loyalty to other increasingly more powerful members of the hierarchy. Among the more stable elements of the population these loyalties are owed on a family basis, and closely related families all support each other under the hegemony of the most powerful member of their family group.

This form of urban feudalism tends to be self regulating. Weaker clans naturally seek the protection of more powerful neighbors whose powerbase then expands until it reaches the limit whereby its numbers and resources are simply too few to allow it to expand further.

Where rival clans meet it is inevitable that their power will be tested in combat; the ability of a clan to exert its power being the only true measure of its influence. The endless feuds between the warrior gangs of these clans are the setting for the game of Confrontation.

LORD HELMAWR The governor and ruler of all Necromunda is Imperial Commander Lord Helmawr. His ancestors are known to have reigned for the past seven thousand years at least, records of government before that time having long since disappeared. Even the archives of the Adeptus Administorum, the bureaucracy of the Imperium, are remarkably silent on the

history of Necromunda during the early days of the Imperium.

Lord Helmawr occupies the very top of the Necromundan feudal hierarchy. The society he rules over is divided into many factions which continually compete and co-operate with each other, giving rise to endless changes in the feudal hierarchy. Lord Helmawr is completely unconcerned with the activities of lesser powerbrokers. He deals directly with the most powerful factions, offering them support in return for their loyalty. If a major player in the power game proves weak or treacherous it is a simple matter for Helmawr to withdraw his support. The very rumor that he might be about to do this is often enough to encourage a feudal inferior’s enemies to turn against him and destroy him.

The Adeptus Terra leaves Lord Helmawr to govern his domain as he pleases, as it leaves all Imperial Commanders free to administrate their worlds. The Imperial Commander forms a link in the feudal chain which extends throughout the galaxy to the heart of the Adeptus Terra. So long as Helmawr fulfils his feudal obligations to the Imperium his position remains secure.

Helmawr’s main obligation to the Imperium is to provide a tithe which takes the form of a percentage of all the goods Necromunda produces. As the entire production capacity of the world is given over to providing manufactured goods for the Imperium the tithe is taken as a straight discount on the revenue earned. So long as Necromunda continues to meet these responsibilities, and so long as its production capacity is sufficiently high, the Imperium remains quite satisfied. Of course, should the Necromundan economy begin to show signs of flagging then Lord Helmawr’s position would be very different indeed.

Hive worlds like Necromunda provide the Imperium with another useful resource – namely its people. Necromunda produces generations of tough youths with a strong sense of selfreliance. They are highly valued as recruits for the Imperial Guard and even for some of the Space Marine Chapters. Providing recruits in vast numbers is another of Lord Helmawr’s feudal obligations. Recruitment brings officials from the Imperium to Necromunda to inspect and in some cases conduct recruiting drives amongst the fighting gangs. Helmawr himself is obliged to provide troops from his personal guard, usually a whole regiment at a time.

Because the planet supplies so many troops for the Imperial Guard the name of Necromunda is known throughout the galaxy, even by people who know nothing about the planet itself. Over the centuries Necromundan Regiments have fought with distinction in the Imperial Guard and have earned a fearsome reputation on many battlefronts.

Another important obligation is that Lord Helmawr successfully controls the numbers of dangerous psychic mutants. These psykers, or witches, are a mutation which is becoming increasingly common on all worlds in the Imperium. On most worlds they can be dealt with fairly easily, but on a hive world like Necromunda with its vast population the matter is much more difficult.

Psykers are very dangerous indeed – probably more so than even they realize. Although some are able to control their powers and use them for the benefit of society, the majority are unable to control their powers properly with disastrous results. Some become host to daemonic powers from warpspace, while others attract psychically sensitive aliens or psychic diseases which can then hop into the minds of ordinary people. If psykers were to go unchecked throughout the Imperium human society would soon collapse. Indeed, this is one of the reasons why the Emperor clings so tenaciously to life, as only he understands the true dangers of possession and psychic destruction.

LANDSCAPE Necromunda is very similar to many other hive worlds of the Imperium. It is a planet devoid of any remnant of its original natural beauty; its surface reduced to a wasteland of windblown ash and accumulated industrial waste. Throughout this wasteland lie the hive cities which give such planets their distinctive character and their collective name of hive worlds.

The hives are grouped into clusters comprising up to a dozen or so individual hives all linked by a network of overground travel tubes and subterranean passages. These clusters are scattered over the cloud-strewn surface of the planet. From the top of any hive it is possible to see the tips of distant hive clusters projecting from the seas of poison mists like far-flung islands.

Hive clusters are connected together by roads across the wastes and transportation tubes supported on pylons and suspended from cables. With its forest of towering hives interconnected in a network of tubes, the landscape resembles a petrified forest entangled in the web of some enormous spider. Indeed, the spider and the spider’s web are very powerful symbols to the inhabitants of Necromunda.

The hives are the result of thousands of years of constant demolition and rebuilding. The original cities of Necromunda lie beneath the hives, many hundreds of yards below the current surface of the planet’s ash wastes. Dark, forbidding ruins, often crushed by the weight of the hives above them, these old cities preserve the layered history of Necromunda. It is a popular tale that the lowest layers of some hives are built from the original transport barges which brought humanity to Necromunda all those millennia ago.

Each hive takes the form of many huge spires which rise from the base of the city. From a distance, a hive resembles a mass of stalagmites rising from the cloud strewn wastes. Each hive covers an approximately circular area some fifty to a hundred miles in diameter. The tops of the spires can rise to a dozen or more miles above the ground surface, piercing the festering clouds that surround the lower levels of the hive. The spires usually merge into each other at their bases, and smaller spires will sometimes grow out and upwards from just above the base, branching like a cactus and forming multiple spires.

The spires are only the top part of the hive, comprising the upper hab zones with factory layers on or above the current ground surface. The older and partially ruined factory and hab layers still exist, although they are buried beneath the ash wastes. Though they are hidden, Factories and habs are rarely abandoned until they are utterly derelict or polluted beyond use even by Necromundan standards.

The hive-cities of Necromunda retain the ancient names of the cities and settlements from which they grew. Each spire within a hive is also known by a local name. There are approximately a thousand hive clusters on Necromunda. A few of the most important and some typical examples of the various kinds are described below.

SOME NECROMUNDIAN HIVES Hive Primus The largest and oldest surviving hive on Necromunda is the dynastic home of Lord Helmawr, Imperial Commander of Necromunda, known across the planet as Hive Primus. The cluster it belongs to is known as the Palatine Cluster. The central and tallest spire of the hive forms

the palace of the Imperial Commander Lord Helmawr.

Hive Primus boasts some of the most grandiose and magnificent architecture on Necromunda, and also has the only shipyard and landing field large enough to take orbital carriers. It is thus the planet’s only spaceport, a physical expression of Helmawr’s monopoly in off-planet trade. The fortress monastery of the Adeptus Astartes contingent and the headquarters of the Adeptus Arbites on Necromunda are also located in the Palatine Hive.

On the edge of the hive is a special spin, - set aside for the aliens and abhumans who come to Necromunda from time to time in order to trade. Both Squats and Eldar are among these visitors and they are housed on separate levels of this spire. Hive Primus is thus by far the most cosmopolitan of all the hives of Necromunda.

Trazior Hive Trazior means Three Sisters in the local Necromundan dialect. It is so called because of its three huge spires which can be seen from a long way off by any traveler coming across the wastes from the south. Trazior is located on the edge of the Great Equatorial Waste and is the southernmost “frontier” hive of the great Palatine Cluster.

Many important merchant clans are based in this hive and it is the main trading depot for convoys going to or arriving from the southern hive clusters. The nomads who live out in the wastes and raid the convoys are a constant source of annoyance to its inhabitants. The clans and gangs of Trazior are described in detail later.

Trazior was also the scene of one of the most prolonged and vicious gang wars in the recent history of Necromunda.

Acropolis Hive This is another old and elaborate hive in the Palatine Cluster. It is located at a very important intersection of several great road tunnels and has always been a major centre of trade on Necromunda. The Acropolis hive is home territory for some of the most powerful merchant clans, whose widespread trading network extends across many of the hives of Necromunda. The Acropolis Hive attracts a number of large and sprawling shanties clustered around its base.

The Temenos This is another hive in the Palatine Cluster. One spire forms the headquarters of the Ecclesiarchy on Necromunda, while another spire forms The Temple of the Emperor Deified.

Colleges, libraries and chapels occupy parts of the other spires. A priory of the Adepta Sororita is located in one of the outer spires. This spire is often called the Sisters Tower as a consequence.

The population of Temenos hive are among the most pious and devout followers of the Imperial Cult. Many of the resident clans manufacture ritual items for the priesthood while others work in the scriptorium, translating the wisdom of the priesthood into the many dialects of Necromunda.

The Temple spire is an architectural wonder: its interior is a warren of naves, chapels and crypts, vaulted ceilings and pillared halls. The diffused light is stained by refraction through crystal. Incense and the sound of chanting drift across the chambers. Here and there statues and holograms of the Emperor reside in secluded shrines. From here Confessors and missionaries are sent off to frontier worlds in the nearby systems.

Quinspirus Cluster

The Quinspirus Cluster is situated on the edge of a virtually solidified sludge sea called the Worldsump Ocean. At one time, when the sea was still navigable, the area included vast dockyards. These now remain buried deep within the undercity of the centrally located Quinspirus Hive. This hive has five great spires - hence the name which means five towers in the local dialect and which gives its name to the whole cluster. The cavernous warehouses of the ancient waterfronts have been the scene of many savage gang wars.

The Skull This derelict hive is the largest of a cluster of three remote ruined hives. It is pierced by great holes and from a distance looks like a great skull lying in the wastes. It is a famous landmark and perhaps even worshipped by the local nomads.

These three gigantic ruins are all that remains of the hives that were captured and occupied for a time by Ork raiders. All contact with the cluster was lost for several years before the rest of Necromunda realized what had happened. In the end a campaign was mounted to clear them. This was the original reason for dispatching a Space Marine contingent to Necromunda, which has since become a permanent establishment.

The hives were besieged and destroyed during the campaign. Now the tops have caved in and they lie abandoned and choked with dust. No one knows what fearful things have made their home amid the ruins, and even the nomads and scavvies fear to go near them.

THE ASH WASTES The hives of Necromunda are separated by the forbidding ash wastes: areas of land covered in an abrasive and highly corrosive ash, the end product of fifteen thousand years of industry. This desert covers every inch of Necromunda’s land surface that is not protected within a hive. In densely populated parts of Necromunda, hives may be separated by only fifty or a hundred miles of waste. On other parts of the planet the wastes may stretch for a thousand miles between hives.

In some places the ash is miles deep, forming shifting ranges of dust dunes which can bury roads and transport tubes, and erode the base of a hive when swept along in one of the frequent dust storms. The funnel-shape of the hive spires is designed to strengthen the hive against the worst ravages of the dust, but even so they are often buried to half their height or more by ash. This is stabilized and held in place by the fresh wastes which pour from the drains of the hive factories.

The ash wastes are mostly composed of metal oxides, powered plastics and inorganic chemicals which take millennia to reduce. As with many hive worlds, the wastes are an inhospitable environment. The ash corrodes equipment and poisons organic life, although a surprising variety of creatures do survive. No unpolluted air, food or water can be found in these dead lands, although there are fungi, algae and bacteria which live on the waste itself.

These are believed to be responsible for the limited free oxygen content of Necromunda’s atmosphere.

The ash wastes are a striking and colorful if somewhat lurid environment. The nomads of the waste and even most hive-dwellers who see them would call them beautiful. The ash occurs in many different, often vivid hues such as sculpture yellow, citric green, cobalt blue, pink, mauve, as well as various shades of grey, and it varies in texture from fine dust to crystalline clinker. The creatures and nomads that live there are equally colorful, the better to blend into their surroundings.

The most dangerous hazard of the wastes is the ash storms. These terrible storms can blow their payload of toxic ash from the equator to the poles. A moderate ash storm will strip an unprotected man to the bone in seconds, and then reduce his bones to a handful of dust. A serious storm is something that everyone on Necromunda fears. These can be so strong that they have been known to destroy entire hives. Ruined spires are occasionally revealed in the wake of one storm only to be covered over again by shifting waste in the next. In some areas, ash has been blown away to reveal the scarred bedrock of the planet. During Necromunda’s calmer season, which coincides with the planet’s long extinct summer, liquid pollutants rise to the surface, forming slick- lakes and short- lived blind-rivers. Streams meander across the land, vanishing into sinkholes in the dust only to rise elsewhere.

Imperial scholars who have studied dust ecologies believe that there may be currents and tides within the ash surface.

These transient rivers and lakes can dry out, forming a hard pan on the surface of the dust.

These dangerous areas conceal deep seas of fine dust beneath them. The nomads who travel the wastes avoid such places, because to fall through the crust of a pan is certain death. Anyone who does so is suffocated and then corroded to nothing by the ash.

In hotter weather, when Necromunda’s sun breaks through the planet’s cloud cover, noxious vapors rise up and form poisonous mists and fogs. Mists are invariably followed by toxic rain storms, laden with particles of deadly ash dust and other contaminants.

However, despite their perils, the ash wastes of Necromunda conceal treasures. Much remains hidden beneath the surface, ready to be reclaimed and used: derelict spires from lost hives; buried convoys; wrecked stratoplanes, aircrafts and spaceships; long-abandoned mine workings; and even, in places, raw materials from the bedrock of the planet. There are a few places where, thanks to some mysterious natural sorting of the wind and ash itself, veins of pure oxides and chemicals have accumulated. Such concentrations, or ash pockets, are worth mining in themselves. They are a rich raw material which can be reprocessed.

THE SLUDGE SEAS Necromunda never enjoyed large expanses of open water, but now the planet’s original seas and rivers are filled with liquid chemical waste. Choked with ash, thick with chemicals and poisoned by heavy metals, Necromunda’s sludge seas are all that remains of the ancient oceans. The consistency of the sludge varies from a thin, chemical soup to a viscous polluted mud. Near the equator, the sea’s surface has solidified into a crust of sludge, baked hard by the sun. Conventional ships are useless in such conditions and only flyers or hover vehicles cross the seas. It is even rumored that some mutants even live in these areas, utterly isolated from the rest of Necromunda.

The sludge seas, however, also support their quota of hives. Some are built on massive piles, driven deep into the sea floor. Other, relatively small hives have been constructed on massive floating islands which are anchored in position. On more than one occasion a floating hive has broken free during an ash storm and sunk or capsized. Survivors of such a disaster are rare.

HIVE PRIMUS The most important hive on Necromunda is called Hive Primus or Hive One. Hive Primus is the largest and oldest hive. Within its walls there are thousands of structural cells or domes, often many miles across and hundreds of metres high.

Such a space can be built up with constructions as varied as sumptuous palaces and sprawling industrial complexes. The hive is honeycombed with domes both small and large, each built upon the other, linked by tunnels and shafts carrying traffic, power and other vital services through the hive.

The hive is divided into vertically ordered zones. From its top to its subterranean depths these are: the Spire, Hive City, Underhive and the Hive Bottom.

THE SPIRE The Spire extends upwards from cloud top level, rising above the mass of the hive and piercing the planet’s atmosphere. This is the domain of seven great clans called the Noble Houses. The Noble Houses are huge consortiums of galactic merchants and financiers whose leaders control the immense wealth of the planet. The most powerful of the Noble Houses is House Helmawr, also known as the Imperial or Ruling House. The leader of this House is Lord Gerontius Helmawr, Adeptus of the Imperium of Man, and Guardian of Necromunda in the Holy Name of the Undying Emperor. He rules not just Hive Primus but all of Necromunda.

The Spire contains broad airy spaces and splendours unimaginable to those who dwell in the darkness below. Its people enjoy the fruits of a civilisation that spans the galaxy. From spaceports sunk deep into the spire walls ships carry the products of Necromunda all over the Imperium. In return, the riches of the galaxy flow into the hive – exotic foods, sensuous slaves, exquisite artwork and rare materials from distant stars.

HIVE CITY Below the lowest level of the Spire is a layer of solid adamantium called the Wall which divides the towering upper hive from Hive City. Heavy gateways through the Wall enable carefully controlled passage between the two parts of the hive. Beneath the Wall lies the vast bulk of the working hive, the fivemiledeep Hive City that extends from cloud top level to the ground.

Hive City is divided between six manufacturing empires known as Houses. Each House

exists in its own part of the hive and governs its own affairs quite separately from the other Houses. The hivers, as the population is called, live in dark, cramped and polluted conditions, never seeing the sun from the day they are born to the day they die. The air they breathe is recycled from above and grows ever more bitter and poisonous as it filters downwards. Even the water is distilled from the discharge of the upper hive and their food is factory produced chemical nutrient, algae-based or spun from corpse starch. Conditions are crowded and insanitary, and, as the hive deepens, the darker and the less habitable the environment becomes.

Underhive In the depths of the Hive City it is common for power or water to fail or access tunnels to collapse, creating unproductive toxic wastezones. The lower the region the worse is its air, power and access and the more unstable its structure. As the hive deepens normal habitation becomes impossible, and this region is known as the Underhive. There is no formal barrier between Hive City and Underhive because the border is constantly changing. Even as areas of Hive City are abandoned parts of Underhive are resettled and rebuilt. As a consequence Underhive is an everchanging frontier where people are constantly seeking new opportunities or fleeing from sudden catastrophe.

Underhive is a frontier in more ways than one. Not only is it a barrier between Hive City and the unimaginable horrors of the Hive Bottom, it is also a region outside the formal law and order of the hive. The people of Hive City live carefully regulated lives. They are protected by the strict social codes of House and Hive, dominated by family patriarchs, and obliged to work in the guild factories. The sprawling Underhive is lawless and anarchic, and its stockaded settlements form the only havens of relative order. Even in these refuges, murder and violence are everyday facts of life. Gun law is the common law of Underhive, and selfprotection is the best and only reliable defence.

The Hive Bottom At the base of the hive buildings become so structurally dangerous that the region takes on a different and even more inhospitable character. This is the final and deepest zone called the Hive Bottom. Hive Bottom is so decayed and crumbling that the original domes and foundation piles have long since collapsed, forming a layer of almost solid rubble. Within the rubble are enclosed pockets linked by holes and tunnels worn by liquids leaking from above.

These pollutants and effluents, the discharge fluid of the entire hive, form a vast lake of radioactive putridity called the Sump. Nothing can live in the Hive Bottom other than the most monstrous mutants. Its denizens are the spawn of darkness and pollution. Some of these foul creatures find their way into the Underhive, or even into the lower parts of Hive City, but their natural domain is the darkness of the Hive Bottom.

ANATOMY OF A HIVE From a distance, when the clouds lift from around a hive, its spires look like a cluster of tall, tapering termite mounds. They rise from a broad base of outlying structures to near-vertical towers. Their gigantic scale is such that it almost denies human involvement in their construction and they look as though they might have sprouted up out of the ground by themselves, like some great organic growth. Few human constructions can rival their awesome size. Although no two spires are exactly the same, they all share common characteristics and are constructed in a similar fashion.

A section cut through a spire is not a whole circle. A spire is divided into a series of segments, like wedges of a cheese, which are joined at the centre. Deep gullies or slits in the spire, crossed by communications tubes, separate the segments. These gullies are supposed to admit light and air to the spire, but their size makes this impractical. Every added communications tube also adds its shadow to the darkness of the interior.

The areas close to the core are far removed from the outside world. Their only illumination is provided by glow globes and massive cables of optic fiber or flexible glass, which run down into the core of the hive from the sunlit pinnacles of the spires. These create weak shafts of light that penetrate the dim catacombs of the hive and light it in the same way as the nave of a Gothic cathedral.

Fresh air enters the inner recesses of the hive via great ducts from the upper layers. It is drawn in through huge wind intake fans and filtered through dozens of purification plants to remove the fumes accumulated as it passes down the height of the spire. In the deepest parts of the hive and especially in the old factories and undercity layers, the air ducts no longer function. Here fumes and stale air accumulate and personal respirators must be worn at all times.

