Lifeline for the Desperate, Playtime for the Decadent
While the promise of riches buried in the dangerous depths of the Underhells is a potent lure for those on
the fringes, drawing in the most destitute, not all who delve Hive Secundus exist on the knife’s edge
between poverty and oblivion. Some seek the ancient archaeotech and data-stacks not in hopes of
escaping the cycle of violence of the underhives, but to consolidate and secure their power and status
away from them. To ascend to the absolute elite amongst the Spires of Hive Primus, nobles must prove
they can weather the lethal games of the noble Houses. Young scions and children of the Spires must
build their reputations and demonstrate that they can and will do anything for their House’s glory and their own, no matter how distasteful or how many lesser lives must be spent to do so. They must take up the mantle of a Spyrer. These powerful fighters – trained by the most skilled and exacting tutors available to the noble Houses – outfit themselves in ancient technology, the kind only the considerable wealth and
connections of the nobility can afford. Offering unparalleled protection, enhanced mobility and esoteric
weaponry crafted by the finest technoartisans throughout history, these hunting rigs are passed down
throughout the generations as honoured relics. As the Spyrers fight and kill gangers, mutated horrors and
the vile Malstrain, they unlock their suits’ potential, growing more and more dangerous with each combat.
Mastery of the suit leads to mastery of the Underhells, and after that, with any luck, mastery of the noble
courts and the Spires themselves.
1) Incursion Phase
Ash clouds and rad-winds howl throughout a battered and broken landscape, littered with devastation and gravitic anomalies, scars of the decade-long conflict to eliminate and contain the Genestealer Cult
uprising within Hive Secundus. The desolate wastelands between the Dust Wall and the Secundan Abyss
are littered with ruins, collateral damage from the orbital bombardment of the Hive itself: abandoned
military outposts, once the homes of the soldiers lost to the pacification of the Genestealers; vehicle
depots and huge war machines stripped and gutted of any valuables raiders can find; dozens of
settlements, the walls of their hab-blocks still bearing the outlines of those caught outside when the
nuclear flashes of the warheads vaporised them; even two entire dead hive cities, Nostrum and Pulvaus.
All will prove lucrative and tempting diversions for gangs making the trek across the dead wastes, offering a measure of respite and safety from the roaming horrors, opportunities to rearm and resupply, and even the simple ability to rest and catch one’s breath – just hope that a rival gang has not thought to do the same wherever you have decided to lay your weary heads.
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.
Incursion Phase Territories – these are allocated randomly:
D6 | Territory |
1 | Old Bunker Complex |
2 | Abandoned Battlefield |
3 | Hidden Holdfast |
4 | Abandoned Promethium Station |
5 | Crashed Stratoplane |
6 | Fallen Crane |
If you control the Abandoned Promethium Station you may recruit an Ammo-jack Hanger-On for free.
Incursion Phase Scenario Selection Table
2D6 | Result |
2-3 | The player with the greater number of Exploration points chooses which scenario to play. If both players have the same number of Exploration points, the winner of a roll-off chooses which scenario to play. |
4-5 | Play the Defend the Camp scenario. |
6-7 | Play the Zone Exploration scenario. |
8-9 | Play the Archeo Hunters scenario. |
10-12 | The player with fewer Exploration points chooses which scenario to play. If both players have the same number of Exploration points, the winner of a roll-off chooses which scenario to play. |
2) Downtime
After the last battle of the Incursion phase, players complete the steps at the end of the post-battle
sequence:
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. Spending Exploration Points
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.
E. 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.
F. Downtime mission
there will be an optional downtime mission that you can choose to play. Please
note there will be a credit reward for this mission as you will NOT control any territory during downtime
and you will NOT gain any boons for any territories that you previously held. The Madness, Desolation
and Darkness levels remain the same as the previous phase.
3) Delving Phase
At the centre of the dead zone beyond the Dust Wall lies the crown jewel, the target of all the hopefuls
who make the lethal trek across the scarred sands: the Secundan Abyss. Tens of kilometres across and
many times that in depth, the blasted pit of the Abyss bears the wounds of its destruction. A permanent
graviton distortion encompasses the entire Abyss, an impenetrable storm that has warped it into a stygian
realm of isolating darkness, oppressive cold and 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.
Devling Phase Territories – these are allocated randomly unless you spend exploration points to choose:
D6 | Territory |
1 | Forlorn Waystation |
2 | Gutted Rig |
3 | Girder Forest |
4 | Hunter’s Enclave |
5 | Hab Scrap |
6 | Fortified Camp |
Delving Phase Scenario Selection Table
2D6 | Result |
2-3 | The player with the greater number of Exploration points chooses which scenario to play. If both players have the same number of Exploration points, the winner of a roll-off chooses which scenario to play. |
4-5 | Play the Lost in the Ruins scenario. |
6-7 | Play the Trophy Hunt scenario. |
8-9 | Play the Desperate Raid scenario. |
10-12 | The player with fewer Exploration points chooses which scenario to play. If both players have the same number of Exploration points, the winner of a roll-off chooses which scenario to play. |
4) Downtime
See above – please note this is DIFFERENT to the rules in the book.
