Running The Campaign

Source: Necromunda: Apocrypha Necromunda (2024)

The Uprising Campaign is divided into three phases, all of which run for a fixed length of real time. It is important for the Arbitrator and players alike to pay careful attention to the passing Campaign Weeks during an Uprising Campaign as, at the start of each Campaign Week, gangs have the opportunity to ‘work’ their Territories for much-needed resources:

Phase	Duration
1. Insurrection phase	Three Campaign Weeks
2. Downtime	One Campaign Week
3. Damnation phase	Three Campaign Weeks

Each phase is broken down as follows:

1. Insurrection Phase (3 Campaign Weeks)

The first part of the Uprising Campaign charts the rise of the rebellion and the destruction of reason and law within the hive.

• At the beginning of each campaign week, gangs receive the benefits from their Territories.
• At the end of each campaign week in which Chaos gains Ascendancy (see below), each player must choose one of their Territories to become Ruined.

Ascendancy

A key part of the Uprising Campaign is the struggle between the Ruinous Powers and the iron authority of the Imperium. As each side waxes and wanes in strength, entire regions of the hive are turned into war zones and, piece by piece, the great city descends deeper into unrestrained mayhem.

At the start of the first campaign week, Order will automatically have Ascendancy.

At the end of each campaign week, the Arbitrator tallies up the number of scenarios won by Chaos and the number won by Order. The side with the most victories gains, or retains, Ascendancy for the following campaign week. In the case of a tie, whichever side has Ascendancy retains it.

Ascendancy Effects

Ascendancy has an effect on every battle, reflecting the ebb and flow of the Uprising. When fighting a battle, during the pre-battle sequence, the player who issued the challenge rolls a D6. If Chaos has Ascendancy then apply the result from the Hand of Chaos table. If Order has Ascendancy, then apply the result from the Bonds of Order table.

Hand Of Chaos

D6	Result
1	Manufactorum Shortages: During the post-battle sequence of this battle, both players must add 10 credits to the cost of any items purchased from their gang lists or the Trading Post. If this battle is being fought during the Damnation phase then both players reduce their number of Scavenging rolls by 1.
2	Dark Dreams: During the battle, fighters that become Broken must make a Willpower test before testing to Rally in the End phase. If they fail then they are no longer Broken but become subject to the Insane condition.
3	Rotting Meat: At the end of the battle, Seriously Injured fighters succumb to their injuries on a D6 roll of 1, 2 or 3, rather than just a 1 or 2. If the rules for Festering Injuries are in effect then fighters at risk of suffering a Festering Injury must roll two D6 and choose the highest result.
4	Abundant Dead: At the end of the battle, any fighters killed (as indicated by a result on the Lasting Injuries table) are worth D6x10 credits to their gang. If the rules for Starvation are in effect, then each dead fighter is worth one additional portion of Meat.
5	Blood for the Blood God: When a fighter takes an enemy Out of Action with a weapon with the Melee trait, they earn an additional 1 XP.
6	Gnawing Hunger: After selecting crews, both players randomly select one friendly fighter in their crew. For the duration of the battle, the selected fighter reduces their Strength characteristic by 1. If the rules for Starvation are in effect then instead each player rolls a D3 and randomly selects that many fighters in their crew. These fighters gain the Starving condition.

Bonds of Order

D6	Result
1	Price of Victory: At the end of the scenario, in addition to any other rewards, the victorious gang receives an additional D6x10 credits. If the rules for Scavenging are in effect then the victorious gang receives 1 extra Scavenging roll instead.
2	Head Hunters: For the duration of the battle, whenever a fighter takes a Leader or Champion Out of Action, they earn an additional 1 XP.
3	Crack Down: In the post-battle sequence, fighters belonging to the losing gang only avoid being Captured on a roll of a natural 6.
4	Suppression Orders: For the duration of the battle, whenever a fighter takes an enemy Out of Action with a ranged weapon, they earn an additional 1 XP.
5	Good Medicine: During the post-battle sequence of this battle, the credit cost for the Medical Escort post-battle action is D6x10, rather than 2D6x10. If the End of Days rule is in effect then the Medical Escort post-battle action does not cost any Meat.
6	Call to Arms: Halve the cost of any Gangers chosen during the Hire a Fighter sub-step of the post-battle sequence of this battle (rounded up to the nearest 5 credits).