The many air ducts and vents are infested by strange creatures called caryatids. These are small, blue, winged humanoids which exist in great numbers throughout the hives of Necromunda. Many hive-dwellers see them as good luck charms because they often attach themselves to powerful and successful individuals, and in fact seem to be particularly attracted to the soon-to-become-powerful. Conversely, the departure of a ‘pet’ caryatid is seen as an omen of doom - its former companion is then regarded as a man waiting for death.

THE SHELL The outer shell of a hive is its skin and defense. Though the cliff- like shell of a spire appears to be quite solid, its surface is pierced with deep vertical and angled shafts. These shafts are small compared to the bulk of the spire, but are important because they admit additional light and air into the core of the hive. They are all protected by a series of massive covers which can be moved into place when required.

The shell is where the majority of the inter-spire travel tunnels and tubes begin and end.

Tunnel stations and gateway fortresses, convoy parks and garrison blocks are all located in it, where they can contribute to the regulation and defense of traffic between and within the hives.

The shell is also the first line of a hive’s active defenses against planetary invasion. Giant

defense lasers, each capable of hitting an orbiting target, are mounted at many points.

These are used to defend the hive against human or alien spacecraft. However, against the fierce ash storms that sometimes ravage Necromunda, the shell’s surface forms its only defense.

Although some people do live within the hive shells, the storms are an excellent reason to find accommodation deeper within the spire. Being able to experience direct sunlight or feel a fresh draft of air from the duct is a status symbol almost as important as having a good diet, but a single ash storm can make such status symbols meaningless.

A heavy storm is quite capable of stripping off the shell’s outer layers, including a spire’s laser defenses, travel facilities and shell-dwellers. Shells must be constantly refurbished by work-gangs, otherwise the next ash storm could easily penetrate the tunnels, shafts and catacombs of the main spire and rip it apart.

HEAT SINKS At the heart of every spire there is a single vertical shaft known as the heat sink. From the topmost levels of the spire the heat sink reaches far below the lowest levels of the hive, down through the geological crust of the planet itself. A heat sink can be several miles across. It is a vast, hollow, sealed tube made from dense plasteel. Along the length of its thick plasteel walls there are buildings, chambers, shafts and service tunnels.

The sink takes heal from the planet’s core and turns it into power for the spire. At intervals throughout the length of the heat sink there are generator stations which convert the raw heat into usable energy. The power is then transmitted to the factories and hab layers around the core. There are no power stations in the lower levels. The heat sink passes through these levels and provides only a constant warmth. This, however, is infinitely preferable to the damp chill of the remainder of the lower hive.

As is the case with all things Necromundan, the power generation systems are controlled by the clans into whose territory they fall. These clans receive a considerable income from all who use their power, so possession of the heat sinks is one of the chief marks of a powerful clan of the inner core. Other clans might control territory between the power stations and the users, and they often extract their own tolls from both factories and power producers to protect the transmission lines. In this way the feudal clans of Necromunda operate as producers, suppliers and consumers in a thriving economy. Only in the upper hab layers of the spires is there a regulated service. There, power is drawn from stations controlled by the government - in effect by the troops belonging to Helmawr’s own clan.

Access to the heat sink is usually very difficult. Many levels have no access at all, and on others access ports are sealed and guarded. On some of the older levels, however, many seals are ruined or insecure and access is possible although dangerous.

HAB LAYERS The upper layers of each spire are called habitation areas or hab layers. Here the bulk of the hive’s human inhabitants live in conditions which range from relative luxury to dismal squalor.

Where a family lives in a spire reflects its social standing and importance. The topmost layers of the spire are populated by the elite households of the hive. This hive nobility live in

relative comfort enjoying the luxury of natural light, fresh air and real food imported from nearby agricultural worlds. Below lie the twilight levels, inhabited by the rest of the population. Conditions on the twilight hab layers are considerably less pleasant than in the habs above. Natural daylight is dim, fresh air is unknown, and most of the food has been eaten and recycled many times before.

Below the twilight layers is the darkness of the undercity. Here, the only light comes from artificial glowglobes. Everything, even the air, on these levels has been used before and reprocessed several times. On a typical hive world air and water pass through, on average, 287.3 other people before reaching the lips of those who inhabit the undercity. The proteins and minerals in the universal synthdiet are reclaimed from human bodies that no longer have need of it. On Necromunda, everything that can be recycled is recycled, including the people themselves.

THE FACTORY LEVELS The industrial complexes built into the spires produce all kinds of different items which are traded to other planets in return for the food which Necromunda so desperately needs to feed its teeming millions.

In the hives, the factory levels extend from below the lower habs down to the surface of the ash wastes and beyond. Over the millennia, the waste exuded from the factories has solidified around the base of the hives, affecting the ever-rising layer of ash waste which covers the surface of the planet. As the level of the ash wastes rises, so the lower factories find themselves buried below the ground. So long as it remains possible to pump effluent up to the surface, these factories can still continue to function.

The new factory levels are a network of waste pipes, gutter-shafts and gas-drains which bleed poisons and noxious wastes away from working areas. These drains stick out of the lower flanks of the hives, flaring off dangerous gas, belching out fumes into the filth-ridden air, or pouring poisonous liquids and solid waste onto the polluted ash below.

Industrial production is controlled by the many clans. Each producer fits into a pattern of feudal obligation - supplying other clans and taking raw materials, components and power from others. Large, powerful clans act as clearing houses for the goods and services provided by their feudal inferiors. This industrial feudalism of Necromunda regulates demand and supply in a thoroughly efficient manner.

Clans will often rise in power and importance, as lesser clans in related industries come together in uneasy alliances. Sometimes conflict of interests, territorial rights and clan rivalry lead to inter-clan feuds. This is one of the main causes of gang warfare on Necromunda.

Workers usually live in or very near the factories where they work, and are as much a resource as the machines they tend. In some cases, workers, especially Techs, are surgically adapted to perform specialist functions. Such physical and mental enhancements are expensive to finance, which makes such workers very valuable.

OLD FACTORIES As the surface of the wastes rises it becomes increasingly difficult to service the factories on the buried levels. Huge vacuum pumps lift the countless tons of filth up above surface level

for venting outside the hive, but even these have their limits. There is a point in each spire below which disposing of the factories’ rubbish is impractical. When the cost of disposing of a factory’s waste is no longer outweighed by the value of its output, it is closed down and abandoned.

As the lower levels fall below the level of the ash waste and are abandoned to low- life scum, lower hab layers are converted into new factories, and the upper hab levels are extended upwards. In this way the spires of the hive world are being continually renewed.

The old factory layers are filled with abandoned, machinery and hab levels and often reach as far below ground as the spires stretch up above it. The lowest parts of the old factory levels are little more than rubble, having collapsed under the weight of the hive, or been deliberately filled in to make foundations for later building work. The abandoned factories and hab levels arc infested by scavvies, gangs who roam the dead layers of the hive scavenging for anything they can use or trade.

THE UNDERCITY Below the hive’s foundations lies a honeycomb of ancient tunnels, ruins, and buildings from Necromunda’s long-dead past. Those ruins lie at the very bottom of each spire, far below any factories and the ash wastes: they are the undercities, the oldest and deepest parts of Necromunda’s hives.

Undercity zones predate the hives by many centuries, even millennia. They are remnants of Necromunda’s true cities, built before the planet’s natural ecology was destroyed, when there were no encroaching ash wastes. It is quite possible that the remains of the colony barges that first brought mankind to the planet still lie beneath some hives.

The undercities are infested with fugitives, outcasts and mutants who are regarded by the upper hive-dwellers as little better than the animal vermin which are also found there. Life in the undercity is even more violent and difficult than life in the spires above. Many of the most ruthless hive gangs have origins in the undercity. At the bottom of the hive, upward mobility is more than an abstract concept. The strong, the lucky and ruthless can rise to the top, in terms of actual location in the hive as well as in status. It is not unknown for survivors of the undercity to reach high status as officers in the Imperial Army, schooled and tempered by the terrible necessities of survival.

THE FORBIDDEN CITIES The military tunnels which link the hives of Necromunda run deep beneath the ash wastes, cut into the very bedrock of the planet. This travel network was constructed so military forces could be moved quickly around the planet, enabling them to concentrated wherever they are needed.

Access to the hive is via great ramp–shafts guarded by gatehouses, but unauthorized persons are able to gain entry through the heat sinks and air-vents. Under the hives, and linked to this underground tunnel network, are cavernous storage depots and bunkers, used for stockpiles of synthetic food and raw materials in anticipation of war or some other disaster.

The tunnel system and its associated bunkers are very ancient, dating to a time before the hives had grown to the massive size that they are now, As the system is continually being

renovated or enlarged, many tunnels and bunkers have been bypassed or disused and sealed up. Over the millennia, these unused tunnels and bunkers have been forgotten and lost.

Since the discovery that these places are the only source of the valuable drug spook, they have been secretly re-colonized and are now known as the “Forbidden Cities”. If they’ve heard of them at all, most Necromundans don’t believe they’re real, thinking their existence to be yet another urban fable.

It is in these ancient bunkers that the decayed synthdiet deposits are found which are used to make the psychic drug spook. It is likely that officials of the Lord of Necromunda discovered the distinctive green deposits while they were supervising work on the tunnel network. Since then, the nobility and the ruling dynasty of Necromunda have always had a hand in the production and trade in spook. Only the nobles, with their ability to call on the services of subordinate clans, techs and paramilitary forces have the diverse resources needed to process the decayed synthdiet into spook.

The cavernous vaults of the Forbidden Cities are extended and embellished with the wealth brought in by spook. Pillared halls are cut from the rock, polished stones and mosaics adorn the floors, ceilings and walls. They become palaces of archaic decadent splendor.

The cities’ workforce is recruited from the scum of the undercity, supervised and guarded by savage undercity gangs. If they cannot find enough willing workers they will incite undercity gangs to make slave raids into the lower hab layers or offer to buy captives from nomad slavers. Once introduced to the decadent life within the Forbidden City, most slaves are reluctant to ever be free again.

Spook exploitation brings in incredible wealth. This wealth helps to maintain the privileged lifestyle of those noble families secretly involved in its manufacture and trade. These are the so called Lords of the Forbidden Cities. Some are of noble origin, others are adventurers of obscure origin who have connections with the nobility. Frequently they are members of noble households who have gone into exile because they are suspected psykers or wish to escape from political enemies. They simply disappear from the upper spires, setting up court in the hidden bunkers where the spook is processed.

SPOOK While there are many decaying foodstuffs down in the bunkers, only a certain type degenerates into the spook lode: the vestigial remains of the oldest kind of synthdiet made on Necromunda. The decayed synthdiet deposits are now nothing more than a lurid green powder, having been acted on by mutant fungi for thousands of years. It contained a high proportion of recycled human protein, and it is this human essence which is likely to account for its dramatic effects on the human psyche.

The drug spook is taken in liquid form – the ultimate magic potion. When drunk in small amounts, it awakens the imbiber’s psychic abilities. When drunk in quantity it opens the channel between a person’s physical body and their soul in the warp. If the individual has a strong soul, it will be drawn into his material body; if he has a weak soul, all psychic energy will be instantly sucked out of him and lost in the void. It is for this reason that spook is a very dangerous substance, and its use viciously repressed by the Imperium.

In hive-world society, people are constantly seeking ways to exploit anything they discover.

The people who stumbled on the unusual green deposits investigated ways of turning them

into wealth, as they would have done with any substance, and in the process discovered spook. Being ignorant of matters of the human soul and the danger inherent in mankind’s metamorphosis into a psychic race, spook was seen as just another substance to be recycled and exploited for profit.

There has always been a massive demand for drugs in hive-society, mainly to supplement the diet and ward off sickness. Spook became popular among the nobility who reveled in its exotic effects and it has slowly filtered down throughout hive-society.

The noble households which exploited this resource naturally kept the trade secret and confirmed to grow rich. The household of the Lord of Necromunda himself was involved in the business and was able to organize off planet trade of spook. This had to be accomplished using smugglers, since the Imperial fleet conducts all legal trade in space.

No-one knows or can predict where the spook deposits are to be found, but whenever one comes to light, the officials of Lord Helmawr’s officials who are part of the spook ring are informed, and mining and processing can begin. Trusted noble households with a close connection to the ruling dynasty will get the concession to exploit the deposit.

Small quantities of spook are also found and traded by scavvies who stumble on eroded deposits during their delvings. This accounts for a small amount of wild spook that is traded in the undercity and shanties. Imperial agents trying to track the spook to its source usually end up following the scavvy spook and thereby miss the main source. Of course, there is nothing to link the nobility or the Lord of Necromunda to the scavvy spook.

The most significant outlet for spook is the secret cults that lurk in many hives. These cultists need a regular supply of this psychic-enhancing substance. The Immortals in particular require vast quantities for their rites and the expansion of this cult is certainly the single greatest factor in the growth of the spook trade. Most of the spook lords who rule the Forbidden Cities are probably already members of this cult.

Spook is easily distributed via the various undercity, scavvy or nomad gangs who ask no questions and only know of the next link in the chain.

THE SHANTIES Shanty towns are built outside the hives, clustered at the outer edge of the shells of the spires. They are inhabited by all kinds of hive world scum who cannot cope with life within the hives. The spires, at least, offer a limited protection against the poisoned rains and corrosive ash. The best shelter a shanty dweller can hope for is one or two layers of packing material, or an abandoned vehicle. To make matters worse, much of the factories’ toxic effluent pours directly down onto the shanties.

If a shanty remains in existence for any length of time and somehow escape’s being swept away by a storm, the inhabitants will excavate caves and cellars into the solidified sludge and compacted dust. These dwellings can be reinforced by sludge baked by the sun into crude bricks. By retreating into those refuges, some shanty dwellers survive the ash storms that sweep away the more flimsy parts of their homes. When the storm abates, they force their way through the wind-blown dust to the surface and attempt to rebuild the shanty out of the wreckage of the old one.

Conditions in the shanties are worse than anything in the hives, yet for most shantydwellers even their crude home is preferable to wandering the ash wastes, where they

would fall victim to the creatures and nomads if the heat, corrosive dust and freak storms did not get them first.

No-one from the hives bothers shanty-dwellers very much - they have little worth taking.

Furthermore, the sprawling settlements are home to vicious gangs of shanty-dwellers, scavvies and nomad bands that have come to the shanty to trade.

GANG WARFARE The number of gangs on Necromunda almost certainly runs into millions, ranging from small gangs which control no more than a section of corridor to the private armies of large and powerful clans which dominate whole spires.

The Imperium does not dictate to the Imperial Commander how the planet should be run – as long as it is loyal to the Emperor, its factories produce what they should and it pays its tithes they do not interfere. The retinue of Lord Helmawr is in effect the largest gang on Necromunda. His status as Lord of Necromunda is hereditary and his household controls all off planet trade, including the import of real food from nearby agricultural worlds.

General Characteristics of Hive Gangs The word “gang� describes many different types of armed bands on Necromunda. Gang is a generic term which includes clan warriors, bands of ash nomads, savage gangs and mutant bands from the undercity, scavvies from the shanties, armed bands of techs, bands of fugitive psykers, unruly brat gangs of the upper hab layers, as well as sanctioned gangs and professional bounty-hunters, guards and retainers such as the Venators and Custodians.

Although gangs may be drawn from large groups such as a hive clan, noble household or nomad tribe, a typical gang will include around a dozen members. This is an ideal strength for skirmishing and raiding in the corridors and tunnels of the hive. Gangs must be able to infiltrate the territory of rival gangs undetected to mount successful raids. In order to set ambushes they will have to hide in the dark recesses and among the pipes and conduits of the road tunnels. Small groups are simply much more effective in this environment than large armed mobs which are far too conspicuous and easy to track down.

Each gang is led by the warrior with experience, skill and considerable powers of leadership.

Other warriors are naturally attracted to these strong and inspiring individuals. Each territory has its own gang drawn up from the toughest youths of the clan. The gang leader and his henchmen, often several years older than most of the warriors and due to settle down as respected clan members will select the best of the youths and let them prove themselves through the gang initiation rite. Most initiations are pretty tough and brutal and in this way the gang recruits the toughest among the youth to be the clan warriors.

The ambition of most young clan members is to run with a gang, similarly most young

nomads in the ash wastes are expected to fight for the tribe as warriors. The youth of a hive -clan will tend to group together for protection, and might well become involved in skirmishes in defense of their home territory.

Other types of gangs recruit suitable new members into their ranks in a similar way.

Scavvies, Brats, Mutants, Techs and Psykers will naturally only consider their own kind or those sympathetic to them. Undercity gangs will only accept savage masters of the art of survival who can prove their eligibility by combat.

All gangs impose some sort of initiation rite on their recruits, intended to mark gang members for life and weed out those who might be a liability. Recruits must often prove themselves by taking a trophy in their first skirmish with the gang. This usually means cutting off a finger, ear or taking a scalp from a fallen enemy. Attempting to take a trophy from a living enemy is even more admired, but reckless in the extreme. The practice of trophy-taking is generally known among the gangs as 'scragging'.

The habit of taking part of an enemy corpse as a trophy is related to a common Necromundan ritual. Clan members who fail in their duties and obligations atone by cutting off one of their own fingers or, more rarely, one of their ears. This severed piece of flesh is then presented to the clan leader as a token of reborn loyalty and commitment.

This custom is practiced by gangs in hives all across Necromunda. It is also common for good fighters to hold up their hands in greeting, palms outwards and fingers spread. By doing this, a fighter shows any potential opponents that he has all his fingers. By extension, he has never been defeated or made a mistake. He is, therefore, a man to be feared.

Gangs trade among themselves for weapons, ammunition and equipment. Anything they cannot obtain by trade they will capture from enemies or raid arms depots. If the gang is hired by Helmawr's officials, a noble household or a powerful clan, they may be rewarded with sophisticated weaponry. Techs can make advanced weapons and wealthy social groups can purchase or obtain them by corrupt means. Many scavvies, undercity warriors and nomads have to make do with crude improvised weaponry until they can capture or loot something better.

CLAN WARRIORS The most common type of gang on Necromunda are the gangs of young clan warriors.

In the hives every manufacturing process, industry, service and transaction is the concern of one clan or another. The pressures of competition for limited resources - even such basics as good food, air and water - mean that every clan must sometimes resort to armed force to secure its survival.

Every clan, and groups of related families within each clan, has their own territory or concession, often carved out and defended by their own gangs of young clan warriors. In this way, forests have been replaced by a jungle of metal and concrete, and society is ordered along tribal lines.

For many ordinary Necromundans running with a gang comes as part of the life cycle.

Young members of the clan are expected to play their part in defending the clan territory and upholding the honor of the clan. Youths in their early teens are initiated into the gang

by various rites of passage. From then until their mid twenties they fight for the clan in the same way that young warriors would fight for their tribe in, a primitive feral world society.

After several years with the gang, a warrior gains the respect and status of his family and other clan members and gains the right to found his own family and take part in the clan business.

The struggle for supremacy between clans is ceaseless and often violent. Clan gangs fight each other openly, gang leaders are assassinated and kidnapped, or, most commonly, a clan’s resources, its techs, workers and factories, are destroyed in endless raids. Lord Helmawr and the nobles of Necromunda do little to interfere. They simply wait and then do business with the winners.

Neither Helmawr nor his officials concern themselves with inter clan rivalry, as long they fulfill their quota of goods and deliver them on time. Lord Helmawr extracts tolls on all business through off world shipping and handling charges, recruits the best gangs into the Planetary Defense Force and leaves the hives to manage as best they can. It is an arrangement that suits everyone of consequence.

The co-operation between the clans and Lord Helmawr is an accepted part of life. It operates at many levels, with gangs recruited into the Planetary Defense Force, given semiofficial status as Venators and Custodians, or secretly used for Helmawr's hidden dealings.

