Optional Special Rules

RAW ✔️ Necromunda Core Rulebook (2023), p236

Below you will find a selection of optional rules that Arbitrators may wish to use in their campaigns. These can be used individually or several can be used together.

Exploding Weapons

The majority of the weapons found in the underhive are of relatively low quality, and very few indeed are well maintained by their owners. It is hardly surprising that malfunctions happen often. These rules make all weapons unreliable and dangerous to use. If a natural 1 is rolled when making an Ammo test, in addition to the fighter's weapon being Out of Ammo, the fighter must immediately roll a D6:

• On a 2+, nothing untoward happens.
• On a natural 1, the weapon explodes. When a weapon explodes it is destroyed, and is removed from the fighter's card. In addition, the fighter immediately suffers a hit from the destroyed weapon. If a weapon has multiple profiles for different ammo types or firing modes, this hit is based upon the profile being used to fire the weapon.

Unreliable Weapons

The Unreliable Weapons rule factors the chance of running Out of Ammo into the hit roll itself, removing the need to roll the Firepower dice unless the weapon has the Rapid Fire trait. If this rule is in use in a campaign, it should be applied to each and every ranged weapon. At the Arbitrator's discretion, Master-crafted weapons may be exempt from this rule, replacing the normal Master-crafted trait with the ability to ignore this rule and roll the Firepower dice when making the hit roll as normal.

When making a hit roll with a ranged weapon, only roll the Firepower dice if the weapon has the Rapid Fire Weapon Trait. When rolling the Firepower dice, the Ammo symbol is ignored. Instead, if a natural 6 is rolled when making a hit roll with any ranged weapon, an Ammo test must be made immediately. If firing a weapon that does not need to roll to hit (for example a weapon with the Template trait), then after resolving the weapon's attack roll a D6. On a 6 an Ammo test must be made immediately.

Hail of Bullets

The Hail of Bullets rule is designed to work in conjunction with the Unreliable Weapons rule.

When making a hit roll for a weapon that has the Rapid Fire trait, the player can choose to fire a single shot or a sustained burst:

• If they choose a single shot, fire the weapon as normal, but do not roll the Firepower dice; the weapon will only fire once.
• If they choose to fire a sustained burst, roll a number of Firepower dice equal to the Rapid Fire trait of the weapon. Each bullet hole rolled on the dice is a separate shot, and a hit roll should be made for each.
• Shots can be distributed as described in the rules for distributing hits with Rapid Fire weapons – in this case, make a hit roll for each individually, working out modifiers for each target.

Wild Grenades and Shells

The Wild Grenades and Shells optional rules make grenades and all Blast weapons less accurate, as well as more dangerous to use.

When making a ranged attack with a weapon with the Blast (X) trait, choose a target point as normal but do not make a hit roll. Instead, roll the Scatter dice and a D6:

• If a Hit is rolled on the Scatter dice, leave the Blast marker where it is and work out the effects of the attack as normal.
• If an arrow is rolled on the Scatter dice, move the Blast marker a number of inches in the direction indicated equal to the D6 result plus the fighter's BS (i.e., a fighter with a BS of 4+ would add 4" to the scatter distance).
• If a Hit and a 1 on the D6 is rolled, something has gone wrong. Roll on the table below to determine what.

D6	Result
1	The grenade goes off in the thrower's hand or the shell explodes in the weapon's breach. Place the Blast marker directly over the fighter and work out damage as normal.
2	The grenade throw goes wild or the shell spins out of control as it leaves the weapon. The projectile travels 2D6" in a random direction from the fighter and explodes.
3	The grenade travels 2D6" in a random direction from the fighter and explodes. A shell fired from a weapon travels D6xD6" in a random direction from the fighter and explodes.
4	Not only does the grenade throw go wild or the shell spin out of control as it leaves the weapon, but the projectile itself is faulty! The projectile travels 2D6" in a random direction from the fighter and lands. Mark the position of the projectile. From now on, at the start of each End phase, roll a D6. On a 4+, the projectile explodes.
5	The grenade tumbles from the thrower's hand down a deep crack in the ground, or the shell spins upwards and strikes the dome roof. There is a muffled explosion, the ground shakes ominously or chunks start to fall from the roof and tall ruins. From now on, at the start of each End phase, both players must roll a D6. If a player rolls a 1 then a randomly determined fighter from their crew has been hit by debris and takes a S3, AP-, D1 hit.
6	The grenade or shell drops to the floor in front of the fighter and fizzes ominously for a while, but little else happens. It is a dud.