1. Downtime (1 Campaign Week)

During Downtime, gangs have a chance to recover and regroup, taking the opportunity to re-equip, and fix up wounded fighters. Exceptionally bold and active players might put their gangs through a special side battle (as follows) if they just can’t be away from the roar of guns and chainblades for that long.

The Effects Of Downtime

After their last battle of the Insurrection phase, players complete the following steps at the end of the post-battle sequence:

1. Fighters Recover
2. Captives are Returned
3. Experienced Juves and Prospects are Promoted
4. Fresh Recruitment

1. Fighters Recover

Any In Recovery boxes on the gang roster are cleared.

2. Captives Are Returned

Any Captured fighters are released. The gang that had Captured them receives half their credits value (rounding up to the nearest 5 credits).

3. Experienced Juves And Prospects Are Promoted

If any gang contains any Juves or Prospects with three or more Advancements, they may be promoted. Their characteristics and credits value are unaffected, but their Type is changed as described in their fighter entry.

4. Fresh Recruitment

All gangs gain 250 credits to spend on new equipment from their Gang Equipment List or to recruit new fighters, vehicles and/or Hangers-on. These credits must be spent now and cannot be added to the gang’s Stash. Gangs may supplement these credits with extra credits from their Stash.

note

Side Battles

Side battles are special battles fought during Downtime. While most players will be happy with taking a break for a week and getting ready for the Damnation phase, there may be a few who can’t go a week without their fix of gang warfare. To satisfy this need, an Arbitrator can run one or more side battles during Downtime. Side battles are fought after the effects of Downtime are applied.

Side battles should, as a rule, be unusual, and have no effect on the campaign as a whole. They are a great opportunity for the Arbitrator to design a custom scenario, to use the Arbitrator tools from the Necromunda Core Rulebook, or to play some of the narrative scenarios. Fighters can earn Experience and suffer Lasting Injuries from a side battle, but should not gain or earn Income, or gain credits or Reputation as a reward for a side battle. Instead, the Arbitrator should create a special reward for the victor or victors of a side battle, such as an unpredictable piece of archeotech, a unique chem, or a custom gang tactic.

1. Damnation Phase (3 Campaign Weeks)

The third phase of the Uprising Campaign charts the hive’s descent into madness and horror. During this phase the following rules apply:

• At the beginning of this phase, all Territories become Ruined if they are not already.
• At the beginning of each week, gangs receive the Benefits from their Territories.
• The rules for Scavenging, Festering Injuries and Starvation come into effect (see below).
• Chaos begins this phase in Ascendancy.

End Of Days

During the Insurrection phase, the rule of law remains mostly intact and the ancient mechanisms of Imperial authority ensure a semblance of order. In the Damnation phase, these systems begin to break down and true anarchy takes the hive within its grasp. This rise of lawlessness, open warfare and rampant corruption are represented by a number of special conditions coming into effect for this final phase of the campaign.

Gangs may no longer purchase equipment from their Gang Equipment Lists during the post-battle sequence. In addition, gangs cannot recruit new fighters, Hired Guns and Hangers-on.

Docs no longer accept credits when gangs visit them as part of the Medical Escort post-battle action. Instead, the cost of visiting the Doc becomes D3 portions of Meat.

Captured fighters cannot be sold to the Guilders. Captured fighters can instead be turned into one portion of Meat (as follows) after their gang has had a chance to rescue them as normal.

In addition to these changes to the post-battle sequence, three new rules are introduced: Scavenging, Starvation and Festering Injuries.

Scavenging

As the Guilds succumb to Chaos, fragment, or go into hiding, and entire regions within the hive become impassable, gangs are forced to forage among the ruins for equipment and allies. Gangs can gain Scavenging rolls from their Territories and as rewards for playing some scenarios. Each Scavenging roll can be used to roll once on the Scavenging table.

When a gang earns a Scavenging roll, the player makes a note of it on their gang roster, and may then use it in the post-battle sequence of any battle when they would normally be able to purchase equipment.

Scavenging is a dangerous business, for the hive wilderness is filled with cannibal cults and starving wildlife. Results on the Scavenging table range from encounters with monsters that will savage the gang’s fighters and leave them empty handed, to discovering bands of survivors offering fresh recruits and precious weaponry. Because of these perils, players do not have to roll on the Scavenging table if they don’t want to, and during the post-battle sequence may use any, all or none of their stashed Scavenging rolls.

