On the Precipice.

[Aulenback]

So not QUITE all of the original rulebook territories thematically make sense for Precipice as a setting, but in most cases a thematic re-naming and re-fluffing rather than a re-rules-ing seems to have it sorted. Setting the territories in a variety of locations throughout the station, and a few at the more stable entrances of the Fortress, seems to keep the "fluff" well sorted out, and as one of our local players [readying for a NM/SW:A campaign on Precipice] said, it gives an excuse to even have the occasional game on a BSF map instead of most scenarios being in "the Skeins."

Spoiler

"Lawful"
11 -- Chem Pit [in the Skeins]
12-16 -- Abandoned vessel [as Old Ruins; abandoned ship]
21-25 -- Slag [in the Skeins]
26 -- Minerals [in the Skeins OR on the Fortress]
31-35 -- Settlement [on a ship or in the Skeins]
36 -- Stable corridor [as Mine Workings; on the Fortress]
41-42 -- Tunnels
43-44 -- Vents
45-46 -- Algaeworks [as Holestead; on a ship]
51-52 -- Still [in the Skeins]
53-54 -- Drinking Hole [at Dromeplatz OR in the Skeins]
55-56 -- Trader Contract [as Guilder Contract; at Dromeplatz]
61 -- Friendly Doc [at Dromeplatz]
62 -- Workshop [in the Skeins OR at Dromeplatz OR on a ship]
63 -- Gambling Den [in the Skeins OR at Dromeplatz]
64 -- Moldworks [as Spore Cave; abandoned ship]
65 -- Archaeotech Hoard [on the Fortress]
66 -- New Arrivals [as Green Hivers; on a ship]

"Outlaws"
11-15 -- Skeins Hole [as Wastelands; in the Skeins]
16 -- Collapsing Vessel [as Collapsed Dome; abandoned ship]
21-25 -- Skeins Hole [as Wastelands; in the Skeins]
26 -- Fungus Grotto [in the Skeins]
31-36 -- Rad Zone [abandoned ship]
41-46 -- Fortress Entrance [as Sludge Sea; on the Fortress]
51-55 -- Biodome [as Sump Spillage; on a ship]
56 -- Power Cable Tap [in the Skeins OR at Dromeplatz]
61-63 -- Abandoned Vessel [as Ruins; abandoned ship]
64-65 -- Clean Water [as Clean Water Hole; on a ship]
66 -- Runabout [as Slag; on a ship]

So, mechanically identical, but thematically adjusted. As far as possible terrain influences go, this sets up several thematic areas:
* in the Skeins, which seem to be identical to much of the gantried-and-leveled Underhive in classic Necromunda.
* aboard functioning vessels, which admittedly being in some cases kilometres long means a mix of Underhive-like gantry-ing, and individual chambers, or perhaps tables filled with cargo.
* aboard abandoned vessels, akin perhaps to a Space Hulk map or a Kill Team boarding map, as well as Necromunda classic gantries.
* in the Dromeplatz, a busy market filled with 'civilian' NPCs, though there are Necromunda scenarios tailored specifically to such an environment.
* on the Fortress, giving an option for the "2-D" map style which N17 and N18 come with, using the BSF tiles to build the table.

 

[Aulenback]

My thinking is to have all gangs start off as Outlaws, but with the original six, and any SW:A gangs [except Tyranids or Necrons] able to buy off their Guild Price eventually, to become "established" with the Proctors. Outlander gangs which do not have a Guild Price, likewise [for ease and simplicity] cannot "buy off" their Price, and so must remain "Outlaws," less being about the Law and more being about getting established in the politics of the station.

Would this be too punishing for anyone playing one of the Original Six? Should those six gangs start as "established," but be able to lose it [as in the Outlanders book "Becoming an Outlaw"]?

 

[Aulenback]

So, has anyone given this a shot yet?

With the NM anniversary coming up in the new year, I am trying deliberately to ramp this up here in town as a local campaign, set aboard Precipice.

It would also be quite possible to swing these rules in the other direction, bringing SW:A strike teams into the deep Underhive. Since all of this is decidedly "black ops" work on a possibly alien [if not Imperium kill teams] planet, treat any SW:A kill team as outlanders. They are deep beyond their supply lines, and attrition will be their biggest trouble - getting reinforcements and gear all the way to their base of operations.