The gangs are necessary for the government’s dirtier tasks, and they are glad to do the work at the right price. The commonest use for hired gangs is to profit the nobility and Helmawr, as ruler, takes the lion's share. He charges high rates for his monopoly on off planet transport, and he enforces his monopoly by troops and sanctioned gangs. Helmawr maintains his power by a subtle policy of divide and rule over the rival households, clans and gangs of Necromunda.

Social Croup - Young clan members aged between early teens and mid twenties. Most of the population of Necromunda belongs to a clan and clan warriors form the most common type of gang. Each group of closely related families living in a distinct close-knit territory will have a gang to protect them. A typical clan can include hundreds of such gangs.

Territory - the workshops, factories and associated living areas of the families in the clan are the territory of the local clan gang. Other clans, gangs and strangers will be challenged if they violate the gang territory without permission or payment of tribute.

Ritual - Youths are initiated into the gang by various initiation rites. Some must prove themselves worthy by acts of reckless bravery such as scragging an enemy (cutting off an ear or finger as a trophy), others must endure ritual scarification without flinching. Most gang warriors receive ritual scars or tattoos of some kind. After a time running with the gang, young warriors will have gained enough respect and status to found their own families and take up the clan business.

Armament - Clan warriors can often be quite well armed through trading with other gangs.

Motives - Gangs of young clan warriors protect the clan territory and other members of the clan as they go about their work. These gangs also make it their business to uphold clan honor, which will often lead to long standing feuds between rival clans. Gangs wish a good reputation may be hired by other clans, noble households or Lord Helmawr's officials for various tasks. Exceptional clan warriors may be recruited into the Planetary Defense Force, Imperial Guard or even the Adeptus Astartes.

BRAT GANGS Although the noble households are outside the Clan structure of Necromunda, they are not immune to the influence of the pervading tribal culture of the hive world. Like clans, noble households have their own ancient and bitter rivalries which sometimes explode into violence. The root causes are often more to do with honor, traditional enmity, and dynastic disputes than the mainly economic and territorial causes of gang warfare in the lower levels of the hive.

The idle and decadent youth of the nobility emulate the young clan warriors by forming their own Brat gangs, which make it their business to look after the honor of their household.

Many young nobles run with the Brats for a time before they succeed to holding office and can then continue to further the interests of their own household by more subtle means.

The Brats are always in the forefront of any new fashion or cult that sweeps through the upper levels of the hive. Young nobles are privileged, wealthy, inquisitive, rebellious and open to wider influences than are available in the lower levels of the hive. Brat gangs sport fantastic, elaborate costumes and hairstyles, and flout the conventions of hive life as openly as possible.

In the upper hive layers Brats run together in packs but they do not limit their predations to their home territories. They frequently drop down the spires into the lower habs, where their wealth can be used to obtain any drug or weapon. Once in the lower habs, the Brat gangs terrorize the Techs and workers, safe in the knowledge that they can return to the upper habs whenever they want to.

Social Group - Brats are recruited from the unruly, discontented and rebellious youth of the nobility.

Territory - The estates of the noble households in the Upper Hab layers.

Ritual - Brats go in for bizarre tribal rituals imitating those of other hive gangs. Initiation rites, scars, tattoos, hairstyles and extravagant rather than practical clothing characterize these gangs.

Armament - Brats can be quite well armed due to wealth and access to imports. Exotic weaponry is especially favored.

Motives - Brat gangs are mainly concerned with upholding the honor of their households.

They also assume responsibility for 'protecting' their territory from uncouth lower hive dwellers. Brat gangs like to create a reputation for themselves by raiding other gangs. They also get up to various rebellious, subversive and anarchic activities including involvement with cultists and psykers.

TECH GANGS Tech gangs and associations are more common than supposed. Techs often form collectives to protect themselves from exploitation by other groups. From passive protection and defense, such associations often mature into gangs that are as aggressive, in their own fashion, as any other in the hives. Tech gangs have a pool of skills which means that they can often trade for materials from the factory levels. They deal in drugs, chemicals and weapons, trading these goods for interesting technological relics and rare raw materials scavenged from the undercities. Tech gangs are not noted for crude ferocity but they are widely respected for their expertise with weapons and equipment, and it is foolish indeed to

cross a Tech gang without reason.

Social group - Techs belong to clans, either forming a distinct group within a large clan or forming separate tech clans. Techs form gangs to protect themselves and their business interests.

Territory - Tech gangs protect the workshops, industrial plants and associated living areas of the tech families that work there.

Ritual - Tech gang warriors undergo initiation rites which might involve technological implants or advanced forms of tattooing.

Armament - Techs have access to unusual and technically advanced weaponry due to their skills and great bargaining power.

Motives - Tech gangs are concerned with protection of their territory and tech business interests from the predations of envious rivals. There are many who will resort to lawless means to obtain advanced technology. Tech gangs are often hired by Helmawr, noble households or other clans for tasks which require their expert technical skills and sophisticated weaponry.

SCAVVIES The shanties and derelict factories of the undercity are homes to the Scavvies, who scrape a living from scavenging materials and trading them with clans who can make a profit from recycling. In the old factories there are rich pickings to be found among the rubbish and abandoned machinery for those who are desperate enough to hunt there.

The Scavvies trade what they find - machines, scrap, raw materials, even spook caches in return for food and weapons. The relationship is uneasy at best, because many Scavvies are diseased.

Scavvies develop sores and scabs on the skin due to delving among dangerous pollutants.

This has earned the Scavvies the alternative name Scabbies, and like mutants they are often persecuted as subhuman beasts. Wherever they are found, Scavvies are driven from levels occupied by normal humans.

Many Scavvies make a good living as spook hunters, prospecting for the precious lodes of raw narcotic spook. For the Scavvy gangs this is a valuable substance, worth many times its weight in real food and fresh water. A carefully guarded lode of spook can keep a gang in relative comfort for years, if they manage to avoid becoming addicts in the meantime.

Naturally, much raw spook makes its way to the secret factories of Lord Helmawr. For this reason, if for no other, Scavvies are a necessary part of Necromunda’s economy. Without them to find and mine the raw spook, one of Lord Helmawr’s principle sources of income would vanish.

Other Scavvy gangs specialize in preying on fugitives and patrols from the upper spires, and those who fall victim to them are lucky if they are slain outright. It is even said that Scavvies eat their prisoners. Such fresh meat supplements their normal diet which includes the verminous creatures of the undercity and the shanties.

Social Group - Scavvy gangs include all kinds of fugitives, outcasts, refugees, members of dispossessed clans and scum shunned even by the undercity gangs. Many shanty-dwellers are hereditary Scavvies.

Territory - Scavvies carve out gang territories in the Shanties, among the old derelict factories and heavily polluted parts of the undercity.

Ritual - Scavvy gang ritual is similar to undercity gangs. Human bones are often used as decoration or primitive amour. Trading with Scavvies is a ritualistic and frequently risky business.

Armament - Scavvies use crude improvised weapons supplemented by captured and traded items. Rare scavenged materials can sometimes be exchanged for quite sophisticated equipment.

Motives - Survival by means of scavenging is the prime motive of most Scavvy gangs.

Good scavenging grounds will be fiercely protected. Scavenging, looting and all forms of furtive theft are highly respected talents.

NOMADS Nomad bands wander the ash wastes which lie between the hives. Their skills to survive in the hostile ash wastes mark them as special among the people of Necromunda. They manage, much to the horror of hive dwellers, to live in the open, unprotected by the walls and ceilings of a hive or the amour plate of a convoy carrier. Indeed, few true nomads use vehicles, preferring to carry only as much as they can load onto their own backs. In this way, every nomad is a fighter and a bearer, ready to defend his own part of a caravan.

Nomad gangs ambush convoys from the hives and other nomads when they can. They frequently attack travel tubes and disrupt trade between the hives. The nomad routes cross the planet and bands migrate from one hive cluster to another, following the good weather and trying to stay ahead of the fierce seasonal ash storms. A gang’s long wanderings can take it to many hives and their surrounding shanties, and the nomads make a living carrying trade goods between the hives. The goods they carry are small, usually exotic and always costly: rare drugs, special ammunition, strange things found in the ash wastes and secret messages from distant hives. Many gang leaders prefer to use nomad couriers, valuing secrecy above the speed and ease of using road tunnels.

The nomads are seen as dangerous undesirables by hive dwellers. Helmawr’s soldiers and merchant gangs attack nomads on sight because of the danger they pose to road tunnels and convoys. Nomads have also been known to raid the hives themselves on occasion, infiltrating deep beyond the spire shells and retreating into the ash wastes before any resistance could be organized. Nomads sometimes get into the undercity via derelict tunnels uncovered in the ash wastes, and any storm that breaches the shell of a hive will give rise to anxiety in expectation of an imminent nomad raid.

Social Group - Nomads form a distinct social group on Necromunda. It's possible that they were the descendants of rural settlers who were long ago reduced to nomadic scavenging existence due to the pollution of their lands. They dislike and despise hive-dwellers, and the feeling is mutual.

Territory - Territory tends to be wherever the nomad band are at the time, although certain caravan routes, ruins, expanses of waste and water holes may be regarded as the territory of a specific band.

Ritual - Nomads have their own ritualistic and tribal society which is distinct from the clans of the hives. Rites of passage, ritual scarification and tattooing, scragging and trophy-taking are all known in various forms. Some nomads make extensive use of body-painting as a means of protecting their skin from the sun and the dust as well as decoration.

Armament - Simple weaponry supplemented by captured and traded items. Sophisticated

weapons are a status symbol.

Motives - Nomad gangs are naturally concerned about protecting their territory or trading caravans. Tribal and personal honor are extremely important. Nomads indulge in continual warfare and inter-tribal feuding for amusement and gain. Raids on merchant convoys crossing the wastes are commonplace, but some nomad bands are audacious enough to make slave-raids on shanties and even hives, if they can get in through damaged transport tubes or the ravaged hive shell after an ash storm. Nomads obtain sophisticated goods by trading and prospecting in the ash wastes for valuable raw materials and relics.

UNDERCITY GANGS These gangs are made up of the many types of scum that inevitably end up in the undercity of each hive. Such gangs are small, tightly knit and very territorial. They fall outside the clan system and are independent, ruthless and resourceful.

Undercity gangs soon learn that to survive they must raid the factory and hab levels above them. If a gang is successful, it may even carve out a territory in the higher levels. By taking over a single factory or part of a hab level, the gang could begin its climb out of the undercity.

The undercities are among the toughest environments on Necromunda and the undercity warriors are often regarded as the best fighters in the hives. Survival of the fittest is the rule and the survivors grow stronger and tougher. Many undercity gangs will only accept competent warriors into their ranks.

A prospective recruit will be expected to prove his worth by scragging an enemy - tearing off an ear, a finger, part of a scalp or some other part of an opponent. The bloody trophies gained are worn as a sign of gang membership: a necklace of dried ears or fingers is sometimes favored by undercity gangs.

When such marks are combined with distinctive costumes, ritual scarring, insignia and tattoos, gang members present a collective identity to their rivals, friends and enemies.

Social Group - Fugitives and outcasts from hive society, often those who have dishonored their clan, offended their clan leader or simply foil out with their original clan gang.

Criminals and rebels wanted by Lord Helmawr or the Imperium frequently turn up causing trouble in the undercity.

Territory - Gang territories are carved out among the dark labyrinthine catacombs of the undercity and the derelict factories.

Ritual - Undercity gangs are perhaps the most ritualistic of all gangs. Initiation rites, scarification, tattooing, and body decoration are taken to extremes. These gangs are the urban equivalent of feral world savages. Leadership disputes are decided with brutal ritual.

Scragging of enemies and trophy-taking is common practice.

Armament - Undercity gangs use crude improvised weaponry supplemented with captured and traded items.

Motives - Gangs of undercity scum band together to savagely defend their territory from outsiders and indulge in regular raiding and pillaging of Factory levels and even hab levels.

Indeed, those clans holding territory adjacent to the undercity are literally defending the 'frontier' of the hive against the barbarians of the undercity. This frontier zone is subject to constant raiding and skirmishing.

MUTANT GANGS Mutants are feared by everyone on Necromunda, from the highest administrator in Helmawr's court to the lowliest unskilled worker in the process vats. Most hive dwellers do not understand that mutation is an inevitable part of life on a planet as irredeemably polluted as Necromunda. Mutants are branded as evil, corrupted by their own wickedness and greed, and tainted by witchery of the foulest kind.

As a result mutants are persecuted and driven into the undercities. In the depths they fall victim to the undercity gangs and the Scavvies. Most mutants do not survive for very long once they have been discovered. Those that manage to run and hide often band together in gangs of their own, usually in the most inaccessible and heavily polluted sections of the undercities.

Once established, mutants interbreed and their offspring, often more mutated than their parents, replenish the gang. Over the course of generations new mutations arise in the gangs, some of which may even be survival traits. The bottoms of the hives are unhealthy places, and any mutation which helps its owner to live is naturally passed on to his descendants.

Social Group - Mutant gangs include fugitive mutant outcasts from normal society and their mutated descendants.

Territory - Mutant gangs lurk in the worst parts of the undercity.

Ritual - Ritual is crude and savage. Scarification, scragging and cannibalism have been reported.

Armament - Crude improvised weaponry supplemented by captured items.

Motives - Survival and spiteful revenge against non- mutants.

PSYKER GANGS On Necromunda, as elsewhere in the Imperium, psykers are persecuted and feared. Their witch-talents and unnatural ways make them dangerous: they are open gateways for darkness and wickedness. Folk tales of psykers confirm the worst: they can cause madness with a touch and summon daemons. In turn, many psykers, tormented beyond endurance, lash out at the persecutors, using their powers to destroy. The legends are merely proven by such actions.

Life is hard for psykers on Necromunda, as it is throughout the Imperium. Some fall prey to daemonic possession. More fall victim to the witch-hunting Venators and bounty-hunting gangs. The remainder may manage to escape detection, or flee to the undercities. Everyone in the undercities has something to hide, so the secretive behavior of psykers attracts little attention. The 'witches' form their own gangs for mutual protection, always making sure to recruit only their own kind, or true sympathizers. Most psyker-gangs include a few nonpsykers, relatives or close friends who have chosen to share the psyker’s exile.

By far the most dangerous psyker gangs on Necromunda are the secret covens of the cult known as the Immortals. The background of this sinister cult and the tale of its founder are narrated in detail later on.

Social Group - Fugitive psykers who have fled from persecution and relatives who have

accompanied them. Those who seek arcane power by associating with covens and worshipping Chaos may also be found in some psyker gangs.

Territory - Psyker-gangs can be hidden anywhere in the hive, even in the upper hab layers, though most lurk in the undercity.

Ritual - Psyker gangs practice bizarre occult initiation rites. Captives may be taken for sacrifice in cult rituals and a sinister occult aspect pervades all gang activities.

Armament - Psyker gangs use simple weaponry augmented by more sophisticated equipment captured, traded or obtained through influential contacts.

Motives - Psyker gangs are motivated by survival and the protection and continued secrecy of any cult they may practice. Many psykers are obsessed with revenge against their persecutors, while others secretly try to spread their insidious influence throughout the hive.

The Rules System NecrOREmunda is an attempt at creating a toolset that makes it possible to use the One Roll Engine (or ORE) from Greg Stolze with the Necromunda setting published by Games Workshop.

Most in-game actions are handled in one of two ways: Either the GM (the Game Master, or referee; the person running the game) tells you whether or not it works and that’s that, or you roll a few dice to see if it works.

For an action that’s not particularly challenging or important, or if you have plenty of time to work on it until you get it right, you don’t need to roll. The GM will tell you what happens based on the circumstances and what your character can do.

For an action that’s both challenging and important, roll the dice to see if you succeed. In most cases, the action is based on a stat rated from 1 die (abbreviated 1d) to 5 dice (abbreviated 5d) added to a skill rated from 0 dice to 5d.

Stats and Skills Each character has six stats: Body, Coordination, Sense, Knowledge, Command, and Charm. Each stat has at least 1d and (in humans) no more than 5d.

Each character also has a number of skills, which are specialized applications of stats. Each skill has an associated stat—the Piloting skill with Coordination, for instance. Add the stat and skill dice together to get your dice pool, or how many dice to roll.

Resolving Rolls: Height and Width When you roll, look for matching sets: dice that come up the same. If you have any matching sets in your roll, the action succeeds. If you don’t roll any matching sets, your attempt fails.

You can gauge how well your action succeeds by looking at the matching set: the higher the matching number, and the more dice that came up matching, the better.

What number is on the matching dice? That’s the height of your roll. The higher the roll, the more effective your action. The lowest possible height, 1, means you just barely succeeded.

The highest possible roll, 10, means you succeeded spectacularly well.

How many matching dice did you roll? That’s the width of your roll. The wider the roll, the more speed and power you put into the action.

We abbreviate the results as “width x height”—so if three dice come up “5,” that’s 3x5. If two dice come up “7,” it’s 2x7.

What Kind of Failure?

A failed roll is worse than usual if you roll all low dice; instead of just missing the turn, for instance, you might crash your speeder into a building. The results are up to the GM. Expert Dice and Master Dice NecrOREmunda uses one die type (the d10) for all rolls. But there are also two special ways of rolling dice: Expert dice and Master dice. A character can only have one Expert Die or one Master Die in his dice pool.

Expert dice and Master dice are significantly more powerful than regular dice. Use regular dice to resolve regular actions; Expert dice to resolve highly skilled actions and Master dice to resolve legendary actions. As such, Expert dice and Master Dice are available only in skills.

Expert dice are abbreviated “ed,”. An Expert die is special. You can either assign it any height you want, before you roll all the other dice in the pool; or choose to roll it regularly as a normal die. Expert dice represent a level of ability not easily achieved by the normal man.

Like every other die, Expert dice count towards the ten-die maximum. Expert dice also have another advantage—they automatically “buy off” dice penalties. Each Expert die buys off a -1d penalty. And they have another bonus, even after buying off the penalty, the Expert die is not lost, but instead is rolled as a regular die. This is mandatory. If you face a dice penalty and you have Expert dice, you must use an Expert die to buy off a penalty.

The downside of Expert dice is that while they’re effective at directing dice pool rolls to a certain outcome, they’re blind. You won’t know what roll you’re getting when you pick the number—you could roll a match, or not.

A Master die is like a wild card in poker: You assign it any number you want, after you’ve rolled all the other dice in your pool during the resolution phase in combat. This makes Master dice even better than Expert dice—any dice pool roll with a single Master die succeeds! You can even choose not to succeed or to succeed up to a certain level, if you want—a luxury that other dice don’t have. Like every other die, Master dice count towards the ten-die maximum. They’re abbreviated “td,”.

Difficulty If an action is particularly challenging, it may not be enough just to make a successful roll.

You may need to roll higher than a certain number to succeed. This is the Difficulty of the action. If your roll’s height doesn’t equal or beat the Difficulty, it fails.

Penalty Dice and Bonus Dice Sometimes when circumstances make an action particularly difficult and uncontrolled, or when you attempt a particularly difficult action, you don’t have to beat a Difficulty number—you actually lose a die from your pool. This is a serious penalty for most characters, especially those with small dice pools.

If you have hard dice or wiggle dice, you lose them in this order: Drop hard dice first (they’re inflexible, remember), then normal dice, then wiggle dice.

By the same token, if an action is easier than usual but still requires a roll, you might add 1d or even 2d to the dice pool

Dynamic Contests Sometimes your action is directly opposed by another character’s action. Say you’re running a race—only one can come in first. We call that a dynamic contest.

In a dynamic contest, the wider roll goes first and takes effect as normal. The roll that goes afterward—was less wide—must beat the wider roll’s height as a Difficulty number. If it doesn’t matter who goes first, or if width is a tie, just look at the height of the rolls; the higher roll wins.

