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Living Settings

RAW ✔️ Source: Necromunda: Apocrypha Necromunda

"A hive's like a great big beast made of plasteel and machines – listen closely and you can hear it breathing, and listen real close and you can even hear it talking to you…"
- Jadice McGurm, Voltmaster, Mercator Lux

Necromunda campaigns can be as varied as the world of Necromunda itself. Some might focus solely on the struggle between Clan House gangs over underhive Territories or criminal rackets, while others might have a more grandiose scale and follow the events of a Corpse Grinder uprising or the razing of an outland settlement. Campaigns are also dependent on the desires of the players who play them and the Arbitrators who run them – some preferring simple campaigns that just allow gangs to fight it out as they grow in strength, others wanting to develop an ongoing narrative for their fighters to follow. In either case, there are numerous ways to enhance the campaign experience, among them the introduction of a Living Setting.

This, as the name implies, is a setting that evolves and changes as the campaign progresses. It can also influence the start of a campaign by determining such things as the kinds of gangs that are suitable or the Territories and other benefits they have access to. Like a fighter, a Living Setting is an ever-changing beast, and it falls to the Arbitrator to keep track of its development and then by extension pass this information on to the players involved. One of the great things about creating a Living Setting is that it can be used again and again, even if the Arbitrator who created it passes the mantle of Arbitrator to another player, and can be kept handy for when your group wants to visit it again with their gangs.

Creating A Living Setting​

Creating a Living Setting is as easy as choosing a place to set your campaign. This could be a section of the underhive such as Badzone Delta-7, the collapsed tunnel networks of the Sump Run-off or the thriving settlement of Dust Falls. It could equally be out in the ash wastes, like the dismal scavvy haven of Carrion Town or the forlorn void ship graveyard of the Navis Mortis. You might even want to set your battles somewhere more esoteric such as the depths of the deep core mines of Bighole or Vex Tenebrium, or perhaps the spires of the dead hive of Hydrisium. Once a suitable location has been chosen, the next step is determining what effect it will have on the campaign. For ease, these can be divided up into three broad categories:

  • Population – Who lives in the setting.
  • Commerce – What goods are available in the setting and generally how much wealth is available.
  • Environment – Any special locales that might influence Territories or fights taking place there. Each of these factors will be determined by the Arbitrator and can, at their discretion, then be shared with the players.

MAINTAINING A LIVING SETTING​

Living Settings are, in many ways, just like gangs, and will evolve and develop over the course of a campaign. It falls to the Arbitrator to keep track of how the campaign changes the setting, adding Hired Guns, Trading Post items or even new locations to it. To this end, the Arbitrator is encouraged to create a Living Setting roster, much like a gang roster, where they can note down the setting's starting Population, Commerce and Locations, and then amend them as the campaign progresses. This roster will also come in handy if the Arbitrator wants to change campaigns or take a break from Necromunda, acting as a ready-to-go reference sheet that can be dusted off and put straight back into action for a new campaign cycle.

One of the other great things about a Living Setting is that the players can have a real impact, and the Arbitrator should be open to letting them make changes to it. Perhaps one of the gangs retires or is disbanded after a bloody battle, forcing its leader to become a Bounty Hunter; or maybe a gang decides they are going to spend some creds and fortify one of their Territories, meaning the Territory will benefit from some permanent defences. There are no hard and fast rules for this; suffice to say the Arbitrator can make their own job easier by letting the players do some of the work when it comes to expanding and growing the Living Setting.

Population​

Quite simply, Population covers all the living things (besides the gangs) that inhabit the Living Setting. These fall into three categories:

  • Hired Guns – Including Dramatis Personae, Bounty Hunters, Hive Scum and Hangers-on.
  • Underhive Nemesis – A Narco Lord, cruel Enforcer Captain, Wyrd Overlord or other powerful villain.
  • Monsters – Potent critters and creatures that infest the setting.