1. SW:A teams are Outlanders: as such outlawed.
2. SW:A teams have a single base of operations which they can work, or can loot-and-move-on as any other Outlaw gang. They will need to scavenge, and fight starvation as any other outlaw gang.
3. SW:A teams use the Outlaws trade chart. If they save up enough to hire their incoming team member gets equipped from their list as normal.
4. "New recruits" start at 0 xp, effectively Juves, "Troopers" at 20 xp, effectively Gangers, Specialists at 60 xp, like Heavies, etc, parallel to House Gangs. Advances as per xp gained, rather than per number of scenarios.
5. Special Operatives are gang-specific Hired Guns, at the usual Hired Gun cost. Special Operatives which grant a prometheum cache reward have a 25 credit guild bounty.
6. All gangs and kill teams use Necromunda iterations of all skill trees [well, except if you include GorkaMorka mobs, then those should use the GM skill trees as appropriate] from the original rulebook. Mostly because of the Looter skill in the Guerilla skill tree - an extra 50 credits per scenario is a BIG increase over Necromunda incomes, which would heavily influence a campaign more than the "Inventor" skill can.

Yes, this does mean that Inquisitors, Space Marine Scout strike teams, and even Imperial Guard strike teams would have a guild price -- but they are far from the Upper Hive and any orderly supply and command chain, operating in a deep insertion mission. They can do it. Surely, they are not less able to survive in a Hive than some putrid xenos ork, are they? Thought not. Good.

And the other discrepancy would be ammo checks; I recommend shifting ammo checks to the NM ORB d6 version, rather than trying to shift ammo checks to the SWA 2d6 version, for two reasons. Firstly, the list in SWA is shorter than the list of weapons outside SWA. Secondly, the 2d6 version reduces the possibility of "dice swing," and increases reliability of ranged weapons against ammo checks of rating 7 or easier. The NM ORB d6 version isn't as generous.

Ammo roll SWA of 3+=2+, of 5+=3+, of 7+=4+, close becomes close, rounding [so eg a 6+ also becomes a 4+].

So in short, from the SW:A book come:
* Kill Team lists.
* Equipment and weapon stats for new gear and gear for SWA lists [barring ammo checks]. [Note this includes some Q&A updates for Hiding, Spotting, etc, as affected by Silent weapons such as needle guns, camo gear; and so on.]
* A new set of Kill-Team-Specific Hired Guns, most of them at a cost of 25 credits Hire Fee [equivalent to one prometheum cache].

All else is NM ORB, Outlanders, and the various articles in Gang War, Citadel Journal, and White Dwarf.

 

[Aulenback]

So, most appropriate gangs for a Precipice campaign?

Goliath, renamed.*
Escher, renamed.*
Van Saar, renamed.*
Orlock, renamed.*
Cawdor, renamed.*
Delaque, renamed.*
Scavvies.
Redemptionists.
Ratskins, renamed.**
Spire Hunters, renamed.***
Gorkers, with or without vehicles.
Morkers, with or without vehicles.
Freebooters, with or without vehicles.
Rebel Grots, with or without vehicles.
Space Marine Scout kill team ["recovery team" from some group like Dark Angels, or Blood Ravens, etc].
Genestealer Cult.
Adeptus Mechanicus.
Chaos Space Marines.
Dark Eldar.
Craftworld Eldar.
Tau Empire.
Inquisition [as Inquisitor, or as Rogue Trader].
Pit Slaves.
Hive Prospector.
Guilders [as "Traders" or Rogue Traders].
Wyrd Gathering.
Hi Ho! Brotherhood Mining Gangs.
"Tyranid infestation"?****

Phew! So really, most of the gangs can seem entirely appropriate. One of our crew [who does not aim to field Harlequins] even argued that Harlequins should be on the list too, since they will have no more numbers really than the Tyranids would, and can just pretend to be other Eldar for the Trade and Territories business.



