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Squat Ancestry

RAW ✔️ Halls of the Ancients, p92

The Ironhead Squat mining clans stand upon the shoulders of hundreds of generations, their history on Necromunda stretching back over ten millennia. In this time the mining clans have adapted and evolved to meet the myriad challenges of their adopted home, capitalising on their victories over the wasteland and recovering from their bitter defeats. Each event has shaped the Squats into the peoples they are today, with each mining clan known for its own unique talents and connections to the world of Necromunda.

Squat Ancestry represents the lineage of an Ironhead Squat gang, and the mining clan from which they originate. Players are not required to take an Ancestry for their Squat gang, as there are many and varied Squat communities that inhabit the ash wastes, though if they choose to, they may do so using the rules presented below.

Using Ancestry Rules​

When an Ironhead Squat gang is created, players can choose to have it hail from a particular mining clan. Players may choose to have their gang come from the Anglish, Scragfrid, Svardhol, Tapferkeit, Helmaeth, Snorrag, Trocken or Vossinki Mining Clan. Alternatively they may be part of a Splinter Mining Clan, having parted ways with one of the twelve original mining clans at some point in the past. Once this decision is made, it applies to the entire gang and cannot be changed later.

Each mining clan gives a gang access to unique Ancestry abilities; these are all post-battle actions that the fighter can perform. When an Ironhead Squat Leader or Champion is added to the gang, they may select one of three Ancestry abilities associated with the gang's mining clan. Further Ancestry abilities may be purchased with XP as if they were Primary skills.

Ironhead Squat Mining Clans​

Anglish Mining Clan​

Close to the great north-south trade routes of Mynerva and Hive Primus, the Anglish Squat Mining Clans have the closest relationship with the humans of Necromunda. They are known to hivers as eager traders, a practice that often sees them in conflict with the Merchants Guild who don't like that Anglish envoys and prospectors cannot be bullied or bought like their normal customers.

Masters Of Coin: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Negotiate Sale post-battle action:

  • Negotiate Sale: When this post-battle action is performed, if the gang sells items in the Update Roster step of the post-battle sequence, they gain the full credits value of the first three items they sell.

Hostile Negotiations: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Ransom Agreement post-battle action:

  • Ransom Agreement: When this post-battle action is performed, the gang removes 2D6x10 credits from their Stash and selects one of their fighters who is held captive by another gang. The gang holding the captive gains half the credits removed this way and immediately returns the selected captive. If the gang has insufficient credits to pay for the captive's release then nothing happens. Note though that if the gang can afford to pay for the release, they must.

Inheritors of the Wastes: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Recruit Scion post-battle action:

  • Recruit Scion: When this post-battle action is performed, if at least one fighter is deleted from the gang roster during the Clean House sub step of the Clean House step of the post-battle sequence then the gang may add a free Ironhead Squat Digger to their gang roster. Only one fighter may perform this post-battle action each battle.

Scragfrid Mining Clan​

Among the northernmost Squat holdfasts stands Scragfrid, its fastness high in the peaks of the Near Spoil. The Scragfrid Mining Clans are considered explorers and adventurers by other Squat mining clans, the Scragfrid laying claim to far flung finds and scavenging archeotech and other ‘found' technologies, stripping them down and creating new tech from the pieces.

New Frontiers: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Extract Creds post-battle action:

  • Extract Creds: When this post-battle action is performed, the gang selects one of their territories. The territory does not grant any Boons during this post-battle sequence other than Income, but the gang adds D6x10 credits to their Stash. If this post-battle action is performed multiple times in the same post-battle sequence, a different Territory must be selected each time it is performed.

Explorators: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Automotive Tinkering post-battle action:

  • Automotive Tinkering: When this post-battle action is performed, the gang gains 2D3x10 credits that may only be spent on vehicle Wargear or Upgrades. At the end of the post-battle sequence, if any of these credits are unspent they are lost.

Lords of the Spoil: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Spoil Treasure post-battle action:

  • Spoil Treasure: When this post-battle action is performed, add 3 to the Availability level when seeking rare and illegal equipment.