Hired Guns​

For their Living Setting, the Arbitrator needs to create a pool of Hired Guns. This pool should include both generic and unique Hired Guns. For generic Hired Guns, the Arbitrator simply needs to figure out which Hired Guns and Hangers-on will be available in the setting. Usually, this will include all published Hired Guns, but in certain settings, some might not be available – such as if the setting has no access to Slave Ogryns, or a recent neuron plague has wiped out all the Rogue Docs.

Next, the Arbitrator creates a selection of unique Hired Guns. Each of these should be named and tied to the setting in some way – such as an ex-Enforcer Bounty Hunter who haunts the main settlement, or a Dome Runner known as an explorer of the local badzones. This pool should also include any Dramatis Personae the Arbitrator wants in their setting. Unlike the generic Hired Guns, these fighters will grow and develop as the campaign progresses, perhaps even dying, and should be treated in all other respects like fighters in a gang. Outside of the game, the Arbitrator maintains control of these unique Hired Guns and assigns them should a gang request their services – though they should remember the actions of the gangs they worked for, and may even have their own agendas and enemies!

Underhive Nemesis​

Every good campaign needs a villain, and this is where the Underhive Nemesis comes into play. Once they have chosen the location of their Living Setting, the Arbitrator should create a suitable Underhive Nemesis to rule over it. If the campaign is large enough and with enough gangs involved, they may even wish to create more than one Underhive Nemesis, perhaps as lords of competing settlements or factions, each employing the services of the gangs to take down their rivals. A good Underhive Nemesis is as important as the setting itself, and should always be closely tied to the overall narrative of the campaign. If it is a Law and Misrule Campaign (as detailed in Necromunda: The Book of Judgement) then perhaps the Underhive Nemesis is a potent crime boss who controls the most lucrative rackets and must be taken down by all the gangs for victory. Equally, in a Dominion Campaign (as detailed in the Necromunda Core Rulebook, the Underhive Nemesis might be the local lord of the Merchants Guild, wishing to bring order and the will of the Imperial House to the region of the underhive while the gangs chip away at their power by taking over Territories.

The rules for creating an Underhive Nemesis can be found on page 8.

Monsters​

Just like Hired Guns, each Living Setting will have a pool of monsters and other terrifying critters to inhabit its outlands. These can be divided, in the same manner as Hired Guns, into generic monsters and unique monsters. Generic monsters include anything and everything suitable to the setting from underhive rats to rogue Sumpkrocs. These critters can then be included in scenarios and multi-player games to create more chaos during gang fights, giving the setting a unique feel – if the gangs of the Phyrr Cat Warrens come to despise the wild felines that plague the badzones, then the Arbitrator is doing their job right!

Unique monsters are in essence the Dramatis Personae of the monster world, and might even include actual Dramatis Personae such as the Abomination of Badzone 12 (as detailed in Necromunda: The Book of Ruin) or Old Three-eyes (as detailed in Necromunda: House of Chains). These powerful beasts can be used by the Arbitrator to 'crash' multi-player games, aid the Underhive Nemesis or even become the focal point of their own scenarios where gangs try to claim the sizable bounty on the monster's head (or heads). Like unique Hired Guns, unique monsters may also gain experience and form their own grudges and alliances – perhaps even coming to the aid of the gang that fed it all those captives that one time.

Commerce​

Commerce governs the available wealth, weapons and Wargear in the Living Setting. These are divided into three categories:

  • Trading Post – The rarity of items on offer as well as any special items suited to the setting.
  • Black Market – The legality of items in the setting as well as any unique items on offer.
  • Wealth – The overall abundance of credits and other resources in the Living Setting that the gangs can get their hands on.

