Provided below are the house rules we use for Ash Waste Nomads.
The surface of the world has long been utterly ruined by pollution.
What remains are shifting dunes of industrial waste, decomposed particulate, carbonized cinders, rivers and lakes of turgid sludge and effluvium, constantly shifting industrial detritus, sporadically deluged by acidic precipitation dropped infrequently from opaque and leaden clouds of smog.
But despite this hellishness, dotted here and there across this inhospitable wasteland are small outposts of desperate and merciless survivors. Shanty-folk, sludge-farmers, mutants and abhumans, and others even less easily identifiable. Those forsaken lands are home to anarchy at its most pure, and the Darwinian right of the stronger to prey on the weaker is the only authority.
One of the more numerous recognizable groups of wastelings and fringers are the so-called Ash Waste Nomads, descendents of a fallen faction of Noble House Cattalus, doomed to the wastes millenia ago by their victorious former brethren. Cast out of the rich upper reaches of the spires and forced to survive on the grim and unforgiving surface of the death world, most of the outcasts died. Those who remain are the descendents of the ones who refused to give in to extinction. Generations of winnowing have ensured that those who wander the wastes today are apex survivors.
Today these descendents of fallen Cattalus exist as tribal groups, usually as rootless and wandering as the catch all term "Ash Waste Nomads" would imply, but not entirely. Some small semi-permanent encampments of their peoples exist here and there, stable for a generation or three at a time before disaster or strife scatters them once more to wander the wastes anew.
There are some small courtesies observed among Ash Waste Nomad tribes who still cling to the half-forgotten ancient lore of their shared origin, tales of their ancestors as lords among lords up high in the spires, and sometimes a few Ash Waste Nomad tribes will unite under the banner of a particularly powerful or charismatic chief. But while Ash Waste Nomads of different tribes generally wont kill or enslave one another on sight and might offer some small hospitalities to one another, by and large each tribe is its own sovereign entity with no central authority or unifying principle.
Generally speaking, Ash Waste Nomads remain in the wastes and are uninvolved in spire or underhive drama. However, sometimes daring or desperate nomad bands will detonate a hole in the side of a spire and go for a wild spree of violence and robbery, reaving commodities, food, tech, slaves, anything at all of value in the unimaginably hostile barrens they call home. Some of them even make a speciality of it.
And sometimes the Guilders (or even a Noble House) become sufficiently incensed by depredations upon caravans and interspire transports to post bounties on nomad scalps, causing assorted hive scum and the occasional underhive gang to pour out into the wastes looking for heads to collect. Most are unprepared for the hostility of the environment and die ingloriously in the toxic outland. Either way, outlander nomads and underhive gangs are natural enemies.
An Ash Waste Nomads gang must follow these rules when it is founded, and when new fighters are added to the gang.
An Ash Waste Nomad gang is made up of the following types of fighters.
200 credits
A Nomad Immortan is the meanest, most formidable, and most charismatic member of an Ash Waste Nomad tribe, ruling as much by force of personality as physical might. With the dedicated fervor of their followers bolstering them, an Immortan can be quite terrifying and is not to be trifled with.
125 credits
Nomad Imperators serve the will of their Immortan...right up until they decide to strike out on their own, or make their own bid for power and attempt to usurp leadership.
75 credits
Nearly every Ash Waste Nomad gang seems to have at least one oversized thuggish young tribe member, prized for their size and strength. Most just end up making conveniently large targets to be shot at, but a few survive and rise in power and influence to become an Imperator some day.
75 credits
Some Ash Waste Nomad gangs have one or two members who buck the usual stereotypes of their ilk, and have various interests and vocations that suit them to filling in some useful niche.
75 credits
Ash Waste Nomad gangs are primarily composed of crazed Warboys, eager to prove themselves even if only via a memorable death.
50 credits
Ash Waste Nomad tribes are made up mainly of run of the mill Tribesfolk, but to even survive at all in the Ash Wastes requires above average durability as the weak don't survive infancy. Though they'll never rise up as part of the leadership of their tribe, they can still do their part to further their tribe's survival.
50 credits
If a gang has a Bullet Farmer who is not in Recovery or Captured, the gang's player may gain an Extra Ammo Wargear item and add it to the card of a fighter in the gang's Crew.
75 credits
If the gang is the attacker in a scenario that includes an objective to destroy, or trapped loot caskets to capture,
the Demolitionist may join the gang's Crew for that scenario.
125 credits
Orlock, Goliath, Van Saar, and Void Baron gangs may hire a Squat Demolitionist as a Hangers-on. A gang may have either a Squat Demolitionist or a Demolitionist, not both. If a gang has a Squat Demolitionist on retainer, the gang may call upon them for assistance when something needs to be blown up or defused.
150 credits
Spanners are able hands with their spudjackers, both for the dismantling of scrap and for knocking heads in. A Spanner who is not in Recovery or Captured may join their gang's Crew.
50 credits
If a gang has a Wastes Merchant who is not in Recovery or Captured, the Wastes Merchant may take the Seek Rare Item action or the Seek Buyer action even if the gang they belong to is ordinarily not allowed to visit the Trading Post.
150 credits
Unlike many types of Hangers-on, Orlock Outcasts confer no static bonus to their gang but are always available as fighters unless they are Captured or in Recovery. However, it costs their gang an additional D3 x 10 credits to add them to the gang's Crew per battle and if this amount is not paid they are removed from the gang's roster immediately.