Multiple Actions and Multiple Sets Want to do two challenging things at the same time? Easy. If you roll an extra matching set, you can use it on an extra action with no penalty—but only if your extra action has a dice pool equal to or larger than that of your primary action, and only if the two actions are mutually compatible. When in doubt, ask the GM.

THE HOUSES OF HIVE PRIMUS Hive Primus alone is as populous as many large worlds in the Imperium. The majority of the hive’s inhabitants belong to one of the thirteen Houses and live in the part of the hive that forms its territory. Hive Primus is divided between the Houses much as the lands of ordinary planets are divided into nations. Every House has its own cultural traditions, distinctive linguistic traits, codes of dress and behaviour, as well as unique concerns and aptitudes.

The Noble Houses The seven most important Houses are the Noble Houses whose domains extend throughout the Spire, the part of the hive that stretches above the cloud top layer. The Noble Houses are the controllers of the hive’s commerce. They trade far and wide throughout the Imperium and with other hives on Necromunda. The Noble Houses compete against each other for wealth and political power, always seeking to further their own interests at the expense of their rivals. Intrigue and fear of assassination dominate the lives of their ruling families.

The most powerful Noble House is the Imperial or Ruling House of Helmawr. Its domain is the very top part of the Spire, the most desirable territory in the whole hive. Lord Helmawr, the leader of the House, controls the entire planet. He represents the mighty Adeptus Terra of Earth, the governing body of the Imperium of Man. To the greater universe Lord Helmawr is Necromunda and the planet is his to rule as he pleases. The patriarchs and merchant families of the Noble Houses vie for his attention, and are eager to perform whatever favours are necessary to secure landing and shipping rights, trade licences and tax concessions. Even whilst they curry Lord Helmawr’s favour the Noble Houses scheme behind his back, hoping that one day House Helmawr will be brought low and a new Imperial House will inherit its domain.

The seven Noble Houses of Necromunda are House Helmawr, House Catallus, House Ty, House Ulanti, House Greim, House Ran Lo and House Ko’iron. These Houses play no direct part in the fighting and exploration of the Underhive which is the chief concern of this book, but their existence is important.

The Houses Below the adamantium barrier known as the Wall are the domains of the five Houses of Necromunda. These ordinary Houses lack the privileges and status of the Noble Houses.

Their people are confined to the cramped Hive City where conditions are squalid and dirty.

The hivers, as they are called, are used to the dim light and rank air. Knowing no better, most live contented lives of toil in the guild factories, workshops, and other industries which

form the chief business of the hive.

The Houses are manufacturers of goods of all kinds, from foodstuffs to armaments. These products are traded with the Noble Houses and in this way the wares of Necromunda reach the wide universe. A complex but efficient trading relationship has grown up based around the competition between the Houses to produce goods, and between the Noble Houses to buy them.

The people of the six Houses do not normally mix, and the borders between their domains are carefully guarded against intruders. Each House is proud of its unique traditions and disdainful of its rivals’ way of life. Where the territories of two Houses border each other it is common to find an interposing dead zone or area of fortifications.

Prolonged warfare between Houses is rare but not unknown. Violence can be triggered by anything from accidental trespass to deliberate invasion. The most common cause of animosity is contract fighting. This happens when a House tries to destroy vital factories in a neighbour’s domain in order to make it impossible for them to fulfil a contract. Should this happen the neighbour will incur heavy penalties and may lose a lucrative contract to a rival House.

Open hostility is rare. For one thing, war between two Houses would simply further the interests of the other four and do neither antagonist any good. Also, the Noble Houses strongly disapprove of destructive conflict because it damages trade and hinders the movement of goods. Noble Houses may threaten to take their business elsewhere rather than tolerate a hive war.

Consequently Hive City is mostly peaceful and industrious, and the majority of its people are happy to toil for their House and reap the meagre rewards on offer.

HOUSE ORLOCK House Orlock is known as the House of Iron because its foundations lie upon deep ferrous slag pits. The hivers mine these pits for the debris of ancient times and extract enough pure metal from the refuse to serve their industries. Over the centuries extensive mining of the slag has caused some lower domes to collapse. In the past this led to hivequakes and the destruction of several overlying domes. For many centuries the House has fulfilled the Ulanti Contract, a lucrative deal by which one House supplies the core requirements of the Ulanti Noble House. Previously the contract was supplied by House Delaque, but the Orlocks usurped the position by bribing

STATS Sovereignty: 1 Treasure : 1 Might : 1 Influence : 1 Territory : 3 ASSETS Rules of plunder Foundries, smiths and armourers Small horizon Civic theatre Cultural tradition

Underhive gang raiders to destroy fuel lines into a Delaque guild factory. Since then the two Houses have taken every opportunity to discredit each other. Five years ago Lord Hagen Orlock was assassinated by the Delaques and relations between the Houses have never been so tense.

HOUSE GOLIATH The domain of House Goliath is situated unfavourably within Hive City and occupies some of the deepest and harshest areas. By way of compensation the Goliaths are tough and persistent by inclination. They consider the hivers of other Houses to be soft and slack. In truth all hivers are naturally robust, being inured to the toxins and deprivations which they accept unquestioningly as part of normal life. The Goliaths, however, take a stubborn pride in their ability to endure hardship. The other Houses see the Goliaths as barbaric, and unpredictable. Goliath institutions such as the fighting pits and the Feast of the Fallen do nothing to dispel the impression of a violent people inimical to their neighbours.

STATS Sovereignty: 1 Treasure : 1 Might : 3 Influence : 1 Territory : 1 ASSETS Unexpected deliverance Unbalanced economy Cultural tradition Defiant tradition Irregular forces

HOUSE DELAQUE House Delaque benefits from a special understanding with the Imperial House of Helmawr, providing not just materials but also information to the rulers of Necromunda.

Delaque spies are said to operate throughout the hive, observing the activities of the other Houses. It is rumoured that some of the ruling family members of the Houses, and even some Noble Houses, are in the pay of the Delaque. Other Houses are suspicious of the Delaques. Although the entire hive is eerily dim, the territory of House Delaque is particularly dark and shadowy as befits a people whose motives and methods are shrouded in mystery.

STATS Sovereignty: 1 Treasure : 1 Might : 1 Influence : 3 Territory : 1 ASSETS Rules of plunder Culture of shame and gossip Mole Unbalanced economy Mass appeal

HOUSE CAWDOR House Cawdor is the stronghold of the Cult of the Redemption whose prophets foretell of universal destruction.

Although the cult has its adherents throughout the hive, in House Cawdor it has attained the status of an official religion. For this reason the House is also known as the House of Redemption. The Cawdor attitude to the other Houses is strongly coloured by their beliefs. The Redemption demands a strict code of conduct, and those who break the rules are driven away and become outcasts.

STATS Sovereignty: 3 Treasure : 1 Might : 1 Influence : 1 Territory : 1 ASSETS Rules of plunder Small horizon Patriotism Classic enemy Entangling alliance

Hivers who do not follow the Redemption are worthless infidels. Needless to say, the relationship between House Cawdor and the other Houses is strained. It is often supposed that the Cawdor actively support Redemptionist outlaws in the other Houses.

HOUSE VAN SAAR House Van Saar is renowned for the quality of its technical products.

Its technology is no more advanced than that of anyone else, progress being almost nonexistent throughout the Imperium, but the House’s manufacturing processes are precise and its finished materials are of the highest quality. The Noble Houses pay a premium for Van Saar goods, and as a result the House is probably the most wealthy in Hive City. The Van Saar are reputed to be a serious minded and humourless people, with a deeply ingrained sense of order.

STATS Sovereignty: 1 Treasure : 3 Might : 1 Influence : 1 Territory : 1

ASSETS Unexpected deliverance Civic theatre Small horizon Entangling alliance Defiant tradition

Alternative Setting: The 3rd War for Armageddon "Armageddon, a world whose name is known across the Imperium. Armageddon, a world whose name has become a byword for war and destruction on a massive scale. Armageddon, where the fate of a thousand worlds hangs in the balance."

Lord Commander Solar Eugenian Though the world has been no stranger to Total War, this latest assualt has been by far and away the most devastating of them all. None thought it possible for anything to rival Ghazghkull's first horrific onslaught, which cost millions of lives and left the planet in ruin, but The Beast was to prove them spectacularly wrong. Once more showing himself to be more than a simple barbarian, the most dangerous Ork in history had saved his best for last, his first assault nothing more than a test of the planet's defences.

BATTLE IS JOINED When it came, the attack was truly titanic. Arriving in the largest Ork fleet ever encountered, the greenskins swiftly steamrolled their way past the pathetically inadequate Imperial defences and began their invasion in earnest. As a statement of his power, Ghazghkull dropped asteroids onto Hive Hades, utterly destroying the place where his last army had met defeat. As Hades burned, dropships and fighters ferried millions of Orks to the planet's surface and the Imperial defenders opened up with all they had. The Third Battle for Armageddon had begun.

As the ferocity of the Ork assault began to push the Imperial defence lines back and silence the remaining planetary defence weapons, Ghazghkull stunned all by landing dozens of the massive asteroid-fortresses that accompanied his fleet directly onto the planet. How he was able to achieve such a feat of engineering remains a mystery, but wherever they touched down they gave the invaders a ready-made and almost impregnable bastion, full of reinforcements, armoured vehicles and Gargants.

THE FIRES RAGE Despite their initial losses, the defenders were able to hold out long enough to get the measure of their foes and began to strike back effectively. Across the planet, Ork assaults became bogged down as they tried to overrun the tenaciously defended Hives. Though the Orks battering themselves against the defences suffered horrific casualties, there were always more to take their place and the battles continued almost incessantly.

After years of fighting, it became clear that the invasion had been halted, if not repelled.

Though the Orks could not wrest control of Armageddons hives and facilites from their Human defenders, they had become so well established that many doubt whether it is now possible to kill them all. Armageddon has become a world of constant war, with no forseeable end to the conflict. Neither side seem to have let this fact stop them from fighting on, though how long the Imperial war machine can keep feeding troops into the grinder remains to be seen.

HIVE HADES "...In an act of terrible vengeance, Ghazghkhull chose not to fight again at Hades. Instead, the entire Hive was smashed asunder by giant asteroids dropped from orbiting space hulks..."

Excerpt from "The Beast Returns" by Dvergar Weiss Hades became famous after the second war as the place where Ghazghkull's forces were finally defeated, though the hive itself was also crippled in the process. Under the inspirational leadership of Commissar Yarrik, the defence at Hades broke the back of the invasion force as Ghazghkull threw more and more of his resources into crushing their impudence. Eventually, the Orks broke through and took the hive, but the losses they had suffered were such that they had lost any chance of securing overall victory. Hades fell, but the war was over.

THE THIRD WAR Hades had still to recover from the pounding it had taken stopping Ghazghkull the first time when he returned, but the defenders were resolute and prepared to face the Beast once more. Ghazghkull, however, had other plans for them. As the Imperial forces readied their defences, Ork hulks began to hurl asteroids at the battered city and before even one Ork set foot on the planet's surface Hades had been utterly destroyed.

The Ork bombardment reduced Hades to a crumbling ruin. Debris from the impact scattered for miles around, raining down on the forces arrayed outside the hive. Unprepared for such a catastrophe, they were slain almost as easily as those who were trapped inside when the rocks fell. Uncounted millions were annihilated by the impact and those who survived were driven into the wastes by the titanic firestorms that raged for months afterwards. Few survived the harsh environment of the ash wastes long enough to be killed by the Orks.

HADES TODAY As soon as the fires began to burn themselves out, however, life began to return to Hades' carcass. Refugees, eager to escape the hardships of life in the wastes, came to scratch a living amid the ruins and Ork warbands rumbled in to stake a claim on the new territory and look for trouble. Imperial forces tend to stay away wherever possible as the wreckage blocks communications into or out of the area and so, though the war goes on, the only battle in the ruins of the dead city is the fight to survive.

Armoury Because the variety of weapons in the Warhammer 40,000 setting is staggering we give you a handy table with which you can create your own weapons and see how much Wealth they will cost.

Is the weapon...

Rare = +1 Wealth (weapon is Uncommon and bad guys will rarely have it, and won't know how to use yours) Uncommon = no modifier (intrinsic) Common = -1 to Wealth (weapon is dirt cheap to manufacture and bad guys often have them and ammo is abundant) to Fight = go to A to Shoot = go to B A: To Fight Is its weight Light = its attacks are timed as if 1 Wider. (+1 Wealth) - Balanced = +1d Parry (+1 Wealth) - Whiplike = cannot be parried (+1 Wealth) Heavy = +1 Damage (+1 Wealth) - Unbalanced = -1d to Parry (-1 Wealth) Cumbersome = Yes +2 Damage (Slow 1) (+1 Wealth) - Unwieldy = cannot be used to parry (-1 Wealth) Is its size Small = conceal/draw (+1 Wealth) Big = +1S Damage (+1 Wealth) Massive = +2S Damage (Slow 1) (+1 Wealth) Is its blade Sharp = its base damage is WK (intrinsic) - Mono = +1 Penetration (+1 Wealth) - Tearing/Chain = +1K damage (+1 Wealth) - Power Field = +1K, +1 Pen (+2 Wealth) Blunt = its base damage is W+1S (intrinsic) B: To shoot Is it One handed = W in SK (intrinsic) Two handed = W in SK, Pen 1 (+1 Wealth) Is its ammo Las = +1 Pen (+1 Wealth) - Hot-shot = +1K, +1 Pen (+2 Wealth) Melta = +2 SK, +2 Pen, no spray (+4 Wealth) Solid ammo = +1 SK, +1 Pen (intrinsic)

- Bolt = +2 SK, +1 Pen (+3 Wealth) - Stub = +1 SK - Dum-Dum = +1K, -1 Pen (+0 Wealth) - Man-stopper = +2 Pen (+2 Wealth) Buckshot ammo = -1K, Spray 1d (+0 Wealth) Plasma = +2 SK, +2 Pen, Burn (+5 Wealth) Fire = +2S, -1 Pen, Burn (+2 Wealth) Is its range Long distance = +1 in SK, Pen +1 (+2 Wealth) Normal distance = no modifiers (intrinsic) Short distance = +1 in SK (+1 Wealth) Is its firing mode (only for Solid ammo) semiautomatic = +1d Spray, (+1 Wealth) Fully automatic = +3d Spray (+3 Wealth) Is it Accurate = +1d Shoot (+1 Wealth) Inaccurate = no bonus Aiming (-1 Wealth) Is it artillery = +2d Spray, +1 Pen (+3 Wealth)

Spyrer Hunters Even in the living nightmare of the Underhive, the Spyrers are spoken of with a shudder.

Parents scare small children into obedience with a mention of their name and grown men fall silent at tales of their attacks. To Underhive dwellers they are demons of the darkness, blood-soaked fiends who prey upon the warring gangs without compunction or pity.

These creatures are not devils or ghosts, as the Underhivers know all too well. They are the sons and daughters of the Noble Houses that rule Hive Primus and the whole of Necromunda from the fastness of the Spire. These siblings of noble blood are cast down into purgatory to prove themselves tough and resourceful enough to take their place amid the ruling families. In a hive containing so many billions of souls, only the most dynamic and merciless individuals can expect to rule, or indeed to survive.

Spyrers are sent below the wall in teams. Once in the Underhive they can expect little help, no money and no resources: they have only the equipment they bring with them and their own native wits to help them survive. The only assistance they can expect to receive is the occasional appearance of the Noble House Matriarch or Patriarch that has sponsored the team, either or both of whom will occasionally venture into the Underhive to see at first hand how their charges are doing, and maybe lend them a hand against especially dangerous opponents. Of course, a Spyrer’s hunting rig is no ordinary set of armour.

Spyrers use ritualised combinations of weapons and armour that favour different combat styles. Each rig is meticulously crafted off-world, a wondrous device of half- forgotten technologies worth its own weight in credits.

The rig is self-sustaining and self-repairing, with integral weaponry and, most importantly of all, built-in power boosters which activate as the wearer gradually masters the suit’s functions. These power boosters make each Spyrer evolve in a subtly different way, creating a diverse and powerful group of individuals in each hunt.

A Spyrer team can only cross back above the wall when it has achieved its stated objective, which might be to slay a half-dozen Underhive warriors or to survive in the wastes for a certain period of time or some similar vow. Their fighting suits record all that occurs in the depths and verifies their kills, so no duplicity is possible; the Spyrers must succeed in their quest or die trying. In the Underhive itself they are hated and feared, but in the Spire they will be lionised on their return and the survivors of the team will take their place among the powerful ruling elite of Necromunda. In time they may become a Matriarch or Patriarch in their own right, and return to the Underhive to feel the thrill of the chase once again. Many hunting teams find it impossible to wait that long, and will be drawn back to the Underhive by an adrenalinfuelled desire for blood and death that life in the Spire simply cannot fulfill.

Vow A Spyrer team must commit itself to achieving a specific aim during its time in the Underhive. The Spyrers’ vow must be made when the team is started and may be chosen from the following: A. To kill a total of one gang fighter for each starting member of the team. Eg, if the team had six members they would have to kill (as in result 11 to 16 on the Serious Injury table) six enemy gang fighters before they returned above the wall.

Or B. To earn a total of 200 Experience Points for each starting member of the team. Eg, if the team had five members they would have to earn a combined total of 1,000 Experience Points before they returned above the wall.

Or C. To survive a total of two games for each starting member of the team. Eg, if the team had four members they would have to survive eight games before they returned above the wall.

Once a Spyrer team returns above the wall it splits up and the hunters start their new lives in the Noble Houses. However, many aspirants develop such a taste for the excitement and bloodletting of the hunt that they will return to the Underhive.

Spyrers never collect any income, never trade and never recruit followers after their initial recruitment. They are committed into the Underhive until they complete their vow. Spyrers gain synthesised sustenance from protein packs wired into their suits, so they are immune to the effects of starvation.

Capture Gang fighters captured by Spyrers are liable to be turned into interesting suit ornaments as the Spyrers have no interest in ransoms or exchanges. The Spyrers just love using captured prey as bait to get more. Spyrers captured by gangers can expect only a slow and horrible death.

Power Boosts The power boosts for Spyrer suits begin to kick in once the hunter starts making kills and earning Experience Points in combat. They work by increasing the energy feed into weapon systems and making them more powerful, improving cybernetic enhancements to make the wearer stronger or faster, thickening armour cells to increase their protection, and so on.

Power boosts, like skills and characteristic increases, can only be earned with Experience Points, and are included on the Spyrer Advance table (see below) No boost may be taken more than once. If a boost is rolled a second time then pick a boost from the list that the Spyrer does not already have. Once all boosts have been taken, re-roll boost results on the Advance table.

Spyrers are in constant communication with each other and are highly self-motivated. This means that a Spyrer gets +1d to his Stability roll.

Orrus Spyre Hunter Threat Rating: Hereticus Minorus The Orrus embodies the most brutal aspects of the Spyre Hunters. Its distinctively oversized powered arms and hulking shoulders betray the Orrus’ fearsome combat style: that of crushing and battering its opponents to a bloody pulp. Ranks of armoured pistons power the arms and its blunt, claw-fingered hands, and each fist is backed by a rack of bolt launchers to blast apart opponents at a distance. Though the Orrus is the slowest of the Spyre Hunters it is also the most indomitable. Not only are the powered arms and shoulders heavily armoured but a force field protects the Spyrer as he lumbers forward.

Weapons: Two bolt launchers, mounted in each fist (30m; Width+3SK, Pen 3, Area 3), Power Gloves (Width in S+2K; Pen 6; Power Field).

Armor: Orrus Suit (3 All Locations, see below), Force Field Generator (See below)

Gear: Bio-booster, Skull Chip, Filter Plugs and Photo Contacts Specialist Equipment: Orrus Suit: The Orrus suit gives the wearer the following characteristic increases: Body +1d, Weapon Skill +1d. The suit also includes a Force Field Generator which allows the Orrus to roll 4d that can be used as Gobble Dice. The suit is custom designed for the Spyrer wearing it, and will not function for any other wearer.