* or, rather, the name and fluff of the original gang kind of... ignored. We know that gangs like these exist on Precipice, thanks to the BSF novel. As long as the House name doesn't really appear in the gang name itself, who would know or notice? Perhaps the Eschers are from a gang or ship's crew of pirates who aspire to be elves. Perhaps the Orclocks are a crew of merchant mariners or engineers. Gangs of pirates and privateers and merchant sailors.

** and re-fluffed likewise. There are no "humans native to Precipice from an earlier settlement," but for example, see my "Kroot SWA/NM gang" as a re-visioning of the Ratskins to suit settings outside Necromunda.

*** rich explorers and treasure hunters equipped with assorted jokaero/xenos armour and weapons? These actually fit better here than on Necromunda proper, barring the "rite of passage" business. As does some kitbashing of the suits.

**** given how few members a Tyranid SWA kill-team can have, they are almost the "monster" in the "monster hunt" scenario. Capping out at five of the beasts later in the campaign, and with the cost of the monsters in question usually starting them then with only 3, foraging is not likely to grant a big gang. Not sure how to deal with "trade," however, since Tyranids would not have or access anyone else's tech. Just allow access to their own starting list's equipment list?

 

[Aulenback]

A look at some SW:A starting lists aiming for "efficiency," rather than "narrative," but there is some cross-over, from a poster on reddit.

Spoiler

https://www.reddit.com/r/ShadowWarArmageddon/comments/64kjdq

 

[Space Truckin]

Dont forget IG and traitor guard

 

[Aulenback]

Not sold on dumping the IG into that setting. Being far more ... formal Imperium in many ways ... the fiction really does seem to set the setting up to be more a tense western town. The SWA "gangs" are all choices that are "advance recon, away from command, scouting or exploring on the fringe" units. Except for Necrons, Tyranids, and IG.

Even the Space Marines and Tau are "behind the lines operatives," and a CSM team will quickly become predominantly human cultists. Heck, I even was convinced eventually by arguments regarding Harlequins [that they do go on "book retrieval missions" for the Black Library; and that they do disguise themselves as regular eldar, such as gardeners, yes, but then also potentially as pirates].

Tyranids can fill the "monster in the Sump" role, as a gang, I suppose.

But including the IG imports in a "military unit of full squad strength, acting as a branch of the military," which feels out of place as protagonists. Naval crews? There are other gangs that can represent that at least as well, if not better.

So what is a good argument in favour of including a line unit of Imperial Guardsmen aboard precipice, led by a sergeant?

 

[Jacob Dryearth]

Long before SWA, I started writing a campaign for classic Necromunda aboard a prison vessel that collided with a space hulk full or Orks and Genestealers. I never finished it, or played it, but I did end up renaming the territories like has been done here.

 

[Space Truckin]

Dunno, got the dreaded ambull audio drama on audible and they come across a squad of fresh imp guard corpses in the Blackstone. Imperial insignia still visible. Their could be a connection between them and a rogue trader hired by a wacky magos biolo...whatevers made up latin.

Certainly the stories are ramping up to go cultist crazy.

 

[Aulenback]

I need to give that one a read.

Trade?

 

[Space Truckin]

I wish i could. I bought it through my Audible app subscription. Not sure how to extract it to an mp3 but will give it a google.

 

[Aulenback]

A first session.
The Miners’ and Labourers’ Union of Treacle Mine Seven fall afoul during their escape from their owners, of a gang of Blood Axe Freebooters (Kernul Gitstikk’s S.T.A.B. Korps) who were angling to raid the former owners’ ship.
Bringing hammers to a gunfight (“The Hunters” scenario), the Union beats a hasty retreat, nursing its wounds - but not before pitching an ork or two off a building.
It’s just hard to make orks stay down.
But Walker will have his revenge, he says. We’ll see.

Miners’ and Labourers’ Union of Treacle Mine Seven

Pit Slaves gang with a rating of 1276 by Aulenback

yaktribe.games

 

[Aulenback]

Some Precipice-themed posters, collected from around these here inter-tubes. Yes, including a Hive Guys franchise for the Dromeplatz.

PostersPrecipice.jpg

drive.google.com

PrecipiceYouAreHere.jpg

drive.google.com