Ash Waste Nomads
The surface of the world has long been utterly ruined by pollution; what remains are shifting dunes of industrial waste, decomposed particulate,
carbonized cinders, rivers and lakes of turgid sludge and effluvium, constantly shifting industrial detritus, acidic precipitation dropped
infrequently from opaque and leaden clouds of smog.
But despite this hellishness, dotted here and there across this inhospitable wasteland are small outposts of desperate and merciless survivors. Shanty-folk, sludge-farmers,
mutants and abhumans, and others even less easily identifiable. These lands are home to anarchy at its most pure, Darwinian to the core.
Nothing is sacred there other than the right of the stronger to prey on the weaker.
One of the more numerous recognizable groups of wastelings and outcases are the so-called Ash Waste Nomads, descendents of a fallen faction of Noble House Cattalus, doomed to the wastes millenia ago by their victorious former brethren.
Cast out of the rich upper reaches of the spires and forced to survive on the grim and unforgiving surface of the death world, most of the outcasts died.
Those who remain are the descendents of the ones who refused to give in to extinction. Generations of winnowing have ensured that those who wander the wastes today are apex survivors.
Today these descendents of fallen Cattalus exist as tribal groups,
usually as rootless and wandering as the catch all term "Ash Waste Nomads" would imply, but not entirely. Some small semi-permanent encampments of their peoples exist here and there,
stable for a generation or three at a time before disaster or strife scatters them once more to wander the wastes anew.
There are some small courtesies observed among Ash Waste Nomad tribes who still cling to the half-forgotten ancient lore of their shared origin,
tales of their ancestors as lords among lords up high in the spires, and sometimes a few Ash Waste Nomad tribes will unite under the banner of a particularly powerful
or charismatic chief. But while Ash Waste Nomads of different tribes generally wont kill or enslave one another on sight and might offer some small hospitalities to one another,
by and large each tribe is its own sovereign entity with no central authority or unifying principle.
Generally speaking, Ash Waste Nomads remain in the wastes and uninvolved in spire or underhive drama.
However, sometimes daring or desperate nomad bands will detonate a hole in the side of a spire and go for a wild
spree of violence and robbery, reaving commodities, food, tech, slaves, anything at all of value in the unimaginably hostile barrens they call home.
Some of them even make a speciality of it.
And sometimes the Guilders (or even a Noble House) become sufficiently incensed by depredations upon caravans and interspire transports to post bounties on
nomad scalps, causing assorted hive scum and the occasional underhive gang to pour out into the wastes looking for heads to collect. Either way, outlander nomads and underhive gangs are natural enemies.
Gang Composition
An Ash Waste Nomads gang must follow these rules when it is founded, and when new fighters are added to the gang.
Fighters
A starting Ash Waste Nomads gang is made up of the following fighters. Ash Waste Nomads use the
Human Characteristics Maxima
.
Starting: Nomad Immortans start with 1 skill chosen from their Primary skill sets
Ash Waste Nomad: This fighter is a Ash Waste Nomad; any game effect referring to Ash Waste Nomads is applicable to them. This fighter uses the Survivor Critical Injury table and the Human Characteristics Maxima, may be equipped from the Ash Waste Nomad Equipment List, and when they would pick a Primary Skill they may instead choose a Ash Waste Nomad Skill.
Immortan Individualism: When an Immortan is added to a gang's Roster, the controlling player must select two Skill Categories from the following: Agility, Brawn, Cunning, Combat, Ferocity, Leadership, Shooting. The Immortan has Primary access to the selected Skill Categories and Secondary access to the Skill Categories not selected.
Starting: Nomad Imperators start with 1 skill chosen from their Primary skill sets
Ash Waste Nomad: This fighter is a Ash Waste Nomad; any game effect referring to Ash Waste Nomads is applicable to them. This fighter uses the Survivor Critical Injury table and the Human Characteristics Maxima, may be equipped from the Ash Waste Nomad Equipment List, and when they would pick a Primary Skill they may instead choose a Ash Waste Nomad Skill.
Imperator Individualism: When an Imperator is added to a gang's Roster, the controlling player must select one Skill Category from the following: Agility, Brawn, Cunning, Combat, Ferocity, Leadership, Shooting. The Imperator has Primary access to the selected Skill Category and Secondary access to the Skill Categories not selected.
Secondary: Combat, Ferocity
Access: A Nomad Bigboy has access to Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Armor, Heavy Weapons, Wargear, Attachments, Ammunition, Bionics, and Grenades.