Trading Post​

Weapons and Wargear have a huge impact on any Necromunda campaign, and mean the difference between gangs battling it out with lascannon and missile launchers and beating each other to death with bits of old pipe. When creating the Living Setting, the Arbitrator should decide if there are any pieces of equipment that are either absent or different in the setting. For instance, a campaign set in the peaks of the Spoil, close to the corona of the dead hive clusters might omit any energy weapons as their power supplies are prone to malfunction. Alternatively, in the Bonedry badzones of Hive Primus, credits are so scarce that no one could hope to maintain flashy weapons such as boltguns or plasma pistols for very long. In effect, this creates a unique Trading Post tailored to the Living Setting, and may even alter the weapons and Wargear gangs can start with – though the Arbitrator should consider the effects of these changes depending on the gangs involved in the campaign in case this excessively penalises one Clan House or another.

If the Arbitrator doesn't want to wholesale remove items from the Trading Post, or they want some items present but harder for gangs to get their hands on, then they can instead increase or decrease the Rare (X) level of items, or even add Rare (X) to an otherwise common item. This is especially appropriate for already difficult-to-get items like the most expensive heavy weapons, bolt and plasma weaponry, or advanced armours and force fields. When altering the Trading Post, the Arbitrator should remember to make all the players aware of any changes before they create their gangs, as well as the reasons behind it – players are always more accepting of something that penalises their fighters if it is in the aid of a cool narrative.

Black Market​

When a ganger wishes to acquire illegal goods or weapons they head down to the Black Market – though, in practice, this is exactly the same place as the Trading Post, just with more under the counter goods and secret handshakes involved. In the same way as the Rare (X) levels of equipment, the Illegal (X) level of items can be changed to be higher or lower. It is even possible to switch these around, making a Rare (X) item an Illegal (X) item or vice versa. This opens up some interesting opportunities for a Living Setting, as it allows for items previously legal, such as boltguns, to be illegal, or illegal items like xenos tech to be made legal. This is all entirely dependent on the nature of the Living Setting. For example, a campaign set in the upper reaches of Hive City might come with stricter controls on weapons. Perhaps all weapons save for the most basic knives and stub guns have an Illegal (X) level, and gangs must conduct their battles far more clandestinely than they would in the underhive. By comparison, a campaign set along the Dust Wall, in the shadow of Hive Secundus, might take place on ancient alien battlefields that are so far from the hive cities that locals think nothing of using xenos weapons to fight their wars; in such circumstances rare and unusual weapons and Wargear are as common (and legal) as an autogun or laspistol might be in Hive Primus.

Black Markets are also a great way to introduce strange and powerful Wargear into any Living Setting. If a gang is after a potent weapon or piece of armour present in the greater Imperium, the Arbitrator might allow a gang to seek it out in the Black Market. Perhaps tools of the Astra Militarum or even the mighty Adeptus Astartes may find their way into a hive or wasteland settlement, where some 'lucky' ganger might cross paths with them. Such objects are always unique and difficult to hold on to, and usually come with a price that is counted in more than mere credits.

Wealth​

As rich as Necromunda is in the grand span of the Imperium, its wealth is far from distributed equally. This means the different areas, and the gangs who inhabit them, will enjoy different levels of comfort and access to credits. Wealth reflects this and can broadly be divided up into three types: Poor, Average and Rich. By default most hives are Average, covering the general harsh but sustained existence of most hivers and underhivers. If the Living Setting has Average Wealth then no changes to gang creation, scenario rewards or Territory benefits need to be made.

Poor Wealth represents areas where even the basic infrastructure of a hive city is lacking. There are fewer credits to go round, gangs can only afford the simplest of equipment and fighters, and what little resources are available are fought over bitterly by all sides. As a general rule, all credit rewards are halved in Poor Living Settings; this means players begin with half the normal amount of credits to start their gangs, and scenarios and Territories only yield half their amount of credits. Depending on the poverty of the setting, the Arbitrator can adjust this up or down, though a Poor setting should always be notably more desperate than a normal one.

Rich Wealth areas are, as you might expect, better off than other parts of Necromunda and reflect the largest settlements, most affluent hives or the upper reaches of a hive city. In a more abundant setting, gangs are larger and better equipped, while the rewards for victories are equally more substantial.