Scavenging Table

2D6	Result
2-3	Unfortunate Encounter: Randomly select one of the gang’s fighters and make a roll on the Lasting Injury table for them.
4-5	Paid in Blood: Roll 3D6 and add that many credits worth of items from the gang’s Gang Equipment List to their Stash. Then, randomly select one of the gang’s fighters and make a roll on the Lasting Injury table for them.
6-7	Useful Scrap: Roll D6x10 and choose a single item from the gang’s Gang Equipment List up to this value in credits and add it to their Stash.
8-9	Hidden Cache: Roll D6x10 and add that many credits worth of items from the gang’s Gang Equipment List to their Stash.
10-11	Band of Survivors: Add a Ganger to the gang’s roster. This fighter may be equipped for free with 2D6x10 credits of weapons and Wargear chosen from the Gang Equipment List.
12	Lost Holestead: Roll a D6. On a 1-5, add a Ganger to the gang’s roster. On a 6, add a Champion to the gang’s roster. This fighter may be equipped for free with 4D6x10 credits of weapons and Wargear chosen from the gang’s Gang Equipment List.

Starvation

Hunger gnaws at the heart of the hive, making people savage with gluttonous madness. As the power of the Corpse Grinder Cults grows, the influence of their hidden master spreads, bringing with it an unnatural hunger for human flesh. With the breakdown of order and the cessation of corpse-starch production, food rapidly becomes more important than coin for the inhabitants of the hive.

When the Starvation rules come into effect, players are required to feed their gang during the pre-battle sequence of each battle before selecting their crew. Each fighter requires a portion of Meat to stave off hunger. Meat can be gained from Territories, earned as part of scenarios, ‘acquired’ from captive fighters or by ‘retiring’ fighters. Each fighter ‘retired’ from the gang in this way is worth one portion of Meat. Survivors acquired as part of Scavenging can also be turned into portions of Meat in the same way on a onefor- one basis. In either case, any weapons and Wargear that the fighter was equipped with are added to the gang’s Stash.

If the player cannot feed a fighter, or chooses not to, the fighter gains the Starving condition (the player noting it on the gang’s roster and placing a token on the fighter’s card during battles as a reminder). Starving fighters retain the Starving condition until they either eat a portion of Meat in the pre-battle sequence or cannibalise a downed opponent (as follows). The Starvation condition has the following effects on a fighter:

The fighter counts their Strength characteristic as 1 lower when making Strength checks, unarmed attacks and when working out the strength of weapons with the Melee trait.

The fighter gains access to the Cannibalise (Basic) action and can use it during their activations as they would other actions.

Starving fighters must make a Willpower test when they activate if there is a Prone and Seriously Injured fighter (friend or foe) within their maximum Charge range. If they fail this test, they must Charge the downed fighter and perform a Cannibalise (Basic) action. If for any reason they cannot reach their intended victim, such as if there are other models in the way or impassable terrain then they must use their activation to move as close to the downed fighter as possible.

If the fighter has an opportunity to perform a Coup de Grace action (such as against an opponent that has been Seriously Injured in close combat), they instead make a Cannibalise action.

Cannibalise (Basic) Action: The fighter feeds on the flesh of a wounded fighter. This action can be performed in place of a Fight action or a Coup de Grace action. It can only be made against fighters who are Prone and Seriously Injured. Immediately roll on the Lasting Injuries table for the fighter being fed upon and apply the result, counting results of Lesson Learned (11) as Out Cold (15-26). Note, the Prone and Seriously Injured fighter remains on the battlefield, and may be fed upon again, unless they roll a Captured (55-56), Critical Injury (61-65) or Memorable Death (66) result, in which case they are removed from the battlefield and considered to have been taken Out of Action (do not roll again on the Lasting Injury table for them).

A fighter who has successfully fed using the Cannibalise action loses the Starving condition.

DESIGNER’S NOTE: MODELLING MUTATIONS

While mutations can simply be recorded on a fighter’s card (after all, it is easy to imagine the members of a gang being a little circumspect about displaying their mutations openly), modelling mutations onto fighters can also be a fun way to represent them on the tabletop and as a reminder of who among a player’s gang has succumbed to the taint of Chaos.

Festering Injuries

Open wounds are a gateway for more than just disease and rot. The Blood God exalts in torn flesh and severed muscle, bestowing his blessings on those that spill gore in his sight. In addition to the ever-present risk of infection and death, gangers fighting beneath the gaze of the Lord of Skin and Sinew risk more unnatural dangers.