Orrus Bolt Launchers: The bolt launchers on an Orrus suit are racks of small rockets mounted on the back of its crusher fists. The power boosts of an Orrus hunting rig can extend the power and burn duration of the rocket’s tiny engines, giving them a greater range. They can also increase the power of the warheads and improve the fire control so that salvoes of bolts can be fired. Orrus bolt launchers are linked to fire together so they must be fired at the same target. This is calculated in the weapon stats (Area quality). The power for the bolt launchers are integrated into the Orrus Suit, and will not function if disconnected from the suit.

Jakara Spyre Hunter Threat Rating: Hereticus Minorus Jakara weapons are the mono sword and mirror shield. The Jakara is the lightest of all the Spyre Hunters, emphasising agility and speed over heavy armour. The suit itself is armoured with flexible plates like snake scales which are overlaid with the tubes and cables that feed power to the Spyrer’s limbs. The Jakara buckler is inset with energy absorbing devices that look like faceted jewels, each one of which can drain the force from a shot or blow and hurl it back at the attacker.

Weapons: The Jakara suit is armed with a monomolecular sword and a mirror shield. The shield allows the user to parry in hand-to-hand combat. If the mirror shield saves against a shooting attack that is energy-based (laser, plasma or melta) the Jakara can fire it back immediately.

Roll to hit using the Jakara’s BS: if the blast hits, resolve it with the original weapon’s profile.

Weapons: Mono Sword (W+1K; Mono Pen 2) Armor: Jakara Suit (2AR All Locations, Unique; see below), Mirror Shield (Unique; See below) Gear: Bio-booster, Skull Chip, Filter Plugs and Photo Contacts Specialist Equipment: Jakara Mono Sword: The monomolecular sword carried by the Jakara is a marvel of molecular engineering. The blade is a living crystalline structure which constantly renews its edge as it is blunted. The sword’s edge is only one molecule thick and can slice through any but the densest of matter.

Jakara Suit: The Jakara suit gives the wearer the following characteristic increases: Coordination +1d, Weapon Skill +1d. The suit is custom designed for the Spyrer wearing it, and will not function for any other wearer.

Mirror Shield: The Jakara mirror shield is a complex device that contains an unusual force field generator. The generator sets up a resonant energy vortex across the shield which bleeds off the power it absorbs into one of several containment devices which stud the shield’s surface. In turn this stored energy can be channeled back to its source as a brilliant bolt of heat and light. This shield allows the user to parry in hand-to-hand combat and parry shooting attacks. If the mirror shield saves against a shooting attack that is energy-based (laser, plasma or melta) the Jakara can fire it back immediately. Roll to hit using the Jakara’s Shoot skill: if the blast hits, resolve it with the original weapon’s profile. In addition, the Mirror Shield provides a further 2 AR to the left arm and body for hits originating from the 90 degree arc in front of the Jakara. The power for the shield is integrated into the Jakara Suit, and will not function if disconnected from the suit.

Yeld Spyre Hunter Threat Rating: Hereticus Minorus The Yeld is the most bizarre of the Spyre Hunters: a winged fiend with pinions of chameleonic metal and claws of laser energy. When not in use, the Yeld’s wings sweep back to form a pinioned cloak of steel and reveal the heavy forearm units bearing laser tubes that are its primary weapons. Its wings are jagged with edges sharp as razors so it can slice its victim as it swoops overhead. When stealth is needed, the Yeld’s wings curl around it and mimic the hues surrounding its body, concealing the Spyrer from view until it takes flight again.

Weapons: Yeld Laser Gauntlets (100m, Spray 3d, Width+1K; Pen 1; Unique) Armor: Yeld Suit (3 All Locations, Unique; see below) Gear: Bio-booster, Skull Chip, Filter Plugs and Photo Contacts Specialist Equipment: Yeld Suit: The Yeld suit gives the wearer the following characteristic increases: Coordination +1d, Shoot Skill +1d. The suit is custom designed for the Spyrer wearing it, and will not function for any other wearer.

Yeld Laser Gauntlets: The Yeld hunting rig is fitted with heavy gauntlets mounting multiple laser tubes. The gauntlets fire a storm of laser bolts from the Yeld’s fists, a deadly attack which has the longest range of any of the Spyrer hunting suits. The power boosts for the Yeld rig make its lasers even more potent, feeding more power to them so they can fire in a sustained mode and increasing their penetrating power.

Yeld Wings: A Yeld’s wings are made out of hundreds of individual plates of metal connected together by micro fibre bundles on an articulated frame. The fibre bundles are activated by brainwaves read directly from the wearer’s cortex through a series of conductive filaments. With a little training the wearer can make the wings move and flap at will, enabling him to glide exceptionally well or climb upward somewhat more laboriously.

Each of the metal plates is wired with crystalline circuitry so that they can change colour and meld into the wearer’s surroundings as part of the Yeld’s defenses.

Malcadon Spyre Hunter Threat Rating: Hereticus Minorus Malcadon are cunning and subtle in their hunting, trapping their victims in webs of iron-hard silk before tearing them apart with steely claws. Two bulbous spinarets for creating the web threads are mounted on the suit’s arms and connect to the Malcadon’s hunched back amidst a snake’s nest of tubes. The rest of the elongated limbs and back of the Malcadon are covered with downward pointing spines and overlapping plates of armour. Its arms and legs are boosted by pistons and hydraulics which permit it to climb swiftly and leap great distances so that it can move quickly among the mass of broken pipes and struts which form the dark canopy of the Underhive.

Weapons: Malcadon Web Spinner (50m; single shot, Pen 0; Area (2), Pin, Unique; See below), Combat Blades (Width+1K) Armor: Malcadon Suit (3 All Locations, see below) Gear: Bio-booster, Skull Chip, Filter Plugs and Photo Contacts Specialist Equipment: Malcadon Web Spinner: The spinnerets of a Malcadon’s web spinner spew out silky threads of gossamer that harden with the strength of steel wires. A victim of the web is left hopelessly ensnared and at the mercy of the Malcadon’s ripping claws. The Malcadon can also use its spinner to create threads that it uses to climb vertical surfaces or lower itself down sheer drops. As a weapon, the Malcadon Web Spinner functions as a Webber. In addition, the Web Spinner may be used to assist in climbing, adding an extra Expert dice to climb tests. The power for the Web Spinner is integrated into the Malcadon Suit, and will not function if disconnected from the suit.

Malcadon Suit: The Malcadon suit gives the wearer the following characteristic increases: Coordination +2d, Weapon Skill +1d. The suit is custom designed for the Spyrer wearing it, and will not function for any other wearer.

The Wyrd and the Wonderful Psionics is divided into powers. Each power consists of an advantage and a few related skills. Each advantage comes in levels, from 1 to 6.

The psionic advantages are: 1. Biokinesis 2. Extrasensory Perception 3. Psychokinesis 4. Telepathy

Character Creation When creating a character, the cost of a psionic advantage is twice its level, and the maximum level allowed is 5. Improving an advantage by one level later on costs twice the new level in XP. Some level of an advantage is needed to learn any skills for that power.

Warp Dice When using the normal dice pool there is no danger that a Peril of the Warp happens. A psyker can add Warp Dice to a dice pool, up to the Level of the Power.

Whenever a "9" is rolled on any of his Warp Dice the pysker has attracted the attention of the Warp and he must roll on the "Perils of the Warp" table. He adds his Level*10 to the D100 rolled.

Using a psionic power successfully does not cost or fatigue the character beyond normal activity.

However, any failed use of the power causes one point of shock to the torso.

THE POWERS & SKILLS Biokinetic powers, unless otherwise noted, can only affect the character himself or someone he touches. The skills are all based on the Body Stat. They are as follows. • Biokinetic Weapon Does Width+Level killing damage to a victim. The victim must be touched and the power channeled; this needs an ordinary skill check, which can be dodged, parried, or disrupted by being attacked as usual for actions in combat. However, armour is no protection from the damage. Alternatively, this power can be used to boost the damage of a weapon touched; add the biokinesis level to the weapon damage for Height minutes. • Gift of Grace

Adds half of a character's biokinesis level to the target's Coordination score for Height combat rounds.

• Gift of Strength Adds half of a character's biokinesis level to the target's Body score for Height combat rounds.

• Healing When used to heal wounds, the Healing skill heals up to Width+Level killing damage. This power can also reduce the effect of a poison or disease. Major effects become minor, and minor effects are neutralised. However, the maximum intensity of effect is equal to twice a character's Healing level. The Healing skill can only be attempted once per day on a particular subject.

Extrosensory Perception or ESP powers are based on Sense. The Farsense, Lifesense, and Psychic Sense powers have a range depending on the ESP level as follows.

0 : Touch 1 : 3 meter or eye contact 2 : 30 meter 3 : 1,5 kilometer 4 : 15 kilometer 5 : 150 kilometer 6 : 1.500 kilometer • Danger Sense The character has a very limited view of the future. A successful check provides a split second of warning, preventing him from being surprised by an ambush. If the skill check has width three or higher, he has just enough time to shout a warning, preventing his companions from being surprised.

The power also provides a very limited ability to predict the moves made by other characters in combat; he gains a bonus to dodge and parry equal to half of the ESP level.

Further, he has no multiple action penalty for multiple actions when combining an attack with a dodge or a parry.

Finally, the GM can use this power to plague the character with visions relating to dangers in the near future. These dangers may or may not directly concern the character.

• Farsense The character can extend his sight and hearing to a particular location within the range. This skill can be used to spy on a particular location, look through a brick wall, and so on. The power lasts as long as the character concentrates. He is not aware of his usual surroundings while concentrating.

• Lifesense The character is aware of the presence of living beings close to him and within ESP range; this use of the power is automatic. He can also use this skill to find a particular plant or animal species or even individual known to him. This power does not by itself grant the ability to psionically spy on a known individual within range; such a power needs a simultaneous combination of Lifesense and Farsense (the Farsense power is described above).

• Psychic Sense The character can sense the presence of psychic powers or those capable of using psychic powers within range. A skill check is always made to detect psychic powers used on the character or in his immediate presence. Detecting psychic powers within range is a more active use of the power; the player decides when to use it, and what he is looking for or where he is looking. At high levels some focus is needed; sensing all psionic activity within 1000 miles is unlikely to be useful.

• Psychometry

The character can use this power to learn significant events in the history of a place or object. The number of pieces of information learnt is equal to a character's ESP level. Once a check fails, the skill cannot be used again on the particular item or location. Further, the GM can grant visions to a character with this power if he enters a place or handles an item of great historical or emotional significance.

The information provided is the GM's discretion; possibilities for items include the following.

How to use or activite the item (especially if magic) Location of item's creation.

Magical powers of an item.

Name of item's creator.

Name of item's last owner.

One significant event where the item was used.

Purpose of item.

Time of item's creation.

Possibilities for locations include the following.

Animals, plants, or water present or commonly present.

Hidden objects or secret doors.

Name of the last or current inhabitant of a location.

Name of the location's creator (if artificial).

The last creature to walk through the location.

One significant event that occured at the location.

Purpose of location (if artificial).

Time of location's creation (if artificial).

The GM should at pay attention to a player who wants a particular item of information, and either provide it as one of the items, or exclude it if he has a good reason.

Psychokinesis powers are based on Coordination, and can be used on objects seen by the psychic. The maximum mass of an object affected by psychokinetic powers depends on level as follows.

1 : 1 kilo 2 : 5 kilo 3 : 20 kilo 4 : 115 kilo 5 : 450 kilo 6 : 2000 kilo • Hurl Hurls an inanimate object at a target. The object cannot be tied down in any way. The precise mass is unimportant; any suitable object does Width+Level damage. The damage is normally Shock damage. However, if the object is sharp or weighs 50LB or more, the damage is killing damage. Doing killing damage with this power depends on the availability of such objects.

• Levitation The character can fly or lift up other living targets. The maximum duration is Height minutes. Movement speed is quite slow; a mere 10' per combat round. To use this power on himself or another human, the character needs at least level 4 is the psychokinesis advantage. Lifting more than one creature (if within the allowed mass) requires a multiple action as usual.

• Pyrokinesis This power can be used to ignite a flammable object or objects; the maximum mass affected depends on the character's psychokinesis skill as usual. Affecting more than one

object simultaneously is a multiple action. If used as an attack, pyrokinesis is an area attack doing killing damage equal to the telekinesis level. Pyrokinesis can also heat or cool objects within the mass limit. This use of the power does not cause damage, but can for instance extinguish fires, or cause water to freeze sufficiently to support weight.

• Psychokinetic Shield A psychokinetic shield acts as armour equal to the psychokinesis level. A skill check is made to shield either the character or a comrade against all attacks that he is aware of for a single combat round. If the character is also attacking or doing something else, using a psychokinetic shield counts as a multiple action as usual.

• Telekinesis This power moves objects within the mass limit. Only inanimate objects can be affected.

Complex actions generally require multiple actions; if the character uses Telekinesis to perform an action where both hands are needed, a multiple action with two uses of the Telekinesis skill is needed. More complex actions still are possible with telekinesis, and generally involve a multiple action with another skill. For example, wielding a melee weapon at a distance with telekinesis is a multiple action involving the weapon skill (or the Fight skill) and telekinesis.

Telepathic powers are based on Command. All powers have a range depending on the telepathy level as follows.

0 : Touch 1 : 3 meter or eye contact 2 : 30 meter 3 : 1,5 kilometer 4 : 15 kilometer 5 : 150 kilometer 6 : 1.500 kilometer • Contact The character can send thoughts to another character within range. People he knows well can be accurately contacted, but if he only has a name and a vague description, mistakes can occur unless the check beats a difficulty number (usually 3 if there is some chance for error, or 6 if there is a significant chance). Someone contacted cannot reply unless they also have the power or the psychic has the empathy power (see below). Each `message' sent is a new use of the contact power.

• Intuitive Reading The character gains an intuitive impression another individual's surface thoughts and emotions. He gains no concrete information from this, but the intuitive impressions grant a bonus equal to half the telepathy level to all social skills for Height minutes. As a bonus, the character can understand any language spoken by the target of this power; however, he gains no ability to speak other languages.

• Mental Blow Does Width+Level damage in shock. The victim must be both in range, and seen by the character (either by their presence or as a result of ESP powers). Using mental blow against a character only sensed by ESP powers counts as a multiple action, using both the Mental Blow skill and the relevant ESP skill or skills. Further, if any of the powers involved in using a mental blow fail, the psychic takes one point of shock for each failure.

• Psychic Shield Dice from a psychic shield check can be used as gobble dice to block or nullify psychic activities known by the character that are within range.

Spook & Caraytids Spook is a much sought after drug with potent effects. Many Hivers believe Spook to be legend whereas other devote their lives or money to seeking it out. Not only does Spook have fantastic onerogenic and euphoric effects, but as a side-effect which is often unknown to the user, it increases psychic potential or power.

Spook is a strange substance which affects the mind and soul of the user. It weakens the astral link between body and soul. If this link were to break, death would ensue, the body would die and consciousness would be annihilated within the flow of the Warp. However, when this link is weakened, the body comes into closer contact with the spirit realm, resulting in an influx of energy and the sensation that one if having very vivid and very powerful dreams. Occasionally Spook trips can be horrifying and leave a user completely insane. This is often due to daemonic influence. If the user is psychic daemons may be able to possess her/him due to her/his vulnerability. Usually though, a user will leave the trip with temporary powers, which s/he may or may not be able to control. Accidents or powertrips ensue. After a certain amount of use (depending on how psychic a person was already), user will become permanently psychic. Aside from the amazing and beautiful effects, Spook is sought for this reason too by those groups that know its long-term effects.

Spook is highly addictive however, though only psychologically, a users physiology is barely effected. This is an addiction of the soul, a soul increasingly empowered by warp-energy which the Spook allows to be conducted. Due to its rarity and its properties, Spook is extremely expensive. Usually only the very rich can afford a dose, and after one use a dealer will always up the price for next time. Spook addicts are desperate people, haunted by visions, spontaneous psychic fluctuations and a growing awareness of their own emergence into a new realm of reality and spirituality. Because of its dangerous and taboo effects, Spook is highly illegal and only ever whispered about. The Imperial authorities will take Spook from known dealers and users and execute them. (Unless they pass certain psychic tests in which case they will be used for various Imperial purposes instead. This maybe training or sacrifice to the Almighty).

The Imperium wants Spook as much as the rich and depraved. Spook is found only on Necromunda as far as the Imperium is aware, and as a source of psychic empowerment sanction psykers in the employ of the Imperium can find it highly useful. Navigators can use it onboard ship to aid their warp-jumps, warrior-psykers can use it on the battlefield and astropaths can send clearer longer messages at further distances.

Everyone who believes it wants Spook, but only a few are strong or rich enough to afford it.

So What the Hell is Spook?

As described in White Dwarf #130 Spook is an ancient synth-diet found in the lower-levels (known as Forbidden-Cities). A strange mutant mould has grown on the synth-diet which is made partially of re-cycled human tissue. It is green is appearance and is powered into a tincture - the ultimate "magic potion". This is one explanation. It is bes never to let players really know what Spook is, so that it seems all the more mysterious and dangerous.

Here are some alternative explanations you could use: • Spook is found in the ancient tombs of the lowest levels. Inside some of these tombs (marked with whatever strange symbols you please), the dust of ancient

skeletons are found. Sometimes, with the cavities of the skulls, or where the skull used to be, a strange green powder is found. This is Spook, the left over remains of a psykers brain once it has rotted. Imbibing it embues one with an essence of this former power, connecting one with the psychic dead.

• Spook is an experiment from ages past. Who by? What for? It is found in jars in old laboritories without any hint of how it is made (though such notes would be highly sought after). Such ancient labs are ransacked for the substance which appears to be human-made.

• Spook is a substance made from a plant or animal that used to live on Necromunda, but which is now extinct. It is some sort of extract or compound which may have other ingrediants, or requires exposure to some sort of energy.

Cost: One dose of Spook has a Wealth rating of 3.

Effect: Spook can temporarily give a character one or more psionic powers. Each dose of Spook adds +1d to the dice pool to see if the character gains a psionic power. E.g. 5 doses of Spook gives the player 2d in his dice pool to see if his character gains a psionic power. If a set is rolled (always take the highest set rolled when multiple sets are rolled) see the table below which power is gained. A Width of 4 counts as two Width 2 rolls, a Width of 5 counts as one Width 2 roll and one Width 3 roll and a Width of 6 counts as two Width 3 rolls. This may result in a power which is useless on its own, or indeed, no power at all - taking Spook is not what you call an exact science. The highest Wast Dice is the the dice pool of the psionic power.

Example: A character takes 2 doses of Spook. The player rolls 4d and gets 1,3,3,5. The character has gained the Gift of Strength (5d).

Duration: A single dose of Spook lasts for one day in-game time.

• • • • • • • • • •

2x1 Biokinetic Weapon 2x2 Gift of Grace 2x3 Gift of Strength 2x4 Healing 2x5 Danger Sense 2x6 Farsense 2x7 Lifesense 2x8 Psychic Sense 2x9 Roll on the Perils of the Warp table 2x10 Psychometry

• • • • • • • • • •

3x1 Hurl 3x2 Levitation 3x3 Pyrokinesis 3x4 Psychokinetic Shield 3x5 Telekinesis 3x6 Contact 3x7 Intuitive Reading 3x8 Mental Blow 3x9 Roll on the Perils of the Warp table 3x10 Psychic Shield

Caraytids A Caraytid's appearance is humanoid, indeed, they look like well fed babies or around 18 months with small, vestigal bat-like wings which somehow allow them to fly. they have little pointed teeth and strange, unnerving eyes. Their skin is blue and almost always marked with strange patterns. Sometimes these pattern only cover a small area of flesh, other times the creature is totally covered by them. These patterns are self inflicted scars.