As a general rule, all credit rewards are doubled in Rich Living Settings. This means players start with twice the normal amount of credits to create their gangs, and scenarios and Territories yield twice their amount of credits.

Environment​

Perhaps the most influential aspect of a Living Setting is its Environment. This determines a variety of things that can change the nature of the campaign being played. These are presented in three categories:

  • Battlefields – Guidelines for all gang battles that take place in the setting.
  • Maps – Where everything is located in the setting, and how easy it is for gangs to fight each other.
  • Territories – The kind and types of Territories suitable for the Living Setting.

Battlefields​

A Living Setting that takes place in the ash wastes is going to have very different environments to one that takes place in the depths of a hive city, or even the upper reaches of a ruined spire. Battlefields reflect the predominant terrain and conditions in which a campaign takes place, and offer players a guide as to how to set up the battlefield for their games. This can be divided further into two main categories: environs and conditions.

Environs are the general Battlefield Set-up rules, usually Zone Mortalis or Sector Mechanicus. While a Living Setting doesn't have to exclusively use just one of these, it is likely one will be the main kind of environ, and any battle taking place in the setting will be subject to its rules.

Conditions cover the effects of darkness, ash storms, carnivorous vegetation and similar local hazards. The Arbitrator is encouraged to create their own conditions as suited to the Living Setting, as this is a great way for a setting to really feel unique while fighting battles within it. For example, in the underhive settlement of Dust Falls, a constant powdery rain falls on the settlement, sometimes falling thicker and other times slackening off.

This could translate to variable visibility before each game depending on the local 'weather'. For those looking for specific ideas, Necromunda: The Book of Peril offers a huge variety of potential battlefield conditions.

Maps​

How easy it is for gangs to get around in a Living Setting can have a huge impact on the nature of a campaign. Are all the gangs forced together into a single settlement and always at each other's throats, or are there wide open badzones between them, forcing them to make dangerous journeys to expand their Territories? The default setting for any Necromunda campaign is that all gangs can fight each other at any time, as this allows players to meet up and have games whenever they can be arranged. Adding a Map component to a Living Setting changes this somewhat, and though it can add another interesting layer to a campaign, it also means a little more work for the Arbitrator.

If the Arbitrator decides to make Maps a feature of their Living Setting, the first thing they will need to do is map out the setting. This Map need not be hugely detailed, but should show where each gang is based, where Territories or other campaign resources can be found and what lies in between them. At the start of each Campaign Week it then falls to the Arbitrator to let the players know of any changes to the Map, what new threats and resources might have appeared near their hideout, and which other gangs are moving in on their turf. The advantage of using Maps as a factor in a Living Setting is it offers players a real sense they are fighting over a changing political landscape, and Territory becomes more meaningful not just for what it provides but also for where it is located.

Territories​

All Necromunda campaigns include resources for the gangs to fight over. This is usually in the form of Territories, but could equally be criminal rackets, trade routes or the influence of the Noble Houses. When creating a Living Setting, the Arbitrator must decide if the setting is going to have an influence on the campaign's Territories, perhaps altering them in some way or even changing them completely. This could be as simple as a Living Setting centred on an underhive settlement where the Arbitrator decides just which Territories make up the settlement, such as a doc clinic, corpse farm or gambling den, giving each one its own unique name and making any changes that seem appropriate to the setting. Alternatively, the Arbitrator may choose to make up their own Territories entirely, taking those presented in the campaign and altering them to fit the kind of Living Setting they are creating. Often this can be done without changing the underlying rules, such as a settlement Territory changed to a militia outpost still providing gangs with the chance to recruit a Juve. Sometimes though, the Arbitrator might want to reinvent the Territories completely, taking locations from a Living Setting Map and giving them varying levels of income or other benefits. In either case, the structure of the chosen campaign remains the same – gangs fight to claim or steal Territories from their rivals, with only the nature of the Territories themselves being altered.

Example Settings​

NecroRAW

This section has been excluded from the verbatim transcription as it contains examples and extensive lore related to Necromunda.