Svardhol Mining Clan​

Once far more numerous and prosperous, the Squats of Svardhol were devastated during the Ork invasion of Necromunda. Their holdfast, close to what is now known as the Skull, was assaulted and it was only through their bitter defence that they survived – though only just. Far more warlike than any of the other mining clans, they maintain a permanent fighting cadre of Drill-kyn.

Bitter Enmity: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Recite Grievances post-battle action:

  • Recite Grievances: When this post-battle action is performed, this fighter gains the Berserker skill for the duration of the next battle.

Skull Veterans: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Patch 'em Up post-battle action:

  • Patch 'em Up: When this post-battle action is performed, the gang may purchase bionics from the Trading Post and all bionics are considered to be Common.

Battleborn Squats: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Battle Drill post-battle action:

  • Battle Drill: When this post-battle action is performed, then any fighters hired during this post-battle sequence earn D3 XP when they are added to the gang roster.

Tapferkeit Mining Clan​

To the north of Secundus lies the fastness of the Tapferkeit. Tinkers and miners without peer, of all the mining clans they are known for their engineering marvels and the exceptional quality of their weapons and wargear. Legend has it that it was the ancestors of the Tapferkeit who helped expand the first hive cities, and built the Necromagnium Underway.

Tinkerers: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Gunsmithing post-battle action:

  • Gunsmithing: When this post-battle action is performed, select one of this fighter's weapons. The weapon permanently gains the Master-crafted trait.

Custom Rigs: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Monkey Wrench post-battle action:

  • Monkey Wrench: When this post-battle action is performed, this fighter may perform the Negotiate Repairs post-battle action reducing the cost by 2D6x10 credits to a minimum of 5 credits.

Builders of the Underway: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Hidden Tunnels post-battle action:

  • Hidden Tunnels: When this post-battle action is performed, select D3 friendly fighters. For the duration of the next battle, those fighters all gain the Infiltrate skill.

Helmaeth Mining Clan​

The Helmaeth Holdfast rests beneath the toxic waves of the Poison Sea, linked to the surface by deep water conveyors and the mining clan's fleet of submersibles. Notorious raiders and chem pirates, the Squats of the Helmaeth have spread to almost every ocean and sea on the planet, even entering the Sump of Hive Primus in their search for more wealth.

Spider Hunters: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Sump Safari post-battle action:

  • Sump Safari: When this post-battle action is performed, select a friendly fighter. Make a Leadership test for this fighter. If the test is passed, the selected fighter earns D3 XP; if the test is failed, the selected fighter goes into Recovery.

Terrors of the Sump Sea: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Press Gang post-battle action:

  • Press Gang: When this post-battle action is performed, make a Leadership test for this fighter. If the test is passed, then in the gang's next battle, they may hire D3 Hive Scum for free.

Rules of Parley: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Law of the Sump post-battle action:

  • Law of the Sump: When this post-battle action is performed, all gangs that took part in this battle add D6x10 credits to their Stash. Roll separately for each gang.

Snorrag Mining Clan​

Where the other mining clans spread out across the surface or skies of Necromunda, the Snorrag Mining Clan delved deep into the planet's core. Not even the other clans know for sure where the holdfast of the Snorrag is, only that its prospecting parties emerge periodically from the underearth to sell their strange and esoteric goods dredged up from the core of the world.

Denizens of the Deep: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Midnight Battlefield post-battle action:

  • Midnight Battlefield: When this post-battle action is performed, during the next Underhive battle the gang fights in the Pitch Black rules are automatically in effect.

Underearth Tunnellers: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Modified Techmite post-battle action:

  • Modified Techmite: When this post-battle action is performed, select an exotic beast this fighter is equipped with. For the duration of the next battle the exotic beast may move freely through impassable terrain if it has sufficient movement to do so, but may not end its movement on or within impassable terrain.

