N18 Characters (regular gang members) on vehicles. Crew Displacement

[VanKieft]

Running through the rules on Vehicles I began of course to think about the Road Warrior, or Mad Max or Car Wars (yes I am that old) or however you visualize the Vehicles in Necromunda and the approach seemed a bit lean.

I get that for the most part that our road battles have a few different mechanics than the primary game, but why can't I swap my crew gunner with my BS 2+ Champion?

There are definitely benefits in some cases to just take a basic driver or gunner, low cost, limited use, etc. But I really want my gang to venture out of the hive for AN adventure and Mad Max it up a bit. Maybe a fuel run, maybe a gun run, etc.

My thoughts are these...

• Regular mounts apply to characters that ride solo.
• Gunners and/or drivers (Crew) can be replaced by Regular Gangers and only the crew stats are valid (BS,Ld,Cl,Wil,Int,Cost).
• Regular Gangers can use transport platform rules as well.
• When a stall, or wreck occurs, Only Regular Gangers can dismount and continue to fight on foot, the simple Crew flee as they don't have any other base stats.

I am interested in all of your thoughts on this...

 

[libratorr]

Replacing Crew with Gangers/Champs/Leaders seems reasonable - wouldn't think it appropriate for Juves though as they tend to be cheaper (and usually have worse stats and impied worse knowledge about devices - how else would they keep scoring such crap/dangerous kit?).

Though BS 2+ vehicle gunners firing with the benefit of heavy vehicle armour sounds like it'd be a bit unbalancing/ripe for abuse...maybe restrict it to one non-Crew per vehicle? Someone needs to know how to maintain the vehicles on the open road, and Orlock/VS/GSC/Squats aside there wouldn't be much mechanical knowledge held by average gangers.

The other rules suggested also seem reasonable, maybe have the non-ganger fighters use a crew-role alterative weapon loadout (restricted to non-unwieldy weapons) to avoid the clown-car effect of heavy plasma guns materialising from the Warp after light vehicles crashes?

That said, it'd be nice to have the ability for a fighter to be able to climb the hatch of a rockgrinder, plonk down their basic/special/heavy weapon in an empty weapon hardpoint (as a standard action with an ammo roll? probably) and start firing it next round with all the cover and armour benefits implied and the ability to pick it up later if the vehicle wrecks.

 

[VanKieft]

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[TopsyKretts]

You can swap the crew gunner by your BS2+ champ, it's just a matter of designating the weapon as passenger operated (instead of crew operated). What you are suggesting sounds a lot more like GorkaMorka than Necromunda Ash Wastes. Because having individual fighters operating each part of the vehicle was how it used to be (GorkaMorka). This was streamlined in the new rules (Ash Wastes). Instead of dealing with individual fighters, the whole vehicle was operated by "crew", however many actual miniatures that is. Looks like you want a hybrid between the old freedom mode and the new streamline mode?

 

[VanKieft]

Absolutely, the current system fixates on regional rule sets from both a campaign perspective and a gang creation perspective.

The potential for interweaving things is there with very few issues. The latest book delves into that a bit with nemesis.

I am seeing some similar small tweaks to Outland and dominion campaigns to both even things out in a prolonged campaign and increase the building of character for both gangers and battlefields.

 

[Aulenback]

You can swap the crew gunner by your BS2+ champ, it's just a matter of designating the weapon as passenger operated (instead of crew operated). What you are suggesting sounds a lot more like GorkaMorka than Necromunda Ash Wastes. Because having individual fighters operating each part of the vehicle was how it used to be (GorkaMorka). This was streamlined in the new rules (Ash Wastes). Instead of dealing with individual fighters, the whole vehicle was operated by "crew", however many actual miniatures that is. Looks like you want a hybrid between the old freedom mode and the new streamline mode?

It was the case in the original N95 Ash Wastes ruleset as well. The intent then included a desire to make (bigger) vehicles with more guns more expensive through needing more crew to operate them. The intent now appears to be to eliminate that scaling in cost and experience (with gunners back then often gaining experience faster than drivers).

 

[VanKieft]

That is interesting, with gunners advancing faster you could essentially move crew positions to get the driving skills by first having them gun.

 

[Aulenback]

In the '90s, switching out positions as driver or as gunner required a challenge - a fight - which could cause lasting injuries.

DRIVERS AND GUNNERS
Whenever you buy a vehicle or a big gun you have to
nominate a member of your mob to be the driver or
gunner for it. From then on only that warrior can act as
the driver or gunner until he is ousted by another
member of the mob in a fight for supremacy (see later).
If the designated driver or gunner is not around for
some reason (because of old battle wounds or being
captured for example) another member of the mob can
oust them automatically and take over their position.

So it wasn't as simple as just "Jillian got a skill advance for shooting, so is taking over the gun." Jillin has to face down Loquatious Seelie in a knife fight first. "Pit fights" between the two fighters and nobody else. Sometimes with their personal guns, sometimes with their melee weapons, sometimes just with knives. You COULD gain even more experience. Or you could end up with an Old Battle Wound, or lose an eye (all fun and games until).