These Cog-League House Rules are a mix of suggested alternative play styles from the Necromunda Core Rulebook Appendix, common Community House Rules, and refinements suggested and tested at-table by the group to enhance, flavour, or better suit weekly non-campaign play against varying opponents.
The list is comprehensive, but in practice very quick to pick up and generally makes the standard rules smoother and less contradictory. Please raise any questions within the WhatsApp group and we will aim to resolve them as soon as possible.
For easy navigation, here is link to the campaign on Gyrinx.
Please note that any Core Values from the wider League rules will apply as overarching rules.
Rules which are not used in this League are: Alliances, Vehicles, Relics, Intrigues and House Sub-plots.
THE COG-LEAGUE UNIVERSAL TIERED INCOME (UTI)
After every battle, each gang earns income appropriate to their wealth as follows:
>1000 = 3d3x10
1000-2000 = 2d3x10
2000-2500 = 1d3x10
2500-3000 = No income
3000+ = No income + Doc visits cost 2d6x10x2, Rogue Docs cost 2d6x10
SCENARIO REWARDS
Gangs also earn credits as per the rewards described by the Scenario itself. Scenario Rewards are capped at 120 credits.
OTHER INCOME SOURCES
All skills, abilities, equipment, Hangers-On, Brutes etc. that allow a gang to generate additional income (e.g. Fixer skill) are banned.
SKILLS & ABILITIES
Remember… All skills, abilities, equipment, Hangers-On, Brutes etc. that allow a gang to generate additional income (E.g. Fixer skill) are banned.
At gang creation, all Fighters who have starting skills cannot have a duplicate skill with another Fighter in the gang. (This applies to Orlock Legendary Names as well)
Bodyguard – This ability only triggers if the user is Standing and Active.
WEAPONS
Bolters (and Ironhead Bolters) – Are considered Special Weapons.
Boning Swords – Not available through the Trading Posts.
Paired Weapons:
The Paired trait confers +2 attacks at all times, replacing the +1 gained from having two Close Combat Weapons (e.g. Sidearm + Melee weapon)
Fighters with two identical melee weapons count as having Paired weapons.
Smoke Grenades:
Not affected by -2 to hit modifier for targeting points on the Battlefield.
Always pass their first end of round test
Sever Trait – Only triggers if the Wound Roll is a natural 5 or 6.
Parry Trait – Fighters able to make 2 or more Parries (due to multiple weapons) may force the Attacker to re-roll their initial re-rolled dice.
Cursed Trait – Post the attack, roll 1D6, on 1 or 2 it affects the attacker as well.
Unstable Trait – When Unstable Triggers, ignore the automatic out of action rules and instead the Fighter immediately takes a hit from the Weapon, the Weapon is then destroyed and removed from the Fighter’s card.
EQUIPMENT
Ablative Overlay – Gains the Limited trait. After each piece of armour has been fully degraded (i.e. has taken two or more hits) it is deleted from the Fighter’s card.
Scarce/Limited Ammo – Failing an ammo check on one of a weapon’s profiles does not trigger Scarce or Limited on its other profiles.
Frenzon & Frenzon Collar – A Fighter under the effect of Frenzon must move their full distance and must move towards the closest visible enemy Fighter.
Falsehoods – A Gang may only own one (1) Falsehood at a time.
Pets – May finish their Activations outside of the mandated distance from their owner. However, if they do, they must make a Nerve Test or become Broken as normal after their owner and any other pets have finished all their Activations.
Hazard suit & Squat Exo-Suit – Wearer is not immune to Blaze or Rad-phage, but these effects will only trigger on a 6+, rather than the usual 4+.
Van Saar Bodyglove – Wearer is not immune to Rad-phage, but the effect will only trigger on a 6+, rather than the usual 4+.
FOUNDATION
Gangs are founded for up to 1000 credits using the relevant Gang rules. Any of these 1000 credits not spent at foundation are entered into the Gang’s stash.
If you had a gang entered into a previous Cog-League you may carry parts of that story into this league as follows:
Delete Fighters, Weapons and Wargear from your Gang until its rating AND wealth are both 1000 or less credits. XP advances and Injuries remain unchanged. Delete all unspent XP.
A Fighter may also form an Outcast Gang using the normal rules for Outcast Gang formation with your chosen Fighter as Leader.
A Champion may form a Splinter Gang:
Change the Champion’s Fighter type to Leader, but keep all existing XP advances, injuries, and equipment, deleting unspent XP.
Hire Fighters following normal rules for Gang creation.