Ash Waste Nomad: This fighter is a Ash Waste Nomad; any game effect referring to Ash Waste Nomads is applicable to them. This fighter uses the Survivor Critical Injury table and the Human Characteristics Maxima, may be equipped from the Ash Waste Nomad Equipment List, and when they would pick a Primary Skill they may instead choose a Ash Waste Nomad Skill.
Secondary: Agility, Combat
Access: A Nomad Warboy has no Equipment restrictions except that they may not be equipped with a Heavy Weapon.
Ash Waste Nomad: This fighter is a Ash Waste Nomad; any game effect referring to Ash Waste Nomads is applicable to them. This fighter uses the Survivor Critical Injury table and the Human Characteristics Maxima, may be equipped from the Ash Waste Nomad Equipment List, and when they would pick a Primary Skill they may instead choose a Ash Waste Nomad Skill.
Ash Waste Nomad Skills
When a Ash Waste Nomad would pick a Primary Skill, they may instead choose one of the following
Ash Waste Nomad Skills.
Ballistics Expert: This fighter may Check the Range before they decide to take a Shoot action.
Additionally, when this fighter takes an Aim action they gain an additional +1 modifier to their hit roll.
Demolitionist: If this fighter is part of a Crew, the controlling player may select a Frag Trap, Melta Trap, or Gas Trap
Tactics Card and play it on this fighter at the start of the battle.
Additionally if this fighter discovers a placed Booby Trap or similar trap (including
by opening caskets or interacting with Scenario specific objects that have traps placed on them or in them),
before determining if the device triggers this fighter may make an Intelligence check;
if the fighter passes their check the device does not trigger
Fast Learner: When this fighter would gain XP for taking an opposing fighter Out of Action, they may make an Intelligence check.
If the check is successful this fighter gains 1 additional XP.
Motivated: When activated this fighter may attempt a Willpower check. If this check is successful the fighter gains one additional action
that they may use during this activation, but if the check is failed the fighter has one less action available to them during this
activation.
Point Blank: This fighter may use a Basic weapon in close combat as if the Basic weapon has the Pistol trait. This cannot be used with
weapons that have the Blast or Template traits.
Resilient: When a Lasting Injury roll is made for this fighter, a Grievous Injury result is treated as an Out Cold result, and a Permanent Injury result is treated as a Greivous Injury result.
Equipment List
When creating a new gang or buying Common equipment during a Post Battle Sequence,
Ash Waste Nomads may select from the following House Equipment list.
Armor
Weapons (CCWs)
Weapons (Pistols)
Weapons (Basic)
Weapons (Specials)
Weapons (Heavies)
Grenades
Attachments
Bionics
Wargear
Campaign
The following changes to the standard Gang War rules are in effect when using Ash Waste Nomad
in campaign mode. Sections not mentioned follow the standard rules.
Turf Size and Special Territories
An Ash Waste Nomad gang does not have Turf and cannot have Special Territories. An Ash Waste Nomad gang always has a Turf size of 0.
Injury
The Injury rules are slightly modified for a Ash Waste Nomad gang.
Pre-battle Sequence
The controlling player of an Ash Waste Nomad gang follows the standard Pre-Battle Sequence step by step in the normal fashion,
but with the following alterations applied where noted.
1) Buy Advancements and Recruit Hired Guns
An Ash Waste Nomad gang cannot hire Bounty Hunters or Mercs. An Ash Waste Nomad gang can hire Hive Scum and apply Advancements at this step.
2) Determine Scenario
An Ash Waste Nomad gang never has Home Turf Advantage; otherwise there are no changes to this step.
3) Set-up Battlefield
There are no changes to this step.
4) Choose Crews
There are no changes to this step.
5) Draw Tactics Cards
An Ash Waste Nomad gang may use any neutral Tactics Cards.
6) Deploy
There are no changes to this step.
7) Begin the battle
Before the first round of battle begins, if an Ash Waste Nomad gang is an Underdog the controlling player of the Ash Waste Nomad gang may
choose one of the following Battlefield Conditions to be in effect for the duration
of the battle.
Post-battle Sequence
The controlling player of an Ash Waste Nomad gang follows the standard Post-Battle Sequence step by step in the normal fashion,
but with the following alterations applied where noted.
1) Wrap Up
There are no changes to this step for an Ash Waste Nomads gang.
2) Receive Rewards
Turf
An Ash Waste Nomad gang do not hold Turf. If a scenario indicates that an Ash Waste Nomad gang would gain Turf, for
each Turf they would gain roll once on the Pillage table below instead.