Buried Treasures: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Overwork post-battle action:

  • Overwork: When this post-battle action is performed, select a Territory the gang controls. The gang gains all the Boons and Income from the Territory an additional time, however, for the next two campaign weeks the Territory grants no Boons or Income. While a Territory has been exhausted in this manner, it cannot be targeted by this post-battle action.

Trocken Mining Clan​

When hives die or are destroyed, they are often stricken from the records of the Imperial House and forgotten. The Trocken Mining Clan has built its wealth from plundering the bones of these lost cities, having set their holdfast in the centre of the great northern hive graveyards, from whence their prospecting parties may explore these ruins.

Lords of Ruin: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Hive Scavenging post-battle action:

  • Hive Scavenging: When this post-battle action is performed, the gang gains 2D3x10 credits that may only be spent on Common Wargear and weapons from the Trading Post. At the end of the post-battle sequence, if any of these credits are unspent they are lost.

Ancient Tech: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Archeobot post-battle action:

  • Archeobot: When this post-battle action is performed, select one of this fighter's exotic beasts. For the duration of the next battle, their weapons gain +2 Strength and the Unstable trait.

Underhive Natives: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Dome Exploration post-battle action:

  • Dome Exploration: When this post-battle action is performed, make an Intelligence test for this fighter. If the test is passed, add D6x10 credits to the gang's Stash, otherwise this fighter goes into Recovery.

Vossinki Mining Clan​

The toxic biosphere of Necromunda promises an abundance of valuable chems for the mining clans. It is in the clouds that the Vossinki Mining Clan has made its home, converting their bastion void ship into a sky fortress from which their miners can range out into the lower atmosphere or the high peaks, where they might set down and harvest the caustic winds.

Death from the Clouds: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Combat Drop post-battle action:

  • Combat Drop: When this post-battle action is performed, during the next Ash Wastes battle this gang fights, this fighter arrives as Reinforcements during the end phase of the first round. This happens even if the scenario does not normally allow Reinforcements and is in addition to any Reinforcements from the scenario.

Far Horizons: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Scout Out post-battle action:

  • Scout Out: When this post-battle action is performed, the next time the gang rolls to determine the scenario their player may roll twice and choose which result to use.

Heroes of High Anchor: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Call for Aid post-battle action:

  • Call for Aid: When this post-battle action is performed, in the gang's next battle they may petition a House Agent for no credit cost.

Splinter Mining Clan​

Over the centuries, many Charter Masters have formed their own mining clans for a myriad of reasons from the pursuit of ancient technologies to fallings out over the classification of chems. These Splinter Mining Clans rarely survive more than a few generations, only the hardiest enduring to make a name for themselves and leave a legacy. Splinter Clan: When a clan selects Splinter Mining Clan as their Ancestry, select one Ancestry ability from another clan. Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the selected Ancestry ability.

Survival Against the Odds: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Not Quite Dead post-battle action:

  • Not Quite Dead: When this post-battle action is performed, select a friendly fighter who suffered a Lasting Injury during this battle. You may discard the Lasting Injury they received and roll on the Lasting Injury table again. This second result must be kept even if it is worse than the original.

Children of the Core: Ironhead Squats with this Ancestry may perform the Adapt or Die post-battle action:

  • Adapt or Die: When this post-battle action is performed, select one skill this fighter has. The selected skill may be exchanged for any other skill within the same Skill Set or a skill from one of the fighter's Primary Skill Sets.
Designer's Note: Creating Your Own Splinter Mining Clan

With the Arbitrator's permission, players may wish to design their own Ancestry rules for a Splinter Mining Clan. This is relatively straightforward and provides a great opportunity to make your Ironhead Squat prospectors truly unique!

In order to do so, carefully consider the background of the Splinter Mining Clan – what events shaped them in the past, how do they operate out in the wastes, what are their areas of expertise? Fundamentally, what makes them different from other mining clans?

Having done this, consider what post-battle actions could be performed by the Leaders and Champions of the gang. You will need to come up with three separate abilities; have a look at the ones provided here for examples of what is appropriate.