By this scarification, one can tell a Caraytids age, the more scars, the older the creature is. A young Caraytid is virtually untouched. An ancient Caraytid is covered and knotted with a multitude of beautifully patterned and layered scarring, giving it a fearsome appearance.

Caraytids carry small blades they have found or been given with which they (painlessly it seems) carve such patterns. They are asexual creatures with smooth loins and no obvious way of reproducing.

Usually they live in the deepest levels of the UnderHive. However, many are found in Churches attached to Preachers. They fly high in the air with thirables, spreading incense and singing hymns in strange insect-like high pitched angelic tones.

Caraytids are viewed as harbingers of good luck and are called things like "Cherubim", "The Emperor's Angels", "Bearers of Fortune", and so forth. Not only are they seen as lucky omens, but they are said to be attracted to people in a position of power and influence, or people who are soon to become influential and powerful but do not yet know it. Indeed, when a Caraytid adopts a Hiver s/he almost always becomes rich, powerful and successful.

The reasons for this are varied but related.

Caraytids are psychic creatures. They have the powers of levitation and precognition which vary in degree of ability according to experience and Spook ingestion. Their precognitive powers allow them to seek out those Hivers they see will be successful. It also allows them to flee prior to the failure or death of the adopted Hiver. Because of this, when a Caraytid leaves its partner, its departure is viewed with horror. Misfortune or death are bound to follow.

Typically both good fortune and bad fortune are self-fulfilling anyway. If a Caraytid joins a Hiver, other Hivers will want to join her/his gang because they are expecting good luck and power. Because of this increase in gang size and strength, power inevitably follows anyway.

The opposite is the case if the creature leaves.

As a result, Caraytids may join someone they want to become powerful. From the powers below, one can see a Caraytid can alter its adopted host if it pleases, and the adopteee an become very reliant on it for information & advice. Caraytid typically whisper into the ears of their hosts whenever they use their powers (say, detecting a lie) which makes any other interacting character very very nervous and intimidated. Usually, Caraytid never speak alound, choosing to adopt sinister whispering voices into their hosts ear. When they want to frighten someone (which is very easy anyway), they will stare fixedly at them or growl deep in their throat. If they are frightend they will hiss and spit like a cat, and if they are injured they mew and cry pitifully like human babies. Typically they can also be bribed to stay with a Hiver is s/he has a lot of Spook to offer. These creatures have a close relationship with Spook due to their close affinity with it and their addictive psychic need for it.

Caraytid also highly likely to adopted psykers. They are attracted to psychic energy and consider these humans powerful. They will endeavour to help and empower the psyker.

Only obviously doomed psykers will not be chosen. Caraytid do not worship the Emperor, or any other power. They will turn to worship whomever their host does, or will, which will have affects on their appearance and abilities (possible mutations or chaos powers). It is possible they will lead a psyker into worship of whatever god they see as being the most useful at the time (useful that is in helping them acquire Spook).

Caraytid Powers according to Spook ingestion Levitation - starting power: Caraytid can float up and down and move around with the help of its wings.

Precogonition - starting power: Caraytid can see 1 month into a possible future. Add one month to this power per 1 Spook dose.

Empathy - 2 Spook dose: Caraytid can feel the emotion presently felt by the victim.

Detect Lie - 3 Spook dose: Caraytid can tell whether victim is lying or telling the truth.

Clairvoyance - 4 Spook dose: Caraytid can see in another location as per usual LOS. Add 5 meter to initial range per extra Spook dose.

Read Surface Thoughts - 5 Spook dose: Caraytid can "hear" the present thinking of victim.

Read Conscious Thoughts - 6 Spook dose: Caraytid can "hear" the ongoing and multitudinous thinking of victim.

Read Unconscious Thoughts - 7 Spook dose: Caraytid can "hear" the unknown, unwitting and unthought thinking of victim.

Telepathy - 15 Spook dose: Caraytid can send brief messages to the vicitims mind.

Mind Link - 16 Spook dose: Caraytid can link its mind permanently to the owner, sending messages and hearing her/his thoughts. Mind link allows a Caraytid to carry out any of the powers below automatically on its adopted host.

Search Memory - 17 Spook dose: Caraytid can sift through a victims memories from 1 year ago. Add 1 year per extra exSpook dose (so 5 extra doses will be needed to read back 6 years for example).

Wipe Memory - 18 Spook dose: Caraytid can wipe 1 days memory from a memory found using the power above. Add 1 day per extra Spook dose. In this way a Caraytid can cure insanities and psychological trouble, cause problems for interaction and work so as to alter a persons character (see below).

Control - 19 Spook dose: Caraytid can control a persons actions until s/he passes a Resist test. Actions cannot be obviously suicidal or life threatening.

Alter Personality - 20 Spook dose: Caraytid can alter fundamental character traits and flaws, eventually changing (& thus destroying) a person completely.

Dominate - 21 Spook dose: Caraytid can completely control victim, even inducing her/him to blow her/his own head off if Caraytid pleases.

Caraytid's are extremely greedy for Spook. They will seek it out & demand their share. They view all other Caraytids are enemies, potential eaters of their share of Spook. Caraytid will not let it be known how much they need or crave Spook, but they will try to take it in anyway they can, which is usually very easily. It will soon be evident to a host with Spook that "their" Caraytid is empowered.

Sometime Caraytid are simply using their host and will suck him/her dry of Spook, or be using her/him as a means to this end befroe departing. At other times they will join the Host becuase of her/his potential and may become loyal and lifelong partners - partners that are viewed as being "owned" or "pets" by the Hiver host, but who in actual fact could be easily detroyed by the creature.

So What the Hell are Caraytids?

One thing is certain, that Caraytids are only found on Necromunda. For the sake of your campaign, players should not know what they are of where they come from. Do not give any real hints, only Hivers own myths.

Here are some ideas as to what they are: • Alien life: Caraytids visited Necromunda sometime ago. They stayed because they became addicted to Spook, or were trapped and couldn't leave. They arrived by flying through space, or an via Eldar Warpgate. Their aim is survival, escape (if they remember where they came from), or simply Spook.

• Daemonic: Caraytids found a way into real space from the Warp. Either they found a Warpgate, possessed psykers (weak ones, or psykers on Spook trips), or impregnated human females so as to be born into real-space. But in this case, what are their aims?

• Indiginous life: They have survived since humanities arrival on the planet. No-one is sure how they did this, probably through their relationship with humans.

• Deformed humans: Caraytids are deviants who hav fled into the UnderHive.

Occasionally a female will give birth to one of these creatures, which will subsequently fly away.

• Ghosts: Caraytids are the trapped spirits of dead Hive-psykers who were addicted to Spook. Spook use has damaged the astral link between body and soul to such an extent that the Spirit has been trapped in the material realm with a constant hunger for Spook. Often 15 000 years old tombs that were once built at the very bottom of the Hives are found. Inside are sleeping Caraytids, lying amongst the dust of their former bodies.

It is possible Caraytids may grow. Their baby shape is suggestive of immaturity. Perhaps when a Caraytid reaches great power it grows angelic in size and appearance. It may depart, or it may stay with its host. Perhaps the shape it due to one of the factors above. Or maybe you don't need an explanation. Players love mystery. In my campaign they will never find out. Best to just let them enjoy the strange little things as enigmatic.

The Houses and their Martial Paths Underhive is a dangerous place where people gather together into gangs so they can explore, travel and fight together. Those who join a gang are called gangers.

House traditions are so strong and their identities so distinct that even in the Underhive gangs are formed from gangers of one House. A Necromundan’s entire sense of self is based upon House loyalty so even the descendants of downhive settlers retain their House identity to a large extent.

The bulk of gangers come from the Underhive itself.

They are the descendants of settlers, some from families established in Underhive for generations.

The loyalty of these established Underhivers to their House is tempered with romantic notions of life in Hive City, a place they have never been to and can only dimly imagine.

Some gangers come downhive from Hive City. Young juves and discontented hivers are keen to join or form gangs, and there are always hardy Underhivers willing to give them a chance. As well as its ordinary gangers a gang might also include hired help in the form of mercenary fighters, psychic mutants or Ratskin trackers.

As gangers take part in fights, those who survive become more experienced, and improve their battle skills. This is represented in the campaign game by experience points and Martial Paths. Each ganger is trained in the secret Martial Path of his House.

Way of the Gun (all Houses) All Houses train their gangers in the Way of the Gun. This Martial Path is more of a set of generic firearm techniques than any specific school of training. It can be used with just about any firearm skill.

Quick Draw (1 point): You do not suffer the -1 initiative penalty for drawing and firing your weapon.

Through the Vest (2 points):* When you make a single attack (not part of a multiple action and not part of a Suppressive Fire or Spray attack), you may ignore 1AR provided by armor. Armor provided by Martial techniques still applies. You may gain this benefit when using a 3-round burst, but the AR reduction only applies to the fastest set.

Stopping Power (3 points):** When you hit an opponent in the torso, your target is downed and loses a die off every set.

You may stack Stopping Power with Through the Vest but your attack must then adhere to

the restrictions of that technique.

Marksman (4 points): You may Squish*** one of your attack sets each round by 1 point. This stacks with the above techniques.

Sharpshooter (5 points): As Marksman, but you may Squish your attack set by 2 points. *As Arrow of Gentle Repose, basically. **As Submit and Kneel, but it doesn't matter whether you're spraying fools with a machine gun or dodging and shooting. Maybe it should matter? Perhaps just "As Through the Vest, but your opponent is also downed and loses a die off every set." *** I'm wondering about the power of Squishing rolls. Is 1 point of Squish underpowered for a 4-point technique? Should Marksman be allowed to Squish 2 points, and then Sharpshooter maybe Squish an unlimited amount?

Advanced Tactical Squad Training (All Houses) The difference between a warrior and a soldier, is that a soldier stands with his fellow soldier's as part of a force greater than himself. This path allows a person to work with 1 to 3 similarly trained allies to create an unstoppable energy. These techniques all require at least one ally who also knows them, and they are linked to the Tactics skill. All techniques stack.

Four-Point Tactical Formation (1 point) One of the earliest tricks trainees pick-up is how to move. Diamond formation keeps all sides covered and all members in positions to maximise effectivness. All characters are aware of what the other characters see. In addition, any attempt to sneak up on the team must beat the highest rated Sense score, plus 1 per additional team member, as a difficulty.

Tactical formation of some sort is required for all techniques in this path, and all members must be no more than about 4 yards apart at a given time.

Example: Roy and Jane go back to back as they enter a potentially hostile room. Each is automatically aware of what the other sees (through voice cues and body language). Roy has Sense 3 and Jane has Sense 2. To sneak up on them, the attacker must beat a difficult of 4: 3 (the highest sense) plus one for the extra teammate.

Trust in Your Team (2 points) The first thing recruits are supposed to learn is to trust their team. That takes time and experience to really sink in. Once it does, the group gains the strength of all its members.

Any attempts to inflict morale or mental damage against the team is much more difficult.

System-wise, the players use the highest Command+1 of the group to resist influencing effects. In Nemesis, all players use the highest Hardened value in the group for tests of Violence or Unnatural.

Overlapping Fields of Fire (3 points) A major advantage of group movement is the ability to sport a greater volume of firepower and work with the team for maximum coverage of the field. In combat, all attacks made by the group are timed to coincide with the fastest set in the group. Sets that are identical and aimed at the same target can be combined into one larger set for damage purposes. (This helps beat heavy armor or cover, mainly. It also, cleverly, allows two people to use their Expert dice to aim for huge sets.)

Example: Roy and Jane are still working through that room, when a bad guy pops up from

behind low cover. They turn so that both can fire on him, Roy getting a 2x6 and a 2x9, while Jane gets a 2x6. They could both shoot with the speed of the 2x9, if Roy takes that one. But he takes the 2x6 instead. They both go on 2x6, but the bad guy takes one hit of 4x6 damage instead of 2 2x6 hits.

Together We Stand (4 points) So long as one member still stands, the team is not yet broken. Any hits taken by a member of the team can, with permission of both members, be passed to someone else.

This is, in game, one guy "taking the bullet" for his friend. The entire set passes to the new target, so a heavily armored member can be a bullet soak for the whole team. Only one set can be passed like this per round, however, so no using the bullet magnet to magically teleport in front of everyone.

Advanced Tactical Battle (5 points) The team becomes a nigh unstoppable force, seeming to strike from everywhere in perfect unison. This technique requires some form of communication: coded shouts, hand signs, radios, or even telepathy if available. When active, the team need no longer be in formation to get the benefit of their abilities, just in communication and in the same general area. Any member can "draw aggro" to take a bullet as in Together We Stand, and every member is always aware of what the others see and hear, and the team has the increased resistance to mental effects and the timing bonus.

Path of the Blood Opera (House Orlock) It takes a rare individual to walk the Path of the Blood Opera. You must be comfortable with melodramatic theme music, wear sunglasses indoors, and eschew the wearing of tactical equipment and military weapons in favor of handguns and stylish suits.

Blood Opera techniques are used with Coordination + Weapon (pistols).

Bullet Ballet (1 point): Bullet Ballet negates 1d of penalty when combining pistol attacks with Dodge or Run actions.

Two Gun Superman (2 points): If you are using two pistols, your attack acts as if it has a Spray rating of 0; you may apply any and all sets as attacks but you do not get any bonus dice like you would with a submachinegun or assault rifle. Two Gun Superman stacks with Bullet Ballet.

Carnival of Carnage (3 points): When the shooter uses an attack set to kill an unworthy opponent, you affect a number of unworthies equal to the Width of that attack. You only damage one of the unworthies’ sets unless there are fewer mooks left than there are sets. You fire at least one round per mook killed.

Heroic Bloodshed (4 points): Your focus and drive in combat are unparalleled. When you use this technique, you do not lose dice from your attack sets when you are hit. Note that you may still be forced to drop dice from other actions, just not your attacks.

Two Gun God (5 points): As Two Gun Superman, but you may gain a Spray rating of 0 even with a single pistol.

Dual-wielded pistols increase the Spray rating to 1. Furthermore, you may roll your Weapon

pool when combining actions even if it’s higher than your other pools. This stacks with all the preceding techniques.

Pump-Action Mastery (House Goliath) This path is designed for a person wielding either a pump-action or combat (self-loading) shotgun. With GM permission, some techniques could be used with a breach-action.

Shotgun Wedding Precision target practice have made the shooter almost supernatural. He can fire into a crowd, or even a melee, and not hit unintended targets. Either he hits his target, or the pellets harmlessly strike inanimate scenery.

Riot Control With careful, repeated shots, the gunman can Suppress a group of enemies. Suppressed targets must succeed on a (Command/Cool/Willpower) test in order to resist the urge to hide behind cover or lie prone on the ground for the round.

This Is My Boomstick!

By clearing the chamber for a new round with a distinctive "Ka-Chik!" the wielder can inflict a Morale attack equal to his Command stat and gains a +1 on his next attack (as aiming).

Wall of Lead By throwing up a wide area of fire, the gunman supresses counter attacks. Player can abort all attacks and use the best set as Gobble Dice against other ranged attackers.

Plate Glass Puncher Like the hero of an action movie, each shot of the character's gun sends people flying. Any successful attack throws the victim width in meters away from the impact. The player treats all waste dice as Area Shock damage against the target, and may also use them as Area Shock damage against any other targets hit by the flying victim.

Close Quarters Battle (House Van Saar) Speed Reload (1 point): Normally reloading takes an entire round. With this technique, you may reload and attack the same round with a -1d penalty. This technique may only be used with magazine-fed weapons. Tube-fed shotguns, revolvers (without speedloaders), and belt- or box-fed weapons like SAWs cannot benefit from this technique.

Breach & Clear (2 points): You're trained to be quick, decisive, and deadly when engaging the enemy in close quarters - to explode into a room with overwhelming force and take down your targets with lightning speed. You may add +1 Width to your attacks in the first round of any combat. As with all CQB techniques, the target must be within close range.

Tango Down (3 points): Your intense training allows you to attack with pinpoint accuracy in the heat of battle. When you apply an attack set to an Unworthy Opponent, you affect a number of Unworthies equal to the natural Width of your set. Breach & Clear may be used to augment the speed and damage of your set, but it does not affect the number of unworthies killed by your attack set. A natural 2x9 attack might act as a 3x9 for initiative and damage when combined with Breach & Clear, but it will only kill 2 unworthies.

CQB Specialist (4 points): All your attacks within close range are timed as if they were 1 Width greater. This increase in initiative stacks with the first-round bonus from Breach & Clear but does not affect the number of unworthy opponents affected by Tango Down.

Mozambique (5 points): A successful called shot to the torso at close range deals damage as if the target were struck by TWO identical attack sets (as the Two Deaths technique on p.221 of the rulebook). Armor protects against each set separately. If the target is not downed, incapacitated, or killed by this double tap, you may make a called shot to the target’s head the following round without the typical -1d penalty.

Sniper Training (House Delaque) “One shot, one kill.” This Martial Path is dedicated to helping sharpshooters reach out and touch someone. It is used with Coordination + Weapon (rifle). All of the techniques below are only applicable after aiming for at least one turn.

Sniper Breathing (1 point): Accomplished shooters learn to slow down their breathing (and heartbeat), thereby reducing gun shake. When you spend a round aiming, you add +2d to your pool rather than the normal +1d. If you spend a second round aiming, you add another 2d to your pool.

Otherwise, aiming works as normal (This is identical to “Goddess in the Grave” in the rulebook).

Under Fire (2 points): If you kill an unaware opponent with an aimed attack, the attack creates a Morale Attack equal to the Width of your set.

Or: Terror Tactics (2 points): If another enemy comes to the aid of a target you've already wounded, you gain a +1d bonus to your next attack on either the original wounded target or the friend running to help. You lose the benefit of Terror Tactics if you make any other attacks between the attack that wounded the original target and this follow-up shot.

Pinpoint Accuracy (3 points): You are an expert in targeting weak spots. Your aimed attacks ignore 2 points of armor.

Stay on Target (4 points): The distractions of battle do not faze you. Your aim is not interrupted even if you take damage.

One Shot, One Kill (5 points): Aiming for only one round nets you the full +4d bonus afforded by Sniper Breathing. Aiming for two or more rounds has no additional effect.

Righteous Fury (House Cawdor) This Martial Path simulated people who can whip themselves into a Frenzy and enter a exhilarated, ecstatic state of bloody viciousness in which one’s own safety not only ceases to be a concern, but actually loses coherence as a concept. Those who cultivate this

battle-madness practice it with Coordination + Heavy/Big melee weapons (see chapter Armoury).

Reckless Abandon (1 point): By flinging himself heedlessly into the fray, the warrior adds +2d to his attack. However, if anyone declares a physical attack on him on a round in which he uses Reckless Abandon, that enemy gets a +1d bonus (even if the attack is made with Fight or a missile weapon). The enemy gets this advantage even if he stated his attack before Reckless Abandon was declared. Reckless Abandon cannot be used as part of a multiple action.

The Strength of Madness (2 points): Anyone struck by a blow backed with the Strength of Madness loses two dice from sets instead of one. This technique doesn’t work on Unworthy Opponents.

Passionate Assault (3 points): A Passionate Assault adds a +3d bonus to the attacker’s dice pool (or offsets up to three dice of penalties). The next person who strikes the attacker using Passionate Assault does two extra points of damage (Shock or Killing, according to the weapon used), as long as he strikes the round that Passionate Assault was used, or the round after. Passionate Assault cannot be combined with any defensive maneuver.

Black Slaking (4 points): Every time the character kills someone, he adds +1 Killing damage to all his polearm attacks for the remainder of the combat. It’s cumulative. If he kills someone on the first round, he gets a +1 damage bonus on the second round. If he kills two people that round, he gets a +3 damage bonus thereafter and so on. This bonus can never exceed +10.

Dying to Kill (5 points): The mad warrior adds +4d to her next attack and produces a Morale Attack equal to 4+ her Command Stat. All attacks that hit her the round she declared she’s Dying to Kill do an additional point of damage (Shock or Killing, depending on the weapon).