An Ash Waste Nomads gang is available on a case by case basis depending upon the type of campaign. Consult the Arbitrator or campaign write up to determine if a player may run an Ash Waste Nomads gang and what restrictions, exceptions, or guidelines might apply.
If an Ash Waste Nomads gang is allowed in a type of campaign, in addition to any other campaign specific rules that may apply to them the following requirements and restrictions apply and must be adhered to.
An Ash Waste Nomads gang may select Tactics Cards from the
Ash Waste Nomads Tactics Cards
list by default, though campaign and / or scenario-specific guidelines may modify this.
Adrenaline Surge ~Beta~
You may play this card when activating a fighter.
The currently activating fighter can make one additional action this turn.
Ambition ~Alpha~
You may play this card at the start of any round. Select one of your Prospects, Gangers, Specialists, or Juves that is on the battlefield. Tuck this under that fighter's card.
This fighter gains Group Activation (2) with a range of 9''.
Anything's A Weapon ~Gamma~
You may play this card when you activate one of your gang's fighters. Tuck this under that fighter's card.
This fighter's unarmed attacks have the Melee trait, and have a weapon profile of S+1, - AP, and 2 Damage.
Ash Storm ~Alpha~
You may play this card at the start of any round.
For the remainder of this battle the Ash Storm condition is in effect. At the start of each turn, visibility for the turn is reduced to a maximum of 5D6''. Additionally, all movement is reduced by 1'' per action; fighters with a Respirator or Filter Plugs (who choose to use them) and all Ratskins and Ash Waste Nomads are immune to this movement reduction.
Bad Air ~Alpha~
You may play this card at the start of any round.
For the remainder of this battle the Bad Air condition are in effect.
Beat Down ~Gamma~
You may play this card at the start of a round.
For the duration of the round, all unarmed close combat attacks made by fighters of your gang that hit, automatically inflict a Flesh Wound unless a save roll is made.
No wound roll or injury roll is made.
Blazing Fury ~Beta~
You may play this card when activating a fighter.
For the duration of this fighter's activation they treat the Shoot action as Simple rather than Basic or Double (in the case of an Unwieldy weapon), and do not roll Firepower dice when making a Shoot action. If using a weapon with the Rapid Fire trait, assume the maximum possible number of hits were rolled.
Chin Music ~Gamma~
You may play this card to interrupt an enemy fighter's action when that fighter attacks one of your gang's fighters in close combat.
Your gang's attacked fighter may make a single unarmed attack against their attacker at +1 Strength and with the Melee and Knockback traits. If the attacker is not knocked back, Seriously Injured or taken Out of Action by this attack, their attack then resumes.
Desperate Effort ~Beta~
You may play this card if it is your turn to activate a fighter, but none of your fighters have Ready markers.
Select one of your non-Broken fighters that has at least 1 Wound remaining and activate them as if they had a Ready marker. After this activation ends, if the fighter is still on the battlefield they suffer 1 Wound.
Frag Trap ~Gamma~
You may play this card when activating a fighter.
Add a Frag Trap to the activating fighter's card.
Just Add Nails ~Beta~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters is making a ranged attack with a Frag Grenade, before rolling to hit.
For this attack only, the Frag Grenade loses the Blast (3'') trait and gains the Blast (5'') trait.
Krakow ~Gamma~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters has wounded an object (such as a door) or another fighter with a Krak Grenade.
The attack's Damage is increased by 2.
After resolving this card, you may discard a different Tactics Card to return this card to your hand.
Lead by Example ~Alpha~
You may play this card when the Leader of your gang takes an enemy fighter Out of Action.
Any of your gang's fighters who are Pinned may stand up for free. Any of your gang's fighters who are Seriously Injured may recover, taking a Flesh Wound and becoming Pinned. Any of your gang's fighters who are Broken immediately Rally.
Melta Trap ~Gamma~
You may play this card when activating a fighter.
Add a Melta Trap to the activating fighter's card.
Scrag ~Gamma~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters would inflict a Flesh Wound on an enemy fighter in close combat.
This fighter instead inflicts D3+1 Flesh Wounds on the enemy fighter.
After resolving this card, you may discard a different Tactics Card to return this card to your hand.
Second Wind ~Gamma~
You may play this card instead of activating a fighter.
You may remove a Flesh Wound from one of your gang's fighters, and if they are Pinned they may immediately stand up.
After resolving this card, you may discard a different Tactics Card to return this card to your hand.
Steel Constitution ~Gamma~
You may play this card when activating a fighter. Tuck this under that fighter's card.
This fighter is unaffected by the Gas, Toxin, and Radiation traits. When this fighter makes a Recovery test, they are considered to be assisted even when they are alone.
They're Everywhere! ~Beta~
You may play this card instead of activating a fighter.
Select up to D3+1 fighters on the battlefield (belonging to any gang). For each selected fighter, you may change that fighter's facing to any direction you prefer.
Trusty Backup ~Gamma~
You may play this card when you activate one of your gang's fighters. Tuck this under that fighter's card.
This fighter gains a free Stub Pistol with Hangman Rounds. If this fighter survives the battle and is not Captured, move this item to your gang's Stash immediately.
Violent-Minded ~Gamma~
You may play this card when activating one of your gang's fighters.
For the duration of this activation, this fighter adds a +1 modifier when they roll to hit and also when they roll to wound, with either ranged or close combat attacks.
After resolving this card, you may discard a different Tactics Card to return this card to your hand.