Pillage
1
The gang finds nothing of value. The player may choose to raze the area in retaliation, and if they do the gang gains 1 Reputation.
2-4
The gang gains D3+1 x 10 credits.
5
The gang finds D3 minor items; the player may choose item(s) from the Trading Post that are of common rarity with a combined value of 45 credits or less. The item(s) are added to the gang's Stash immediately.
6
The gang finds a hidden rare item; the player may choose an item from the Trading Post of any rarity that is worth 2D6 x 10 credits or less. The item is added to the gang's Stash immediately.
Stealing Turf
An Ash Waste Nomad gang has no Turf to steal, thus if a scenario directs an enemy gang to steal Turf from
an Ash Waste Nomad gang, the enemy gang does not gain any Turf and the Ash Waste Nomad gang does not lose any Turf.
3) Post-Battle Actions
Work the Turf
This action is not available to Ash Waste Nomad.
Trade
This action is not available to Ash Waste Nomad.
Sell to the Guilders
This action is not available to Ash Waste Nomad.
Post Bounty
This action is not available to Ash Waste Nomad.
Remove Bounty
This action is not available to Ash Waste Nomad.
Medical Escort
This action is not available to Ash Waste Nomad.
Find A Buyer
If an Ash Waste Nomad gang wants to sell unwanted equipment later in the Post-Battle Actions sequence,
at least one Champion or the Leader must take this action to attempt to find someone willing to
buy from outlander outlaws. The more who attempt to find a buyer, the more likely the chance of success.
Reaving
To use this action, no other Post-Battle Actions may be taken in this Post-Battle Sequence.
All available gang members participate in ambushing a caravan making its way across the wastes, or raiding a settlement of
Shanty-folk. Roll on the following Reaving table to determine the outcome.
Reaving
1-2
Things go awry and someone gets hurt. Randomly select D3 fighters participating in this action and make a Lasting Injury for those fighters; each of the selected fighters that does not die gains 1 XP. The gang loses D3-1 Reputation.
3-4
The gang gains D6 x 10 credits worth of plunder. Randomly select a fighter participating in this action and make a Lasting Injury for that fighter. Additionally the gang gains 1 Reputation.
5-6
The gang meets significant resistance but is victorious. The gang gains 2D6 x 10 credits worth of plunder. Randomly select D3 fighters participating in this action and make a Lasting Injury for those fighters. Each surviving fighter who participated in this action gains D3-1 additional XP each (roll for each fighter individually). The gang gains D3-1 Reputation.
Forage
To use this action, no other Post-Battle Actions may be taken in this Post-Battle Sequence.
All available gang members comb the wastes looking for food, supplies, or whatever can be found, stolen, or taken.
Roll on the following Foraging table to determine the outcome.
Foraging
1
The gang finds enough to survive off of, but nothing else.
2
The gang finds enough to survive off of, and gains D3+1 x 10 credits.
3-4
The gang finds sufficient resources to subsist on, and gains 2D3+1 x 10 credits.
5-6
The gang finds enough to thrive on, and gains 1D6+1 x 15 credits.
4) Use Special Territories
An Ash Waste Nomads gang skips this step.
5) Update Roster
The substeps of this step resolve as normal, except where noted below.
A. Manage Fighters: Buy and Hire
An Ash Waste Nomad gang may hire fighters from the Ash Waste Nomad gang list as normal.
Additionally, if the Ash Waste Nomad gang gained at least 5 Reputation during this Post-Battle Sequence, the gang
may add a Nomad Warboy (armed with a Fighting Knife, a Stub Pistol, and Makeshift Armor) to the
gang's roster for free.
C. Visit the Trading Post: Sell Unwanted Equipment
If one or more fighters took the Find A Buyer action after the battle, roll a D6 and
add 1 for each additional fighter who took this action after the first. On a 3+
the gang may sell unwanted equipment at this time using the standard rules. On a 1 or 2
no buyer was found.
C. Visit the Trading Post: Purchase Equipment
An Ash Waste Nomad gang can purchase any equipment from the Ash Waste Nomad
Equipment list at the price shown, adding it to their Stash.
An Ash Waste Nomad gang cannot purchase Common equipment from the Trading Post during this step.
C. Visit the Trading Post: Seek Rare Equipment
An Ash Waste Nomad gang treats Common items in the Trading Post as if they were Rare (6).
An Ash Waste Nomad gang suffers a -1 modifier to their 2D6 roll to determine the availability of items.
6) Report Results
There are no changes to this step.