Territory The House’s territory represents resources in the Underhive that the gang members can exploit in various ways. It includes nearby wastes where the gang can scavenge for the odd bit of ore or scrap, and encompasses the efforts of the fighters’ friends and relatives who may live inside the big settlements or in outholes nearby.

YOUR TERRITORY Every gang begins with an amount of territories equal to the Territory stat of their House/ Company generated from the Territory table (see below). Some scenarios allow gangs to gain extra territory or lose it to their rivals. The more and better territory a gang has the richer it will become.

Territory table To generate a random territory from the table roll a D10. The table indicates the type of territory, with a short description underneath.

D10 ROLL TERRITORY 1. Chem Pit An extensive and highly dangerous chemical pit. The pit is a source of constantly changing chemicals, sulphurous deposits, and all kinds of poisonous and corrosive substances.

2. Old Ruins An exposed area of ancient ruins. If a ganger searches through the ruins he may find scrap pieces of archeotech, bits of old metal, or interesting old curios.

3. Slag An extensive network of tunnels and crawlholes full of iron slag and other solidified chemical wastes.

4. Mineral Outcrop An outcrop of mineral wastes where valuable sparstones, adonite crystals, igneous adamantorite, or one of the many other kinds of mineral gems that are formed in the Underhive can be collected.

5. Mine Workings 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 fighters are already working in return for a slice of the proceeds. If you capture an enemy fighter then you can put him to work in your mine instead of selling him to slavers.

6. Vents A concealed entrance into a network of ancient ventilation shafts.

7. Holestead A holestead out in the wastes. The hole produces a crop of nutritious slime.

8. Drinking Hole An old drinking hole which earns a small sum and also provides the gang with a convenient base in the local settlement.

9. Gambling Den An gambling den in an old disused hole in your settlement.

10. Spore Cave 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.

Xenos, Malleus, Heretic Plenty of threats lurk in the dangerous underhive of Necromunda. Here are some examples.

Genestealer Cults Genestealer cults are composed of individuals who have been subjected to genestealer genetic control. Even victims who do not host new genestealers and hybrids themselves become pawns of the purestrain Genestealer that founded the cult.

Genestealer cults masquerade as ordinary citizens and gangs, slowly spreading their influence through society until they can overthrow the native authorities. Whenever possible, they will infiltrate the political and military institutions of the planet to increase their power.

As the genestealer influence grows, the collective consciousness of the genestealers psychically attracts the attention of the Tyranid Hive Mind. If the cult influence becomes sufficiently powerful, a Tyranid hive fleet will come to the planet to devour all its life and resources. If the genestealer infiltration has completely succeeded, the Tyranids will be able to take over the planet without opposition.

Ork Companies I've shifted the way Qualities interact for Orks slightly, in an attempt to reflect how they work.

First of all, Influence: Orks don't use Influence. This is a raft of options that is not available to them.

Might: Ork companies start with a minimum of Might 1.

Sovereignty: Sovereignty also works a little differently. For Orks, it is an average of Might and Territory. Against other Ork bands, the Sovereignty average has at least one subtracted from it unless your Company's Sovereignty is 3 or Higher.

This is intended to reflect the internal divisions within the Orks, and how deeply tied they are to their numbers. At a particular tipping point of arms and/or territory, it's presumed that a Boss is now involved and that things are a little more organised.

Territory: As normal.

Treasure: This is a little bit different. Initially, Orks get 1 Treasure for every *2* that is stolen in raiding or other actions against their neighbours. This doesn't have to be in one

action, so if last month you got 1 Treasure, and this month you get another 1, then yours goes up.

Why is this? Firstly, because an Ork company's Might cannot be lower than its Treasure. If they're tied and Treasure goes up, Might follows. My reasoning for this is that Treasure is representative of the resources looted and stolen from other nations, and which is being retrofitted into Toyz and Gubbins. Initially, the Orks bust as much as they steal, which is why it's a 2 for 1 ratio.

If the Sovereignty of an Ork company ever hits 3, then the focus provided by having a Boss means they're more focused in their looting. Treasure from raiding goes back to a 1 for 1 increase. The parity with Might continues.

It's also worth considering that the higher a Company's Treasure, the more advanced the Company is going to be on the field. You can expect to see more magic, more Meks, and other such developments the higher the Treasure is.

You Do Not Want An Ork Company To Hit This Threshold.

If the Sovereignty of an Ork Company ever hits 5, then you have a whole new problem. At that point, it is large enough that other Orks nearby are going to begin gravitating towards it, let alone fighting the boss. If that happens, at the end of every month (or relevant timeperiod) roll Sovereignty + Territory with Difficulty equal to Might.

If the result is successful, Might goes up by 1 as the Ork company recieves reinforcements.

"Our campaign against the Orks has thinned out their numbers, commander!" (pause) "Well shit, they're back again."

You Do Not Want An Ork Company To Hit This Threshold.

Notes: Orks do not have access to any of the temporary raises for Qualities that normal companies do. The entire wierd Orky machine is running full-blast the whole time. Tactical variants like Fight from Entrenchments can apply, but only once Sovereignty has hit 3 and a Boss is on the field to persuade the boyz not to run out and start choppin.

Additionally, Orks are vulnerable to successful Head Hunting attacks once they do hit Sovereignty 3. It should be a game session in itself for feel, but if you do successfully kill the Boss then along with other consequences, the Company's Sovereignty falls by one. The Company loses any benefits it had of being over one of the thresholds if the number falls past that point.

Eradicating an Ork Company Reducing Ork Sovereignty to 0 will certainly splinter the company, but will not eradicate the scourge.

In practice, since Ork Sovereignty is largely derived from Might and Territory, assaulting those directly will yield the best results. Tactically, Orks are also vulnerable to having their Treasure (and thus tech level) damaged.

Should you eradicate the Company on paper, then a new game begins. Take the Territory held by the Orks at the height of their power, and subtract 1 (or 2, if they rose very rapidly and didn't have much time at that level.)

From the Ork perspective, after 5 - (Territory - 1 or 2) Months, their Might will pop back up to 1 and the whole saga will begin again. This represents the Ork infestation producing wild Orks, as reinforcements for whoever escaped the last battle.

This number (which I will refer to as Infestation Score for the sake of argument) is reduced by 1 for each month (or relevant timeperiod) you attack it as normal, essentially to represent going through conquered territory and burning chunks of it and putting any Orky wildlife to the sword. This also stops the clock for re-infestation.

If there is a whole month in which you do NOT attack the Infestation Score, then the clock begins again with 5-Infestation Score months until more Orks appear and the Company revives at its most basic level of Might 1.

After that month, the first time you attack the Infestation Score does not reduce the number, but instead resets the clock to 0. The next month after that, you can reduce the score again.

Orkish Unworthy Opponents The minimum Threat of an Ork Mob is 2, as even the most disorganised mob is at least as dangerous as wolves.

Ork Mobs are immune to magic-based Morale Attacks at any level less than or equal to their Threat, to represent how Orks gain confidence in numbers.

Ork Mobs are immune to Morale Attacks from individual humans as if their Threat were 1 point higher than they are, so a Threat 2 Mob of Orks is going to be immune to Morale Attacks lower than 4 using the Threaten manouvre, for example, because Orks just aren't scared by much.

However, little provides a Motivation boost to Ork mobs. They're already running on full bore, so unless the Warboss is physically there (a whole new problem in itself) what you see is what you get.

Ork Rules and Stats Here we present the stats for several different levels of Ork, designed to be used when the Unworthy Opponent rules no longer apply: Too few Orks for a Mob, or Named Orks, or some other equivalent. As always, I invite corrections for Proper Orky Feel.

Orky Weapons: Shoota: Stats based on Imperial equivalent, except that Orky Gunz have 1 higher Spray rating than normal, in return for 1 less Penetration. I like the idea that they go for Volume rather than Quality in the most part. Orky Shoota: 90m Spray 5, Pen 2 W+2 in SK 25kg Choppa: W+1 K. (Stats taken from NEMESIS for Axes)

Orky Armour: I have assumed that the Orks largely forgo armour, but as such this is a great opportunity to distinguish a particular creature as tougher or bigger than the rest. Even one of Da Boyz is going to be a tougher proposition if wearing the equivalent of a breastplate, giving them 3 AR to locations 7-9.

Da Boyz: BODY: 4d Athletics: 2d Endurance: 2d Fight: 2d Parry: 1d Run: 2d Vigor: 2d COORDINATION: 3d Climb: 2d Dodge: 2d Ride (Drive?): 1d Stealth: 1d Weapon Skill – Choppa: 2d Weapon Skill – Shoota: 2d SENSE: 3d Direction: 1d Eerie: 2d Hearing: 1d Sight: 1d KNOWLEDGE: 2d COMMAND: 1d Intimidate: 2d CHARM: 1d

ADVANTAGES: Cannibal Smile: Body+Fight = Width S + 1 K Leather Hard: 1 Extra wound point on every body location Indomitable: Continue to act once bodyparts have filled with damage by accepting more Killing damage. (See Supplement 06) Description: Ork Boyz are among the lowest of the pecking order who still seek active combat. Against an unprepared or untrained foe, Da Boyz are vicious warriors who live to fight, unburdened by the fear more intelligence would provide.

(Meta: They are essentially the same as those who would qualify for Unworthy Opponents, except there are circumstances where they won’t. My theory is that even the most basic of Orks is going to be a serious problem to the average citizen of the Imperium… but that few people will be playing average members of the Imperium.)

(Meta Suggestion: Add a Nob to a pack of Da Boyz for a great mini-Chieftain or temporary antagonist)

Da Nobz: BODY: 5d Athletics: 2d Endurance: 2d Fight: 2d Parry: 1d Run: 2d Vigor: 2d COORDINATION: 4d Climb: 2d Dodge: 2d Ride (Drive?): 1d Stealth: 1d Weapon Skill – Choppa: 2d Weapon Skill – Shoota: 2d SENSE: 3d Direction: 1d Eerie: 2d Hearing: 2d Sight: 2d KNOWLEDGE: 2d COMMAND: 2d Intimidate: 3d CHARM: 1d ADVANTAGES: Cannibal Smile: Body+Fight = Width S + 1 K Leather Hard: 1 Extra wound point on every body location Thick Headed: 1 Extra wound point in the head Die Wiv Yer Boots On: Continue to act once bodyparts have filled with damage by accepting more Killing damage; never passes out from Shock to the head; never takes penalties from having a completely shocked torso. (See Supplement 06) WEAPON CHANGES: Choppa: The basic Orky Choppa does Width +1 K, Width S in the hands of Da Nobz.

Description: Nobz are larger, tougher and more experienced Orks.

(Meta: Slight stat or skill improvements from Da Boyz, but the biggest difference comes in the extent to which their added Advantages will make them harder to kill.)

(Meta Suggestion: Modelling Nob Leaders, Sergeant equivalents, is easily possible by adding 1 level of Last Push to their Advantage list, allowing them to survive for one round after they would normally be killed. [See Supplement 06] Mixing one Nob Leader into a pack of Da Nobz is another opportunity to quickly add a Leader without using a full Boss.)

Da Boss: BODY: 6d Athletics: 3d Endurance: 3d Fight: 2d Parry: 2d Run: 2d Vigor: 3d COORDINATION: 4d Climb: 2d Dodge: 3d Ride (Drive?): 2d Stealth: 1d Weapon Skill – Choppa: 2d Weapon Skill – Shoota: 2d SENSE: 4d Direction: 1d Eerie: 2d Hearing: 2d Sight: 2d KNOWLEDGE: 3d Strategy: 2d Tactics: 2d COMMAND: 2d Intimidate: 3d Inspire: 2d.

CHARM: 1d ADVANTAGES: Cannibal Smile: Body+Fight = Width S + 1 K Leather Hard: 1 Extra wound point on every body location Thick Headed: 1 Extra wound point in the head Die Wiv Yer Boots On: Continue to act once bodyparts have filled with damage by accepting more Killing damage; never passes out from Shock to the head; never takes penalties from having a completely shocked torso. (See Supplement 06) Last Push Level 1: Can act for one round after damage would normally kill them.

SPECIAL ADVANTAGE: He’s da Boss, Level 1: All Unworthy Opponents have their Threat raised by 1 while in the presence of Da Boss due to leadership and obedient fear, not to mention the increased bravery and focus Orks display when being commanded by someone every cell in their body believes is the boss of them.

Description: Bosses are the natural commanders of the Ork bands, and where the filthy greenskins begin to become more dangerous due to their vile animal cunning rather than just brute strength.

(Meta: Not vastly different in terms of stats than a Nob Leader, the main advantage provided to Bosses is in more intelligence, more tactical options, and in providing a significant innate improvement to all Unworthy Opponents in the vicinity. This level of Boss is what the Orks reach when their Company has just reached Sovereignty 3.)

Warboss: BODY: 7d Athletics: 3d Endurance: 3d Fight: 2d + 1 MD Parry: 2d Run: 3d Vigor: 3d COORDINATION: 4d Climb: 2d Dodge: 3d Ride (Drive?): 2d Stealth: 2d Weapon Skill – Choppa: 2d + 1 ED Weapon Skill – Shoota: 2d + 1 ED SENSE: 4d Direction: 1d Eerie: 2d + 1 ED Hearing: 3d Sight: 3d KNOWLEDGE: 3d Strategy: 2d + 1 ED Tactics: 2d + 1 ED COMMAND: 4d Intimidate: 3d Inspire: 2d.

CHARM: 1d ADVANTAGES: Cannibal Smile: Body+Fight = Width S + 1 K Leather Hard: 1 Extra wound point on every body location Thick Headed: 1 Extra wound point in the head Die Wiv Yer Boots On: Continue to act once bodyparts have filled with damage by accepting more Killing damage; never passes out from Shock to the head; never takes penalties from having a completely shocked torso. (See Supplement 06) Last Push Level 3: Can act for three rounds after damage would normally kill them.

SPECIAL ADVANTAGE: He’s da Boss, Level 2: All Unworthy Opponents have their Threat raised by 2 while in the presence of the Warboss, nigh-fearless and exulting in the incarnation of their WAAAGH provided by their hulking leader and his roared commands. Natural Armour, Level 1: 1 AR over entire body.

WEAPON CHANGES: Killa Claw: Width + 1 SK, +1 Reach.

SUGGESTED ADVANCED MANEUVERS: Disfiguring Strike Display Kill Description: The Warboss is the natural general created to lead Ork packs when their numbers reach a certain size. They herald mayhem and violence, all the more deadly because of the coherent commander leading the mob.

(Meta: This level of Boss occurs when Orc Companies hit Sovereignty 5, or otherwise when appropriate. Seriously bad news.)

WAAAAAAAGHBOSS: BODY: 8d Athletics: 3d Endurance: 3d Fight: 3d + 1 MD Parry: 2d Run: 3d Vigor: 3d COORDINATION: 4d Climb: 2d Dodge: 3d Ride (Drive?): 3d Stealth: 2d Weapon Skill – Choppa: 2d + 1 ED Weapon Skill – Shoota: 2d + 1 ED SENSE: 4d Direction: 1d Eerie: 2d + 1 ED Hearing: 3d Sight: 3d KNOWLEDGE: 3d Strategy: 2d + 1 ED Tactics: 2d + 1 ED COMMAND: 4d Intimidate: 3d Inspire: 2d.

CHARM: 1d

ADVANTAGES: Cannibal Smile: Body+Fight = Width S + 1 K Leather Hard: 1 Extra wound point on every body location Thick Headed: 1 Extra wound point in the head Die Wiv Yer Boots On: Continue to act once bodyparts have filled with damage by accepting more Killing damage; never passes out from Shock to the head; never takes penalties from having a completely shocked torso. (See Supplement 06) Last Push Level 5: Can act for five rounds after damage would normally kill them.

SPECIAL ADVANTAGE: He’s da Boss, Level 3: At this level, the Ork band is a fearless howling maelstrom of violence. The Boss’ word is thunder and their Gods’ dark laughter is in the chatter of his guns. WAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! All Unworthy Opponents have their Threat raised by 3, even if this moves them to Threat 5. Natural Armour, Level 2: 2 AR over entire body.

WEAPON CHANGES: Killa Claw: Width + 1 SK, +1 Reach.

SUGGESTED ADVANCED MANEUVERS: Disfiguring Strike Display Kill Description: The core of a shrieking Greenskin apocalypse undoubted to be legendary in the annals of the Imperium.

(Meta: This is a speculative level of Boss which is appropriately rare and terrifying to behold, at the level of Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka.)

Eldar The Eldar are an incredibly ancient alien race, who once ruled a vast empire across the stars. Then came the hideous times of the Fall, when the Eldar fell from power.

Though they are now few in number, the Eldar are one of the most technologically advanced races in the galaxy.

Psionics +2, Awareness/Sight +1, Graces +1, Lore +1, Advantage: Beauty (3), Problem: Unwholesome, Problem: Underdeveloped Stat: BODY* * Underdeveloped Stat (grants 5 points) One of your stats is underdeveloped and can never reach it's full potential. This could be an element of your race, a birth defect or a permanent damage from a fight. Reduce one of your stats by 1. If this reduces the stat in question to 0 you have to drop another stat by 1 (or otherwise bring up 5 points) to bring it back to 1. Either way, your maximum possible rating in the underdeveloped stat also reduced by 1. You can take this problem multiple times.

The Wakened Dead The Hideous Things All Undead are, plain and simple, just disgusting and creepy to be around. Their Charm Stat is considered 0 although it can attempt to roll their Charm skills as is.

The Icy Cold of the Grave While there are numerous stories why the dead come back, it only occurs because of ambient magic. The Icy Cold of the Grave or the Stinking Winds from the Mouth of Hell, which sets your hair on end, is the character’s Eerie/Psyniscience sense working, that’s all.

The detectable Intensity of the Wakened Dead, as per page 129, is Just Dead 2, Week Dead 3, and Month Dead 4.

The Grateful Dead All undead are immune to poisons and diseases. They do not need to breath, sleep, food, and water. They see out where their eyes are but do not require their eyes; they see in dark and light just fine. They can distinguish life from base matter.

Advantages The dead are not all equal. Some find a way to survive in the world of the living. Here’s how.

Deathly Flesh (1 to 5 point Advantage) – Undead Only Deathly Flesh simulates the hardiness and resistant flesh of the dead. Every level functions not unlike AR except it just steps-down damage not eliminate it.

For each level in Deathly Flesh convert one point of Killing Damage into Shock Damage.

The remaining unconverted Killing Damage remains as physical damage. All Shock damage disappears at the end of a fight.

Deathly Flesh doesn’t make the dead immune from special damage effects like knock downs, etc, etc.

Deathly Flesh is applicable to all Hit Locations.

Grave Fortitude (1 to 5 point Advantage) – Undead Only Many strolling corpses possess a level of physical strength and prowess the living are lacking. The Undead can reroll up to a number dice from any rolled Body-based dice pool equal to the Grave Fortitude Advantage. The reroll is considered part of the same roll and no special dice can be used with the reroll.

Pallid Mortality (5-point Advantage – Just Dead Only) Sometimes the dead can simulate being alive to the point their hearts can pump, their eyes can tear, and their cuts drip blood. They may be cooler to the touch than normal people and even a bit socially awkward but there are no outward signs of death and decay. With this advantage the Walking Corpse can buy back his Charm Stat, his first dot only for five experience points.

Special Note: Extra Problems Undead come in three flavours: Just Dead, a Week Dead, and a Month Dead. Just Dead do not appear dead unless examined and have no Flaw or Problem unless specified. A Week Dead takes the Unwholesome or Gruesome Problem. A Month Dead takes both the Gruesome and Unwholesome Problems. Neither of these problems count towards the three limit and nor do the supply experience points rather they subtract experience if the player doesn’t ham up the horror of the undead.

