Running The Campaign

Source: The Book of Desolation (2024)

The Underhells Campaign is broken down into three main parts, each divided by a period of Downtime allowing gangs to lick their wounds and consolidate their strenght before venturing onto the next phase. Each phase runs for a variable number of cycles in which battles are played and victories are tallied. At the end of each cycle (as determined by the Arbitrator), the effects of the players’ battles are applied to the the campaign.

The Underhells Campaign is divided up into five phases:

Phase	Duration
1. Incursion phase	Variable
2. Downtime	One cycle
3. Delving phase	Variable
4. Downtime	One cycle
5. Survival phase	Variable

Each phase is broken down as follows:

1. Incursion Phase (Variable)​

An ancient battlefield still strewn with the remains of the decade-long conflict to eliminate, and later contain, the Hive Secundus Genestealer Cult uprising. The dead zone between the Dust Wall and the Secundan Abyss contains abandoned military camps, gutted war machines and dozens of ruined settlements, including the haunted remains of the dead hives Nostrum and Pulvaus.

The first part of the Underhells Campaign follows the gangs as they move through the dead zone within the Dust Wall towards the Secundan Abyss. During this phase, the following rules apply:

• The Madness level is set to Ghosts of the Dead.
• The Desolation level is set to Limited Trade.
• The Darkness level is set to Heavy Skies.

Territories And Phases​

To represent the long and arduous journey across hundreds of kilometres of hostile wasteland, the Underhells Campaign is divided into three phases (the Incursion Phase, Delving Phase and Survival Phase), separated by two Downtime phases where gangs will might rest, recover and re-equip their fighters. In these three phases gangs will hold a single Territory each campaign cycle, representing their camp along the way. At the end of the cycle, after the benefits of the Territory have been gathered, they will move on to a new camp and generate a new random Territory, as detailed on page 68.

Territories are also keyed to different phases (i.e., regions) and so depending on the phase different territories will be available for the gangs to make camp in.

Generating And Changing Territories​

At the start of the first campaign cycle, the Arbitrator should randomly assign a single Territory from those in the Dead Zone to each gang. Gangs then gain the benefits from this Territory for the duration of the campaign cycle. Note that multiple gangs can have the same Territory, with each gaining the benefits as normal.

At the start of the following cycle, all gangs discard their current Territory and are assigned a new random Territory. Which Territories are available is determined by the phase. In the Incursion phase gangs have access to Dead Zone territories, in the Delving phase they have access to Secundan Abyss territories, and finally in the Survival phase they have access to Underhells territories.

Once again, they gain the benefits from this Territory just for the current campaign cycle, before discarding it in the following cycle and gaining a new Territory - representing their gang moving from one camp to the next.

Changing Phases​

The journey to Secundus is more than merely a contest between rivals over lost archeotech, it is also a race. As gangs fight battles against their rivals (and the environment) they will earn Exploration points, reflecting them finding their way through the blasted wastelands around the fallen hive city. Different scenarios include different amounts of points available to gangs; often both victors and vanquished will earn points, as even defeated gangs are always on the move. In the same way as Experience points and credits, players will need to keep track of the number of Exploration points their gang has earned by recording it on their gang roster.

At the end of each cycle, the Arbitrator checks these running tallies to determine if enough Exploration points have been accrued between the gangs to move onto the next phase. When three times as many Exploration points as there are players have been earned, the phase will end and the campaign will move onto the next phase. Players may now spend the Exploration points they have earned, with any unspent points discarded before the new phase.

Spending Exploration Points​

In addition to their use in determining the changing of the phase, players may spend Exploration points during Downtime. This represents valuable archeotech and ancient ruins they may have encountered during the journey to Secundus, or the time they have taken to pause as they fully investigate a new area.

Exploration points may be spent for the following benefits:

• Up to 5 points can be spent to gain D3x10 creds, per point spent, of weapons and Wargear from the gang’s Gang Equipment list.
• 2 points can be spent to choose the gang’s next Territory (as determined by region) rather than having it randomly assigned to them.
• 6 points can be spent to gain an additional Territory (always randomly determined), when new Territories are assigned at the start of the next phase. This extra Territory is not discarded after each campaign cycle, but is discarded at the end of the phase.

2. Downtime (1 Cycle)​

During Downtime, gangs have a chance to recover and regroup, taking the opportunity to re-equip, fix up wounded fighters and repair and upgrade vehicles as they recuperate in the port cities above the Secundan Abyss. Exceptionally bold and active players might put their gangs through a special side battle (see below) if they just can’t be away from the roar of guns and chainblades for that long.

