162. Return to the Gauntlet
RAW ✔️ Apocrypha Necromunda: Bonedry and Broke, p14
"Thing about Bald Bryen is he doesn't care who wins; runners or hunters, it's all the same to him as long as they put on a good show."
- Cryblish Frome, Rust Town Scrip Wrangler
In this scenario, a set of runners must navigate one of Bald Bryen's infamous Rust Town mazes in search of a Chrono-crystal, while merciless hunters try to stop them!
Attacker and Defender
In this scenario, one gang is the attacker and the other is the defender. If this scenario is being played as part of a campaign, then the gang that issued the challenge is the attacker; otherwise, roll off with the winner deciding whether they will attack or defend.
Battle Type
This scenario is an Underhive battle; vehicles and Wargear that grant the Mounted condition cannot be included in either gang's starting crew.
Battlefield
Set up the battlefield by first marking out an area 12" x 48", or using four Necromunda Zone Mortalis tiles arranged in a straight line. Next place walls, obstacles or other pieces of terrain onto the battlefield. Any piece of terrain higher than 3" is impassible (i.e., cannot be climbed over). Every 12" the battlefield should be blocked off by impassable terrain, such as a wall, with a single door to allow passage to the next 12" section. Thus each 12" x 12" section of the battlefield is cut off from the next.
Finally, the defender places a single Loot Casket within 2" of one of the short battlefield edges.
Crews
This scenario uses the standard rules for choosing a crew, as described in the Battlefield Set-up & Scenarios section of the Necromunda Core Rulebook. Both gangs use the Random Selection (D3+4) method to determine their crew.
Deployment
The attacker deploys their fighters anywhere within 2" of the short battlefield edge opposite the Loot Casket, and may not deploy fighters outside of this area regardless of any skills, special rules or Wargear they possess. The defender deploys as described in the Hidden in Shadows special rule.
Gang Tactics
This scenario uses the standard rules for gang tactics as described in the Battlefield Set-up & Scenarios section of the Necromunda Core Rulebook.
Ending the Battle
The scenario ends either when one of the attacker's fighters opens the Loot Casket, or if either gang has no fighters left on the battlefield at the end of any round (including those hiding using the Hidden in Shadows rule).
Victory
If the attacker opens the Loot Casket, and claims the Chrono-crystal within, they are the winner. Otherwise, if only one gang has fighters remaining on the battlefield, they are victorious.
Rewards
Chrono-crystal
If the attacker is victorious, they may add a Chrono-crystal to their stash.
Credits
Both sides are assumed to be gambling over the outcome of the run and so add credits to their gang's Stash for each enemy fighter taken Out of Action; 10 credits for each opposing Ganger, Juve or Prospect, 20 credits for each opposing Champion and 40 credits if the opposing Leader is taken Out of Action.
The attacker can also sell the Chrono-crystal (if they get it) for 2D6x20 credits, or hold onto it, as it might be useful at some point in the future...
Experience
Each attacking fighter on the battlefield at the end of the scenario earns D3 XP.
If the defending gang wins, then their Leader (whether they were part of the battle or not) earns D6 XP.
Reputation
The victorious gang gains D3 Reputation.
Death Traps
The gauntlet is filled with deadly traps ready to spring upon the unwary. Every time a fighter (both attackers and defenders) moves more than 4" in a single activation, once they have completed their movement, but before they take any additional actions, roll a D6 on the Death Traps table.
Death Traps
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Direct Hit: The fighter is caught completely by surprise and badly damaged. Roll an Injury dice for the fighter and apply the result. The fighter's activation then ends. |
| 2-3 | Glancing Blow: The fighter is caught in the edge of the trap and suffers superficial cuts, burns or bruises. The fighter gains a Flesh Wound. The fighter's activation then ends. |
| 4-6 | Narrow Escape: The fighter manages to dodge out of the way of the trap. They may complete their activation if they have not used all their actions. |
Bald Bryen's Maze Gates
To pass from one section of the gauntlet to the next, runners must decode and open each of Bald Bryen's three Maze Gates. These are the doors that allow passage from one 12" x 12" section to another (see Battlefield on page 14). The doors are also time locked, so can only be opened on or after a certain round. The first door can only be opened from round 2 onwards, the second from round 4 onwards and the last from round 6 onwards.
In order to try to open a Maze Gate, a fighter must perform the Decode Maze Gate (Double) action:
Decode Maze Gate (Double): Select a Maze Gate within 1" of this fighter and make an Intelligence test. If the test is passed then the door opens and cannot be closed again.
Hidden In Shadows
Bald Bryen makes sure the odds are stacked against the runners, and the gauntlet is filled with hidden tunnels and hatches only the hunters have access to. At the start of the battle the defender can set up their fighters anywhere on the battlefield, with the exception of the attacker's deployment area, or can choose to have them lurking in the shadows. Fighters that are lurking in the shadows are not Active and have no effect on the battle until they are deployed.
When it is the defender's turn to activate a fighter they can choose to either pass (taking no action), activate a Ready fighter as normal, move a fighter from the shadows onto the battlefield (placing it anywhere on the battlefield at least 1" from an enemy), or send a fighter back into the shadows (removing them from the battlefield). Fighters moved from the shadows are not Ready and so must wait until the following round to take actions. Fighters engaged by enemies may not be sent back into the shadows and fighters cannot both be sent back into the shadows and moved from the shadows in the same round.
Something To Prove
Once the run begins, it is all or nothing! In this scenario, both sides automatically pass all Bottle checks and neither gang may voluntarily bottle out.
Rust Town Run
If players wish, they may use this scenario to represent the Rust Town Run where Jorg Hardfoot hunted down the rogue noble Vetrium Hex. In order to do this, make the following changes:
The defending gang should be represented by an Underhive Outcasts gang led by a Noble House Underhive Outcasts Leader (see Necromunda: Book of the Outcast), built using the standard Gang Creation rules.
The attacking gang is represented by a Venator gang, with a Ratling Hunt Leader, an Ogryn Hunt Champion, a Human Hunt Champion with the Orlock Gang Legacy and at least two Ratling Hunters. The rest of the gang is built using the standard Gang Creation rules.