Murder Madness (Undead Flaw) Not all the Wakened Dead suffer the madness of murder but those few make up all the terrible stories. In REIGN the Killing Corpse has his Passions; Craving, Mission, and Duty; reassigned to hunt and kill as many people as it can, often one at a time with animal cunning and human knowledge. Many are led to believe that by ritualistically eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the dying or nearly dead, they gain some sort of power.

While they mostly wander alone, some have been known to form terrible hunting packs and drag off entire generations of families to terrible, merciless fates.

Special Note: But my Shadow Binder Zombies do not have any special rules!

Never fear. All basic animated corpses have Deathly Flesh 1 and Grave Fortitude 1. Unless the Wakened Dead can think for itself and improve its condition, it is unlikely they’ll get any better.

Both these factors only raise an Unworthy Opponent's Threat by +1 as per enchantment rules or are able to generate morale attacks. Your GM will say yay or nay.

If your GM wants to he can raise the Intensity of those specific shadow-binder spells by 1 or 2 to factor in the new advantages.

The Kraken Dice Poll: 10 + 1 for every healthy tentacle (14 if it has them all) Enormous: The Kraken, just like Unworthy opponents, throws his dice first and announces his actions later. It is always the first to declare his actions.

Multiple members: For every healthy tentacle, the Kraken can declare an extra action without any penalty.

So a Kraken with every limb can make 5 actions per turn.

Hit Locations: 10 Head 12 points 9-5 Torso 20 points 4 Tentacle 1, 6 points 3 Tentacle 2, 6 points 2 Tentacle 3, 6 points 1 Tentacle 4, 6 points The Kraken can attack with his tentacles (Width L + 2S) and teeth (Width +1L +1S), and also throw and trip. As he declares after throwing his dice, he acn use this maneuvers with any valid set for those actions.

Optional Rules Guidelines for Creating Martial Paths Here's my rough guidelines for creating your own Martial Paths and Esoteric Disciplines.

Creating them get easier the more you do it and you develop a certain flow for making them after a while.

Level 1 - Always a small effect, often something with a good general purpose usage, and very often a penalty removal. About 1d worth of effect is right, either negates 1d of penalty or adds 1d for some situation. 1d can also equal 2 height or 1 width to either effect(damage) or timing(initiative).

Level 2 - Usually a more specialized manuever, or removal of a big penalty, or the addition of a stronger effect. I think extra Armor usually goes at 2 or 3. Often stacks with the 1, that sword school in Reign being the perfect example of a stacking school.

Level 3 - I like the middle level to change things up a bit. You've already got two powers that make your skill more useful and interesting, so I like number 3 to really expand on what you can do with that skill.

Level 4 - This is generall, for me, the most powerful technique that isn't just going crazy. I usually like it to add something potent and hard to reach with the mechanics normally. Like negating penalties and adding dice can be done within the rules if you look, but what can this technique add to the game that really changes the nature of the field for the character?

What new strategies can I unlock here?

Level 5 - This is usually the "go nuts" power. There are limits, sure, but a Level 5 is usually not a rule expander, it's a rule breaker. Ignoring all armor, getting very clear information, and exceeding the 10 die limit are all things a level 5 could do.

Another thing to consider is the XP cost of each level. You have to buy them in order, so it stacks.

Level 1 costs 1.

Level 2 costs 3.

Level 3 costs 6.

Level 4 costs 10.

Level 5 costs 15.

As you can see, a level 3 power costs just a bit less than a Master die in Reign (1 skill, 1 expert, 5 master = 7 points total). So a level 3 power should be just a bit less useful than a Master die, or just about as useful as a skill with 4 ranks and an Expert die.

A level 5 power costs as much as two master dice and then some. A person who bought your whole path should be as well off as a guy who bought two master dice in two different skills. He went versatility and assured success, so what did the specialist with the path get?

Also, remember how I said a level 1 path was worth about 1d of effect? Well, it costs about that much too! So a level 5 tech should be as useful as about 5 dice on it's own, and about 15 dice when you look at all the powers in a path working together.

This also ties into whether your powers stack or trump or coexist. Stacking paths get better and better, so each power should be a little less good, since it gets all the other powers.

Trumping paths replace each other, so each tech should be better than the previous one in most ways. Coexisting paths have skills that don't really effect each other. Each should be useful in it's own right, and have specific utility.

For a stacking path, look at the total cost of powers. For a trumping path, look at the individual cost of each technique, but consider the total. For a coexisting path, look mostly at the individual cost, but be aware of the total cost as well.

Spray weapons and ammo usage Some people don't like the "Spray weapons use a number of rounds equal to the dice in your pool" rule. It makes a more skillful shooter use more ammo. I also generally think Spray ratings make automatic weapons far more overpowered than I would like. I'm not arguing that they are or aren't in real life, but I feel the ability to use all sets for free is a powerful bonus on its own mechanically.

1. Each die of Spray used equates to about 10 rounds fired. You don't have to use the entire Spray rating with your attack. If your weapon's one of those little buzzsaws, like a MAC-11 or Micro-Uzi, just assume that using your full 4-5d Spray rating empties the magazine.

2. 2/3-round bursts add +1d to your pool, allow you to use up to 2/3 sets, but can only be used on a single target. NOTE: Not sure about the +1d to your pool thing, I may drop it for my game but allow a 3-round burst to benefit from aiming.

3. For semiautomatic weapons, the number of rounds actually fired is equal to the lowest loose die in the your pool or the number of attacks made, whichever is higher. If there are no loose dice, use the Height of the shortest set. This makes a skilled shooter more likely to do the job with single shots, while a less experienced gunman is more likely to spray and pray.

Aimed shots only use one round.

Area to determine Story Impact The Area (Width X Height) can be used as a function for the overall "Story Impact" of an action. This can be used for both individual characters as well as for Companies. The roll comes up with a 2x5 and a 3x4. The character or Company can decide to do the action better (2x5) or faster (3x4). Looking at the area you have a 10 and a 12. The 3x4 action would have a bigger impact (e.g. be better recieved, fetch a higher price, etc.) than the 2x5.

Think of three different Impact 20ishs: 4x5 2x10 3x7 The 4x5 is notorious for the speed in which it happened... the 2x10 because it was so well executed and the 3x7 because it was fast and impressive. You could factor the "biggest multiplier" into the Impact to further customize what it actually means.

Impact = Effect * 0 - 12 = No real impact: This effort has no lasting effects * 13 - 19 = Significant Impact: This effort has some minor lasting effect * 20 - 30 = Astonishing Impact: This effort has a major lasting effect

* 31+ = Earth-shattering Impact: This effort has numerous major and minor effects You could look at the effects as Reputation, Infamy, Maiming, Infection, Value, etc. The action with the biggest Impact is the one which appears on the Holo-News that evening...

Reward Dice It's sometimes tough to get players immersed in role-playing. Self-consciousness is compounded by OOC joking around. While always good-natured the joking makes it tough to sustain a serious RP mood, even when the joking isn't directly about the RP in question.

Here is a good way to encourage roleplaying in the ORE system.

At the beginning of every session, the GM makes 20 "extra" dice available and places them in a cup: 12 white dice, 6 red dice, and 2 blue dice.

White dice are normal dice, red are Expert/Hard dice, and blue are Trump/Wiggle dice.

Each time someone does some great roleplaying, any OTHER player (i.e. no nominating himself), including the GM, can nominate the player for a draw from the dice cup. If the GM agrees, the player gets a die at random.

If a player with one or more reward dice really likes whatever another player is trying to do, he can also give one or more reward dice to the other player as bonus 'gift dice' just before the roll is made. Whatever 'gift' die is picked needs to be spent on that roll.

At the end of the night, the players turn in any unused dice (so, they have to keep them seperate from their normal dice).

This is a good way to encourage some drama or other coolness. The GM can be pretty liberal awarding dice at first, then tighten up and start being a little more demanding.

The group can also use different colored poker chips instead of dice.

Toggling, and Rolling with Blow Toggling: also called Faster/Weaker, Harder/Slower; you may chose to add 1 to your set's width for either its speed of effect or its power (ie, damage), in exchange for the effective width reduced by 1 for the other. In other words, if you roll a 2x10, you can have it count as width 1 for damage and 3 for speed,or visa versa.

Rolling With Blow: an addition to shaking it off. Shaking it off costs 1 Experience Point to stop 1 stun, 2 Experience Points to stop 1 killing. Or 1 Experience Point to change 1 killing to stun.

Alternate Block and Dodge Rules The default system of ORE makes blocking/parrying and dodging quite difficult. Attacks have to beat the height and width of incoming attacks. The following rules make defensive manuevers a bit easier.

Incoming attacks can be Dodged or Blocked, if the player declares that as their character's intent. Instead of the Dodge or Block manuever's roll having to beat both the height and

width of the incoming attack, use the following guidelines.

Dodge: A character can completely dodge any attack whose width their dodge roll beats.

Multiple actions penalties apply normally. Dodging ranged attacks has a difficulty on the defender's roll equal to the available cover (3+ for heavy cover nearby, 5+ for light cover nearby, 8+ for no cover nearby). Ties in width reduces the damage Width by one, but the attack still hits.

Example: Horatio is being attacked by a cultist with a knife. He is unarmed, so he decides to leap away from the cultist. Horatio makes a Dodge roll versus the cultist's Melee. Horatio gets a 3x3 while the cultist gets a 3x6. Since their widths are tied, Horatio is still hit, but the damage is calculated as if it were a 2x6 attack. So Horatio takes 2S + 1K fro the attack. The next round, Horatio and the cultist do the same thing. This time Horatio scores a 3x1 success and the cultist a 2x10. In this case, Horatio leaps out of the way, if but clumsily.

Block: A character can attempt to block incoming melee attacks, if they wish. Ranged attacks cannot be blocked. Successful rolls on a Block act as gobble dice for any attacks that they beat in height. Blocking a melee weapon while unarmed will automatically do the weapon's damage to one limb (assume a Width 1 attack). Shields grant a +1d or +2d bonus to the character's Block pool (depending on the size), but follow the same rules listed here.

Example: Horatio finally gets his hands on a metal tray and uses it to block the cultist that has been hounding him. Horatio's Block roll is a 2x4 and the cultist's attack is 3x2.

Horatio's block beats the attack's height so he uses his two gobble dice to spoil the attack.

Alternative Damage System This alternative rule grants groups the ability to remove hit locations and use the height of an attack to determine the severity of the wound caused.

In the Alternate Damage system for ORE, height is used to represent the severity of the wound, rather than the hit location. In this system, location is not tracked (unless the player chooses to sacrifice a limb to the damage, see below). There would be four wound severities: Superficial, Serious, Critical, and Mortal. The heights and number of wound boxes are as follows: Mortal (10): 4 Wound Boxes Critical (8-9): 4 Wound Boxes Serious (5-7): 5 or 6 Wound Boxes Superficial (1-4): 5 or 6 Wound Boxes (Note: I'm not sure if 6 wound boxes is too much for Serious and Superficial) Characters suffer the following (cumulative) penalties when they have all damage boxes in the appropriate category filled with Killing Damage.

Mortal: Dead Critical: -1d to all actions Serious: -1d to concentration actions Superficial: -1d to physical actions Damage rolls up, so a character that takes 5 killing and 5 Shock superficially would fill in five killing, use two points of shock to fill the last box in Superficial, and then put three points of Shock up into Serious. This character would suffer a -1d penalty to all physical actions.

As a further option, groups may choose to switch Weapon Damage to a flat scale with this (remove the width bonus to all weapons). This depends on how deadly you want things to be. If you remove W from damage, default all W's in the listed Weapon Damages to 2. This is really up to style of game you want. Removing the width from damage "standardizes" the system, leaving width solely an aspect of speed.

Players can "sacrifice" a limb rather than taking damage from an attack. Sacrificed limbs are useless. Useless limbs have the same penalties as you'd normally associated with them (as if the limb was filled with Shock damage). Limbs can be sacrificed twice each, the second time the limb is completely destroyed/removed (i.e. will never heal or function again;treat as if filled entirely with Killing damage). Limbs sacrificed once will heal over time and regain functionality.

New Advantage: Contacts (varies) The costs to buy Contacts dice is 2/4/10.

With a dice pool with only regular dice the contact will help you in 5-Width in days With a dice pool with an expert die the contact will help you in 5-Width in hours.

With a dice pool with an master die the contact will help you ASAP. Expert Dice represent business friendship, colleagues, a favor. Master Dice represent close friends, family, team members.

The contact has 4d in his Stat. You can give the contact dice in one relevant skill by increasing the cost of the dice above. So, a Contact Enginseer 3d (and a Tech-Use skill 4d) would cost 3x(2+4)=18 points. You can try the contact the Contact by rolling a dice pool of 3 dice. If you succeed the Enginseer has a Tech-Use dice pool of 4d+4d=8d.

You can make a Group a contact but you can't invest Expert dice or Master dice in it. The skill increase counts for the sole individual that you contact in that group.

Esoteric Discipline - Tech-Use Rite of the Mechanicus 1.BINARY CHATTER (no test needed) You are adept at controlling servitors. Gain +1d bonus to any attempt to instruct, program or question servitors.

2. ELECTRO GRAFT USE (no test needed) You have the ability to use an electro graft to access data points and commune with machine spirits. This grants you +1d bonus to Lore, Scrutinze and Tech-Use Tests whilst connected to a data point.

3. CHEM GELD (no test needed) A variety of chemical and surgical treatments have rendered you immune to the temptations of the flesh. Seduction attempts against you automatically fail, and the Difficulty of all Fascinate Tests made against you is increased by 1. When you take this Talent you gain one Insanity Point.

4. FEEDBACK SCREECH Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Respirator Unit).

By muttering illogical formulae under your breath (and making a Tech-Use test) you are able to foment rebellion within your vox synthesisers. Your audio circuits protest in a screeching blast of noise, shocking and distracting others in equal measure. All creatures, except Daemonic and machine-based, within a 30 metre radius must make a Stability Test

or be Surprised as they shudder, swear, cover their ears or otherwise react to the horrid noise. This is takes a full Round and may not be used again for 10-Width in Rounds while your audio circuits reset.

5. AUTOSANGUINE Ancient and blessed technology filters your blood. Handed down from generations past, your implants repair minor injuries. Once every twelve hours you may make a Tech-Use Test. On a success, you remove Height in points of Shock Damage (1 Killing equals 2 Shock). In addition, you naturally heal at double the rate (see Healing in the rulebook). If you Fumble the roll however, in additon to failing, you also strain your implants. They cease to function for one week. For that time you are unable to use this Talent. Autosanguination takes ten minutes of meditation and ritual incantation to activate. Your autosanguinators also sooth the minor pains and sores caused by the blessed metal of your implants pressing upon your weak flesh. This has no in game effect, but does make you slightly less irritable than before.

Rite of the Skitarii 1. LUMINEN SHOCK Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Electoo inductor/Polentia coil).

By focusing your bio-electrical energy through your electoo inductors (and making a TechUse test), you are able to damage your opponents. You can touch your enemy for this ability to work or Shoot the blast at him. In combat, you must make a successful Grapple Test to deliver the blast. Each luminen Shock deals W+2 in Shock damage plus Waste Dice.

Each time you use this Talent, you receive 1 Shock damage to your own body.

2. LOGIS IMPLANT You may utilise analytical circuits to calculate trajectory and reactions to a preternatural extent. Your ability to read possible outcomes lets you anticipate the movements of your opponents. You may make a Tech-Use Test to activale your Logis Implant. This action takes a whole turn. Until the end of your next Turn, you gain +1d bonus to your Fight and Shoot Skills. Each time you use this Talent, you receive 1 Shock damage to your body.

3. ENERGY CACHE (no test needed) Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Potentia coil).

You have learnt how to focus some of power stored within your potentia coil. You no longer receive Shock damage from using Logis Implant and Luminen Shock.

4. ELECTRICAL SUCCOUR Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Electoo inductor/Polentia coil).

You can call upon the sacred flow of energy to replenish your weak flesh. Whilst in contact with a functioning powered machine, or fully charged battery, you may make Body + Vigor Test each Round. If you succeed, remove one Killing damage plus one Killing Damage for every set rolled. This take one minute of meditation and incantation to activate.

5. GUN BLESSING Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Electoo inductor/Polentia coil).

With a wave of your hand you give a weapon the blessing of the Ommnissiah. You may bless any weapon in a 10 meter radius. To do so, make a Tech-Use test. A success indicates that you have rallied the spirits of the weapons. You can give the weapons either +1 damage or +1 Penetration. This blessing takes a full Round to intone.

Rite of the Omnissiah 1. RITE OF AWE Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Respirator Unit).

You may recite an infrasonic liturgy that causes awe and fear. All humans within a 50 metre radius regardless of their ability to hear, feel a sense of dread and religious guilt. Alongside these emotional effects. all humans take a -1d penalty to their next Skill Test. Characters may make a Stability to shake off these effects. Whilst incanting the rite, you may not talk on any additional frequency. The rite is two minutes long, and it is considered very bad form

to break off incantations at any point within the liturgy. Note that humans without auditory implants cannot hear infrasonic sound, and thus will assume you are not speaking.

2. RITE OF FEAR Prerequisites; Tech-Priest (Respirator Unit).

You may recite an infrasonic dirge, which causes terror within the weak. All humans, regardless of their ability to hear, within a 50 metre radius consider you to have a Fear Intensity of 3, Whilst incanting the dirge, you may not talk on any additional frequency. The rite is two minutes long, and it is considered very bad form to break off incantations at any point within the liturgy, Note that humans without auditory implants cannot hear the ultrasonic sound, and thus will assume you are not speaking.

3. RITE OF PURE THOUGHT Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Cranial Circuitry).

You have replaced the creative right half of your brain with a cognitor. You no longer feel emotion, and are instead filled with the cold purity of logic. You are now immune to Stability Tests. Others now find you disturbing to say the least. Your GM will remove any Mental Disorders that are no longer relevant, and grant you new ones of equal severity.

4. RITE OF ATTUNEMENT Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Electoo inductor/Polentia coil).

You can call an unsecured metal object that you can see to your hand. Roll a match with Tech-Use and lift an amount of weight up to your Command in capacity (see below). The object must be within a 40 metre radius. You spend a Full Round to enact this rite.

Command Maximum Lift 1d 1 kilo 2d 1,5 kilo 3d 2 kilo 4d 2,5 kilo 5d 3 kilo 6d 3,5 kilo 5. RITE OF TRANSENDENCE Prerequisites: Tech-Priest (Potentia coil) By long hours of rote learning, you have mastered one of the miracles of the Omnissiah. By spending a Round concentrating, you may hover 20-30 centimetres of the ground for a number of minutes equal to your Knowledge + Tech-Use. You may move at your normal walking pace and must employ a Half Action each round to concentrate on maintaining the rite. Each Rite of Transcendence exhausts the power in in your potentia coil and thus you may only use this rite once in every twelve hour period.

Optional Rule: Area to determine Story Impact of Company Actions The Area (Width X Height) can be used as a function for the overall "Story Impact" of a Company action. Example: House is sabotaging the water supply of another House. The roll comes up with a 2x5 and a 3x4. The players can decide to do the action better (2x5) or faster (3x4). Looking at the area you have a 10 and a 12. The 3x4 sabotaging action would have a bigger impact (e.g. be in the evening news, other Houses are more impressed, it takes longer to fix the water supply) than the 2x5.

Think of three different Impact 20ishs: 4x5 2x10 3x7 The 4x5 is notorious for the speed in which it happened... the 2x10 because it was so well

executed and the 3x7 because it was fast and impressive. You could factor the "biggest multiplier" into the Impact to further customize what it actually means.

Impact = Effect * * * *

0 - 12 = No real impact: This effort has no lasting effects 13 - 19 = Significant Impact: This effort has some minor lasting effect 20 - 30 = Astonishing Impact: This effort has a major lasting effect 31+ = Earth-shattering Impact: This effort has numerous major and minor effects

You could look at the effects as Reputation, Infamy, Value, etc. The action with the biggest Impact is the one which appears on the news that evening...