Cogs
Though inhospitable, the Wastes and the Outlands are not devoid of life, nor
is what life exists entirely savage or primitive. While Ash Waste Nomads, various mutants and beastmen such as Scavvies, and other technologically stunted tribes and bands are more common, a loose group of outlanders with a better appreciation for technology can be found.
Called Cogs, the organizing principle of these loosely allied bands rests on a shared tribal lore that they are surviving descendants of a centuries lost AdMech detachment who sought rumored STC technology upon Necromunda but were betrayed by the Van Saar and cast out of the hives to die.
Cog tribes and gangs value increasing their dwindling numbers by accepting and assimilating outsiders into their midst, rather unusually for the horrid, barren, unforgiving Wastes. Thus individual Cogs range from escaped Guilder slaves cybernetically enhanced to work or even to do battle in gladiatorial competition (so-called "pit slaves"), to miscellaneous groups of salvagers and survivors and hive exiles that were essentially adopted into the group, as well as multigenerational members who claim an AdMech lineage.
Other groups such as the Ash Waste Nomads tend to stick to the open and unforgiving dunes and flats of the Ash Wastes and ersatz camps that are within raiding distance of a caravan route, hab, or hive. Cogs on the other hand prefer to seek out and salvage whatever they can from ruins both above and below the wracked surface of the planet. Many Cog tribes and gangs also know of various routes that can be taken underground from one ruin to another, and sometimes travel from place to place like this in whole or part. But they must be careful, for such ruins and underground passages are not always abandoned...
Cog tribes and gangs also tend to visit various Outland locations periodically, and some even go so far as to make occasional trading forays into the marginalia of some hive cities, eager to sell off any salvage they have no other use for, buy up various resources that are scarce or nonexistent in the Wastes, and to sometimes collect underhive strays willing to join their band for a chance to escape hive bound existence.
Gang Composition
A Cogs gang must follow these rules when it is founded, and when new fighters are added to the gang.
Fighters
A starting Cogs gang is made up of the following types of fighters.
175 credits
A Boss Cog is the most experienced and generally capable member of a Cog tribe or gang, by necessity pragmatic with razor honed decision making when it comes to survival of their people. Resources are scarce in the Wastes and Cogs by their nature don't like to squander anything, husbanding their meager resources carefully, recycling and reusing everything they possibly can. Thus while Cogs are preoccupied with tech a competent Boss Cog knows that their people are their most critical resource, and collects, protects, and wrings all possible value thereof.
155 credits
Tech Cogs are the heart of a Cog tribe, keepers of the lore, restorers of salvaged tech, and cybernetic wizards resonsible for arming and upgrading their people. A Cog gang lucky enough to have a Tech Cog will protect them at virtually any cost, and Cog gangs without one tend to not survive for long or get reassimilated by a larger tribe or gang that did a better job of protecting their Tech Cog.
Killer Cog (0-2); + 1 per 10 Reputation (rounded down)
155 credits
Killer Cogs are the elite warriors of a Cog tribe or gang, having established their stature and earned their place of privelege amongst their fellow Cogs. Unlike some other groups that wander the Wastes, the Cogs tend to respect hierarchy and value stable leadership; thus Killer Cogs generally serve their Boss well and ably without undue ambition or dreams of seizing power or regicide. Many other folk of the Wastes have learned the hard way to give these dangerous Cogs a wide berth.
75 credits
Scrap Cogs are assistants to a Tech Cog if one is in the gang, otherwise they do the best they can to fill in. Additionally, a Scrap Cog can be promoted to become a Tech Cog if necessary.
75 credits
Pit Cogs are heavily chromed close combat specialists, very often featuring a cybernetic weapon arm of some kind, or some other significant bit of cyber that has a hand to hand application. Many are escaped pit fighters, but others are mine workers fitted (often against their will) with hammer or drill or buzzsaw arms that also serve ably as fearsome weapons, and a few are homegrown Cogs who displayed close combat prowess and were upgraded by a Tech Cog with similar offensive kit.
60 credits
Geared Cogs are up and comers within their tribe or gang, having proved themselves and made their bones. They typically have been rewarded with at least one impressive cybernetic item or fancy weapon as a sign of their relative status.
50 credits
Warrior Cogs are the established members of a Cog tribe or gang, able soldiers and workers upon whom most of the drudge work and fighting necessary for survival in the unforgiving Ash Wastes falls.
10 credits
Survivor Cogs are human detritus; some are escaped Guilder slaves, others were cast out of a hive and by sheer luck or grit managed to fall in with a Cog tribe before dying to one of the many hazards of the Ash Wastes, others are just the youth of an established group of Cogs entering what passes for adulthood in such harsh conditions. The very few who persevere may rise within their tribe, the rest will falter and die.
25 credits
Servitor Cogs are generally mindless semi-organic robots, possessing only the most basic of instincts, though some are fully capable of speech if such functions and knowledge are programmed into them. Servitor Cog brains are programmed to perform only the tasks they are designed for; their altered and fragmented minds function poorly unless constantly supervised and told what to do. Fitted with a variety of cybernetic devices (including in some cases mounted heavy weaponry), each Servitor is custom built with the right gear to do a particular job.
Tactics Cards
A Cogs gang may select Tactics Cards from the
Cogs Tactics Cards
list by default, though campaign and / or scenario specific guidelines may modify this.
Campaign
A Cogs gang is available on a case by case basis depending upon the type of campaign. Consult the Arbitrator or campaign write up to determine if a player may run a Cogs gang and what restrictions, exceptions, or guidelines might apply.
If a Cogs gang is allowed in a type of campaign, in addition to any other campaign specific rules that may apply to them the following requirements and restrictions apply and must be adhered to.
Injury
The Injury rules are slightly modified for a Cogs gang. If a Cog fighter suffers a Critical Injury, roll on the following table instead of the standard Critical Injury table.
Survivor Critical Injury Table
Roll a D6 and add the fighter's unmodified Toughness and Wounds characteristics, then consult the table below with the total:
1-7
Memorable Death: The fighter is killed instantly. If the injury was caused by an attack, the attacker gains an additional 1 XP.
8
Permanent Injury: The fighter goes into Recovery and suffers a permanent injury. Roll again on the Permanent Injury table.
9
Grievous Injury: The fighter goes into Recovery.
10+
Out Cold: The fighter misses the rest of the battle, but avoids any long-term injuries.
Trading Post
In some campaigns, Cogs are not able to visit the Trading Post due to narrative reasons. However, in campaigns where they are able to visit the Trading Post a Cogs gang treats the rarity of all Rare items as being two (2) higher than the listed value.