note

Hive Dwellers

Many hivers react badly when strangers show up and start shooting, and it can be tricky to predict just how they will react. Any number of Hive Dwellers may be introduced into a scenario and deployed by the Arbitrator as they wish. They are controlled by the Arbitrator and are activated by the Arbitrator in the End phase and use the following profile:

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Cl	Wil	Int
5"	5+	5+	3	3	1	4+	1	7+	8+	9+	9+

Hive Dwellers may be equipped as the Arbitrator wishes, but any weapons they carry should be low quality, cheap items. Autopistols, clubs, fighting knives and other such Common weapons are ideal.

note

Creating Guilder Watchmen

RAW ✔️ Source: Necromunda: Rulebook (2018)

One of the Arbitrator's roles can include running gangs of Guild-sanctioned watchmen against the players' gangs. As the range continues to expand, models and rules for such forces will be released – in the meantime, though, the Arbitrator should feel free to create them.

To create a gang of sanctioned watchmen for example, the Arbitrator is best served using one of the available gang rosters. Depending on the kind of gang required, Goliaths could be used for a genetically augmented hit-squad, Eschers for agile assassins or Orlocks for a hardened vengeance squad. Build the gang as if for a Skirmish game to a credits limit roughly equal to the player-controlled gangs it will go up against – or, make it larger if desired to present the players with more of a challenge.

Then arm and equip the gang with weapons and Wargear from the appropriate House Equipment Lists or the Trading Post, as described in the rules for creating a Skirmish gang. This could be the flak armour, braced stub guns and shotguns of a settlement law-keeper gang, or perhaps something more exotic like a death cult armed with needle weapons, or a purge detachment all carrying chem-throwers.

Finally, give the gang's fighters any appropriate skills – such as a Guilder overseer having Commanding Presence or a watchman sheriff with the Gunfighter skill. When creating these gangs, the Arbitrator should only be limited by their imagination and the range of models they have available.

note

Underhive Creatures

RAW ✔️ Source: Necromunda: Rulebook (2018)

Creating underhive creatures for an Arbitrator to infest a battlefield with is a very flexible process. The obvious place to start is with the Beast's Lair. Exotic Beasts and Brutes provide a useful resource and can easily be pressed into service by an Arbitrator looking to spice up their battlefield.

Beyond these, monsters can have pretty much any characteristics, skills, weapons and Wargear the Arbitrator wishes, and can be represented by almost any model they have – whether it is a mutant Sump spider, carnivorous psychic plant or a xenos cyborg. Arbitrators can take inspiration – and models – from the huge range of Citadel and Forge World miniatures for their monsters. Many of these models also have their own rules in Warhammer 40,000, which can, with a little work, be adapted to work in games of Necromunda.

Any number of underhive creatures may be introduced into a scenario and deployed by the Arbitrator as they wish. They are controlled by the Arbitrator and are activated by the Arbitrator in the End phase.

Ambul and Borewyrm Infestations

RAW ✔️ Warhammer Community, Ambull vs Ambot – Deathmatch!

Ambul

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Cl	Wil	Int
6"	3+	6+	6	6	7	4+	4	6+	2+	6+	12+

Weapon	Rg S	Rg L	Ac S	Ac L	S	AP	D	Am	Traits
Enormous Claws	-	E	-	-	6	-3	2	-

Skills: Infiltrate, Unstoppable Wargear: Chitin armour (3+)

RAW ✔️ Warhammer Community, Ambull vs Ambot – Deathmatch!

Borewyrm Infestation

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Cl	Wil	Int
4"	4+	6+	3	4	2	3+	3	5+	7+	9+	11+

Weapon	Rg S	Rg L	Ac S	Ac L	S	AP	D	Am	Traits
Vicious jaws	-	E	-	-	3	-	1	-

Skills: Infiltrate, Evade Wargear: Chitin armour (4+)

RAW ✔️ Warhammer Community, Ambull vs Ambot – Deathmatch!