When the Festering Injuries rules are in effect and a fighter gains a Lasting Injury (regardless of the cause), there is a chance that it will become a mutation. If the result was Humiliated, Head Injury, Eye Injury, Hand Injury, Hobbled, Spinal Injury or Enfeebled roll a D6 with the following modifiers:

• Add 1 if the Lasting Injury was inflicted by a fighter aligned to Chaos.
• Add 1 if the Lasting Injury was sustained during a Campaign Week in which Chaos was in Ascendancy.
• Add 1 if the fighter who suffered the Lasting Injury has the Starving condition.

If the result of the roll is 6 or more then the Lasting Injury becomes a mutation. Do not apply the effects of the Lasting Injury to the fighter and instead make a note on their Fighter card of the corresponding mutation (see the Festering Injuries table below). The same mutation cannot be gained more than once. If a fighter would gain a duplicate mutation, the player may choose another mutation from the Festering Injuries table instead.

The boons of the Dark Gods always come with a price, and no one suffers their blessings for long without succumbing to madness and corruption. As soon as a fighter gains a number of mutations equal to their Toughness characteristic, they are transformed into a Chaos Spawn and removed from the gang roster. Alternatively, if you have access to Necromunda: The Book of Ruin, a Chaos Helot Cult, Corpse Grinder Cult or Chaos-corrupted gang may instead replace the lost fighter with a Chaos Spawn (see Necromunda: The Book of Ruin).

Festering Injuries Table

Lasting Injury	Mutation
Humiliated	Hungering Pride: The fighter must activate before any other fighters in their crew. If there is more than one fighter in the crew with this mutation, the controlling player may choose which one to activate first. Fighters with this mutation gain 1 additional Experience point if they take an enemy Leader or Champion Out of Action.
Head Injury	Dark Madness: The fighter must make an Intelligence test when they activate. If the test is failed, roll a D6 to determine their first action: 1-2 Move (Simple) action, 3-4 Shoot (Basic) or Fight (Basic) action, 5-6 No action.
Eye Injury	Bestial Senses: The fighter cannot be included as part of a group activation, nor can they initiate a group activation if they are a Leader or Champion. The fighter counts as always being equipped with a bio-scanner.
Hand Injury	Disturbing Appendage: The fighter always counts as being equipped with a fighting knife which cannot be disarmed or destroyed. When using weapons with the Unwieldy trait, the fighter suffers a -1 modifier to their Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill rolls.
Hobbled	Warped Limbs: Reduce the fighter’s Move characteristic by 1. When the fighter makes a Charge action, roll three D3, instead of one, and choose the highest to determine the distance they move.
Spinal Injury	Crooked Body: Ranged attacks made against the fighter suffer a -1 modifier to hit while within the attacking weapon’s Long range. The fighter cannot wear armour of any kind – any armour they are currently equipped with may be returned to the gang’s Stash.
Enfeebled	Twisted Flesh: When the fighter activates, they may remove one Flesh Wound from their Fighter card. The fighter cannot benefit from bio-boosters, medicae kits or assistance from other fighters when making Recovery tests.

Winning

Victory in the Uprising Campaign can be measured in many ways, although simply surviving the effects of starvation, societal collapse and the brutal madness of the Blood God is an achievement in itself. At the end of the campaign, the Arbitrator awards Triumphs to the players depending on how their gangs have performed during the uprising. Some of these reflect the final fate of the hive and the ascension of Chaos or the restoration of Imperial rule, while others are more personal and reward gangs who have earned the most impressive reputation or outlived the competition.

The Arbitrator should have a look at the Triumphs at the start of the Uprising Campaign as some of them require keeping track of how many battles each gang has won, and of which kind. Likewise, the Arbitrator might like to make the players aware of the different Triumphs at the beginning of the campaign so that each player can decide if there is one or more they wish to try to achieve. Below is a list of the Uprising Campaign Triumphs:

Triumphs

Triumph	Condition
Champion of the Dark Gods	The player’s gang which has won the most scenarios for Chaos.
Scion of the Imperium	The player’s gang which has won the most scenarios for Order.
Flesh Harvester	The player’s gang with the most portions of Meat.
Icon of Salvation	The player’s gang which had the most fighters on its gang roster at the end of the campaign.
Legendary Status	The player’s gang which had the highest Reputation score at the end of the campaign.
Survivor	The player who suffered the fewest deaths amongst their fighters.