5) Survival Phase
Even further below the Abyss and the broken bones of Hive Secundus is a maddening labyrinth, a
snarled and tangled weave of collapsed domes, spidering tunnels and snaking corridors. This is what you
came here for: the Underhells. A world of potential, littered with valuable treasures and bounties even
Hive Primus cannot offer. But take care, for it belongs to the Malstrain. The endless hordes of the
Malstrain Patriarch prowl its lightless, chthonic domain, all too eager to assimilate any who are brave and
foolish enough to enter. If a gang can survive the dangers that come with being right at the nexus of the
Malstrain’s power, the unimaginable wealth of Necromunda’s former second city will be theirs for the
taking.
Good luck, delver, and say a prayer to the Emperor. Your voice probably won’t reach His ears from the
Underhells, and His light will not shine upon you there, but it can’t hurt to try. If you somehow beat the
odds and manage to return from the journey, escape from the perils of the underhive awaits, a life of
comfort, respect and power. In the much more likely scenario that you don’t return and become just
another one of the untold legions of corpses littering the tomb that is Hive Secundus, take comfort in the
knowledge that just like the rest of those faceless, nameless ghosts haunting the Underhells, you will
pass into the annals of Necromundan history as little more than a footnote, and the shame of your failure
will pass with you.
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.
Survival Phase Territories
These are allocated randomly unless you spend exploration points to choose:
D6 | Territory |
1 | Collapsed Dome |
2 | Haunted Halls |
3 | Thermal Abyss |
4 | Fortified Dome |
5 | Cogitator Nexus |
6 | Xenos Boneyard |
Survival Phase Scenario Selection Table
2D6 | Result |
2-3 | The player with the greater number of Exploration points chooses which scenario to play. If both players have the same number of Exploration points, the winner of a roll-off chooses which scenario to play. |
4-5 | Play the Underhells Encounter scenario. |
6-7 | Play the Turning the Tables scenario. |
8-9 | Play the Cut off the Head scenario. |
10-12 | The player with fewer Exploration points chooses which scenario to play. If both players have the same number of Exploration points, the winner of a roll-off chooses which scenario to play. |
Territories
During an Underhells Campaign, gangs are making the long journey from the Dust Wall into the depths of the Secundan Abyss until finally making it into the claustrophobic ruins of the Underhells of Hive
Secundus. This is a long and perilous journey, represented by the various Territories they hold as they as
they move towards the campaign’s conclusion.
Each Territory grants the holder a Boon, which is collected during the Collect Income step of the
post-battle sequence. The territories will be randomly determined by the Arbitrator for each player in each phase of the campaign.
Gangs gain a benefit from each Territory they control called a Boon. This Boon might be income, an
additional gang member, a piece of rare or unique equipment or a special rule. A gang receives the
benefits of a Territory’s Boon so long as it holds that Territory. Once the Territory is discarded as the gang
moves on, the Boon is lost.
If a Territory provides income for the gang that controls it, the gang adds the amount of credits shown to
their Stash when generating income after all battles.
Some Territories grant gangs new fighters, Hired Guns or Hangers-on as recruits to the gang. These incur
no cost to recruit but do add to the Gang Rating and Wealth value.
Additionally, though any gang fighter recruited from the gang’s House List incurs no cost to recruit, any
equipment that is not part of the fighter’s basic cost must be purchased at the normal cost, or supplied
from the gang’s Stash unless the Territory states otherwise. These fighters stay with the gang even after
they have moved on and discarded the Territory.
Any Hired Gun recruited as a Boon has no cost, and will remain with the gang for as long as they control
the Territory that grants the Boon.
Any Hanger-on recruited as a Boon has no cost, does not count towards the maximum number of
Hangerson the gang may normally have, may be recruited without meeting the normal Reputation
requirement and remains with the gang for as long as they control the Territory that grants the boon.
Some of the territories grant a special boon. The Boon grants a unique benefit to the gang that holds the
Territory. The benefit follows the rules listed in the relevant entry for the Territory. When the Territory is lost then so is the benefit. A Full list of the territories can be found at:
https://www.necroraw.ru/docs/campaigns/underhells-campaign/territories#old-bunker-complex–dead-zone
Skill Rules (House Rules)
- Rain of Blows: Can make second fight action after charging (following any reaction attacks from the opponent first).
- Backstab: If benefiting from this skill, apply an additional -1 AP.
- Infiltrate: Instead of being able to deploy anywhere, can make 2 move actions before the first turn.
- Impetuous: If eligible, can both Coup de Grace and Consolidate (2″) after a Fight action.
- Ballistics Expert: Can pre-measure the distance to one enemy fighter when aiming.
- Fast Shot: Apply -1 hit modifier when using this skill on the second shot.
- Trick Shot: Apply +1 modifier to any ammo tests.
Sign up
The campaign starts on the February the 6th 2025. The sign up for the campaign opens today, Friday the 17th of January and it will remain open until the campaign begins. From the 16th we will create a space on the Discord for rolling dice, for stories, for scoring updates and all the like.
If you have any questions please contact Simon or Neil on Discord who will be happy to help out!
Next Release
In the next release about the campaign we will look at the following:
● Roaming Horrors
● Data Crystals
● Roaming Horror Stats and load out

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