The Effects Of Downtime​

After the last battle of the Incursion phase, players complete the steps at the end the post-battle sequence:

A. Fighters Recover
B. Captives are Returned
C. Experienced Juves and Prospects are Promoted
D. Fresh Recruitment

A. Fighters Recover​

Any In Recovery boxes on the gang roster are cleared.

B. Captives Are Returned​

Any Captured fighters are released. The gang that had Captured them receives half their credits value (rounding up to the nearest 5 credits).

C. Experienced Juves And Prospects Are Promoted​

If any gang contains any Juves or Prospects with three or more Advancements, they may be promoted. Their characteristics and credits value are unaffected, but their Type is changed as described in their fighter entry.

D. Fresh Recruitment​

All gangs gain 250 credits to spend on new equipment from their Gang Equipment List or to recruit new fighters, vehicles and/or Hangers-on. These credits must be spent now and cannot be added to the gang’s Stash. Gangs may supplement these credits with extra credits from their Stash. These purchases are unaffected by the Desolation level.

Side Battles

Side battles are special battles fought during Downtime. While most players. will be happy with taking a break fora week and getting ready for the next phase, there may be a few who can't go a week without their fix of gang warfare. To satisfy this need, an Arbitrator can run one or more side battles during Downtime, Side battles are fought after the effects of Downtime are applied.

Side battles should, as a rule, be unusual and have no effect on the campaign as a whole. They are a great opportunity for the Arbitrator to design a custom scenario, to use the Arbitrator tools from the Necromiunda Core Rulebook, or to i play some of the narrative scenarios. Models can earn Experience and suffer Lasting Injuries or Lasting Damage from a side battle, but should not gain or earn income, or gain credits or Reputation as a reward for a side battle. Instead, the Arbitrator should create a special reward for the victor or victors of a side battle, such as an unpredictable piece of archeotech, a unique chem, or a custom gang tactic.

3. Delving Phase (Varible)​

In the centre of the dead zone is the Secundan Abyss, a kilometres-deep pit, tens of kilometres across. The result of the use of gravitic weapons, a permanent gravity distortion persists here, creating an impenetrable storm that transformed the Abyss into a deep sea-like realm of cold, shifting shadows.

The second part of the Underhells Campaign follows the gangs as they explore the Secundan Abyss, searching for a way into the depths of the Underhells, During this phase. the following rules apply:

• The Madness level is set to Echoes in the Abyss.
• The Desolation level is set to Crane Cities.
• The Darkness level is set to Toxic Deeps.

4. Downtime (1 Cycle)​

During Downtime, gangs have a chance to recover and regroup, taking the opportunity to re-equip, fix up wounded fighters and repair and upgrade vehicles as they recuperate in base camps just outside the Underhells of Hive Secundus before venturing inside. This is also an opportunity for those who crave more action to put their gangs through a special side battle (see page 69).

At the end of this cycle of Downtime, any Ferryman teams leave the gangs they were working with, their contracts fulfilled.

5. Survival Phase (Varible)​

Beneath the shattered bones of Hive Secundus is a tangled labyrinth of collapsed domes, tunnels and caverns. Known as the Underhells, it is here the Malstrain Patriarch resides, along with its countless minions, and the unimaginable wealth of the hive once known as Necromunda’s second greatest City.

The final part of the Underhells Campaign follows the gangs as they descend into the depths of the Underhells in search of archeotech. During this phase, the following rules apply:

• The Madness level is set to Shadow of the Broodmind.
• The Desolation level is set to Cut off from the World.
• The Darkness level is set to Stygian Depths.
• Two Data Crystal Stacks are set up at the start of each battle.

Winning​

Victory in the Underhells Campaign can be measured in many ways, although simply surviving the journey to the depths of the Underhells is an achievement in itself. At the end of the campaign, the Arbitrator awards Triumphs to the players depending on how their gangs have performed during the campaign.

The Arbitrator should have a look at the Triumphs at the start of the Underhells Campaign as some of them require keeping track of how many Malstrain Genestealers each gang has slain and total Exploration points earned, so these will need to be recorded. Likewise, the Arbitrator might like to make the players aware of the different Tnumphs at the beginning of the campaign so that each player can decide if there is one or more they wish to try to achieve. Below is a list of the Underhelis Campaign Triumphs:

Triumph	Criteria
Explorator	The player's gang with the most Exploration points earned at the end of the campaign.
Slayer of the Malstrain	The player's gang which killed the most Malstrain Genestealers during the campaign.
Lord of Secundus	The player's gang with the highest Reputation at the end of the campaign.
Warmonger	The player's gang who fought the most battles across the campaign.
Champion of the Malstrain	The player's gang who won the the most scenarios for the Malstrain.
Conqueror of the Underhells	The player's gang who won the the most scenarios for the Archeo-hunters.