More Gallowdark Narrative Edicts
- Date
So if you've read the Into The Dark rule book, you'll know that there are a few narrative edicts that you can use to throw twists into your games. These are a few more that I've adapted from White Dwarf #486.
Defensive Machine Spirits
"Cognizant of the shifting mechanisms within the space hulk's labyrinthine depths, where darkness holds dominion and ancient technology stirs uneasily, we heed caution. Noisy machineries awaken of their own accord, and dormant weapon systems stir with erratic fervor. These phenomena, unsettling to the uninitiated, have branded space hulks as 'haunted.' Within lie dormant machine spirits, roused by our presence, their actions veering between malevolent hostility and confused adherence to their ancient protocols. Some detect the presence of other spirits and react defensively, as if in the throes of ship-to-ship combat. In this realm where echoes reign and shadows whisper, we must remain ever vigilant, lest we fall prey to the unpredictable whims of the ancient technology that surrounds us." - Magos Explorator Solas Verax
Slam Shut Hatchway
Each player can slam shut a Hatchway once per battle. To do so, at the end of an operative's activation, close an open Hatchway anywhere in the killzone. That Hatchway cannot be opened again during that Turning Point.
Comms Interference
Each time an ability or action is used that requires you to select a friendly operative Visible to and/or within a specified distance of another friendly operative, that firendly operative must be within 2" of that other friendly operative.
Comms Jamming
Each time you would use a Tactical Ploy, roll 1d6:
- On a 1-3, the Tactical Ploy is discarded and cannot be used this Turning Point. The Command points are refunded.
- On a 4+, you can use the Tactical Ploy as normal.
Wretched Communities
" The Gallowdark is a place of wretched communities, where the living eke out a meager existence amidst the ruins of the past. The survivors are a desperate lot, clinging to life in the face of overwhelming odds. They scavenge the hulk for sustenance, their lives a constant struggle against the encroaching darkness. In this forsaken place, hope is a rare commodity, and trust is a luxury few can afford. " - Inquisitor Kaela Mensha Khaine
Precarious Trade
After every 2 narrative play games, you can spend 1 material point or 1 requisition point to attempt a trade with a Gallowdark community.
| Roll 2d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2-3 (8.34%) | Murdered Operative: Remove one operative from your dataslate. |
| 4-5 (19.44%) | Brawl: One operative on your dataslate gains a Battle Scar. |
| 6-8 (44.45%) | Resource Trade: Gain 1 material point or 1 requisition point. |
| 9-10 (19.44%) | Experience Gained: Distribute up to D6 XP across the operatives on your dataslate. |
| 11-12 (8.34%) | Subjugate Community: Add one strategic asset to your dataslate or one item of rare equipment to your stash. |
Vagabond
At the start of the first Turning Point, determine each room in the killzone. A room is an area no operatives are set up in and one which all operatives can only move into by opening a Hatchway. The first time a Hatchway is opened to each room, if a vagabond has not yet been discovered, roll 1d6. On 5+ a Vagabond has been discovered in that room. The player who does not have the initiative sets up that Vagabond within that room (use a spare mini to proxy), more than (Circle) from access points and with an order of their choice. Once during each Firefight phase, the player who does not have the initiative can choose to activate the Vagabond on their turn. (So the control of the Vagabond can switch between turning points based on whoever does not have initiative for that turn.)
Vagabond Stats:
Vagabond
Amidst the shifting shadows of the Gallowdark, the Vagabond roams, a spectral figure traversing the fringes of reality. With eyes haunted by warp-induced visions, it straddles the line between ally and foe, its allegiance as unpredictable as the twisting currents of the Immaterium.
APL
MOVE
SAVE
WOUNDS
| NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol | 4 | 5+ | 2/3 | Range: | |
| Crude Melee Weapon | 4 | 4+ | 2/3 |
Warped Allegiance Whichever player lost initiative this turning point, can activate this unit as if it was one of theirs.
Hidden Vaults
"The Gallowdark is a labyrinth of hidden vaults, where the treasures of a bygone era lie buried beneath the dust of centuries. The vaults are a testament to the hubris of the past, their contents a tantalizing glimpse of the power that once was. But the vaults are not easily opened, and their secrets are jealously guarded by the hulk's ancient defenses. To plunder their depths is to court disaster, for the vaults are riddled with traps and pitfalls, their guardians ever vigilant against intruders. Only the most cunning and resourceful will survive the perils that lie within, and emerge with their prize intact." - Rogue Trader Elara Voss
Trove
At the start of the first Turning Point, starting with the Defender, each player places one of their Trove tokens anywhere in the killzone that is more than 3" from their opponent's Trove token, more than 2" from access points and more than 6" from each player's drop zone. If possible, it must be placed within a room. A room is an area no operatives are set up in and one which all operatives can only move into by opening a Hatchway. At the end of each Turning Point, if friendly operatives control a Trove token, remove it from the killzone and gain D3 Command points. If you remove both yours and your opponent's Trove token, you also gain 1 Requisition point.
Varied Ecosystem
"Rancid as a grox's armpit in here. One second chokin' on fun'us spores thick as Armageddon fog, next gettin' yer pan seared by vac-vented superheated lithium vapors. This rust-bucket ain't no friend to galput lungs, that's fer damn sure. Whole sections sealed off, swapped 'tween toxic rezz-cycle fumes and hard vacuum pockets faster than a flamer switch. Not even Ork-lovin' scunners would brew up ecosystems as hazard-fragged as this hulk's. But where there's deadly strang'lity, that's where the plunder's hidin'. We Catachans was made for survivin' the worst freaksome environments this 'verse can belch at us. Just grit yer teeth and gut through it, lads - the archeotech's waitin' on the other side if we make it." - Sergeant Vrakk Skarlgrin
After setting up the killzone, roll 1d6 to determine a killzone effect for the battle.
| Roll 1d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Promethium Lake: Operatives cannot make shooting attacks with weapons that have the Blast X, Splash X, or Torrent X special rules and any other weapons that the players feel are inappropriate in a flammable environment. |
| 3-4 | Toxic Chemical Pools: Each time a friendly operative is activated, if it has a Conceal order and is more than 1" from terrain features with the Heavy trait, it suffers 1d3 mortal wounds. |
| 5-6 | Hulk Swamp: Subtract 2" from each operatives Movement characteristic. (Minimum of 4") |
Corruption
"The Gallowdark is a place of corruption, where the very fabric of reality is twisted and warped by the malign influence of the Immaterium. The hulk is a breeding ground for daemonic entities, their presence tainting the air with a palpable sense of dread. The corruption seeps into the minds of those who dwell within its shadowed halls, twisting their thoughts and desires until they are unrecognizable. In this accursed place, the line between friend and foe blurs, and the only certainty is that death and damnation await all who dare to tread its darkened paths." - Inquisitor Kaela Mensha Khaine
Warping ship
At the start of each Turning Point after the first, roll one 1d6 for each operative within 1" of a terrain feature. On a 6, that opeartive suffers 1d3+1 mortal wounds.