At gang creation, all Fighters who have starting skills cannot have a duplicate skill with another Fighter in the gang. (This applies to Orlock Legendary Names as well)
CHAOS, CORRUPTED AND CRUSADING GANGS
Gangs are allowed to be corrupted or pledged to a saint as per the standard Necromunda rules, but some of the rules for this are adjusted as follows:
Chaos Helot gangs:
Existing immunity to insanity rules replaced with a 2+ Save vs Insanity for all Fighters, if the save fails then the usual Willpower check is required.
Chaos corrupted gangs:
The Gang becomes Outlaw and suffers all standard drawbacks for this.
The gang sacrifices access to house specific brutes, pets and hired guns. (These have replaced by the new options granted by being Corrupted)
Corrupted gangs suffer a further negative modifier to rolls for Availability at the trading posts.
Existing immunity to insanity rules replaced with a 4+ Save vs Insanity for all Fighters, if the save fails then the usual Willpower check is required.
Genestealer & Malstrain corrupted gangs:
The Gang becomes Outlaw and suffers all standard drawbacks for this.
The gang sacrifices access to house specific brutes, pets and hired guns. (These have replaced by the new options granted by being Corrupted)
Corrupted gangs suffer a further negative modifier to rolls for Availability at the trading posts.
Crusading gangs:
These largely operate as per standard rules, but some rules need to be adjusted, as such there is a revised set of Saint rules at the end of this House Rules pack.
SPYRERS
Gang size: A Spyrer gang may never include more than 6 fighters and in the Pre-Battle Phase, each Spyrer Fighter counts as two Fighter for the purposes of Crew Selection.
Using the Underdog Table: A Spyrer Gang may not recruit Dramatis Personae.
Hired Guns recruited by Spyrers may not: Voluntarily move within 6” of a Spyrer. If they do, they immediately become broken. If in the same Engaged Close Combat as a Spyrer, they cannot grant assists/interference, cannot Fight, and must make a Retreat action when it is their turn to Activate.
Income: Spyrers use UTI as normal for Cog-League gangs and do not use the Spyrer rules for income, recruitment and terror level.
Clearing Suit glitches: Glitches can be cleared as a post-battle action at any point for 120 credits per fighter.
XP: Spyrers do not gain XP from Pets or NPCs (e.g. zombies, hivers, rats etc)
Kill Count: Kill Count points are only gained from directly taking an enemy fighter out of action with a Shoot or Fight action. This does not include Fighters going OOA from falling, blaze, failed recovery rolls etc. as would generate XP for Fighters in Cog-Port. Kill counts are not gained from: Pets or NPCs (e.g. zombies, hivers, rats etc)
ENFORCERS
Enforcers must take at least two (2) Fighters of the same type as the Leader.
CORPSE GRINDER CULTS
Cutter’s Mask and Butcher’s Mask Terrifying trait:
Only works against Fighters attacking within the mask wearer’s vision arc.
If the Willpower Test is failed, the Action is not taken and is lost.
Corpse Grinder Juves no longer have the Infiltrate skill.
Movement bonuses from Slaughterborn are capped at 2”.
OUTCASTS
If using anything other than one of the Outcast Gang Leader profiles on Pg.18 of the Book of Outcast as a Leader, please check with Arbitrators for approval first.
VENATORS
The ‘Captured Fighters’ rule on Pg. 14 of the Book of Peril is not used.
TACTICS CARDS
Players must construct a deck of at least 24 unique cards (or use the tactics card table at the back of a gang House of Book).
Only one card granting the player priority may be included in your deck.
The value of any Free Fighters granted by Tactics Cards must be counted towards the crew for the purpose of calculating Underdog Bonuses.
The following cards are banned:
History of Violence
Dangerous Footing
Tough as Nails
Worse Than It Looks
Unnerving Whispers
Unstoppable Behemoth
GENERAL SAINT RULES UPDATES
Rules relating to how a gang becomes crusading, seeking a blessing or to that of the conduit are all as per “The Vaults of Temenos” rules.
Rules for Tenets and Sanctions are updated as follows.
SANCTIONS
If a gang fails to uphold the Tenets of their Saint then they lose the blessing of the Saint and become Sanctioned, The gang must make an offering to appease the Saint by removing D3x10 credits from their Stash immediately or immediately post generating rewards from the previous battle if the sanction occurred in battle.
If a gang is unable to pay this then the Conduit goes into Recovery as they offer their own suffering as appeasement.
TENETS & SAINTS AVAILABLE
Some tenet rules needed updating to work within the Cog-League rules, for ease of reference, we have included all of the tenets here for all Saints, even when some match the standard rules and remain unchanged.
VERMIN, THE SAINT OF RATS
Mine Servants Shalt Persist Against All The Odds: When an Exotic Beast, controlled by a Crusading gang pledged to Vermin, suffers a Lasting Injury, roll twice on the Lasting Injury table and the controlling player chooses which result to apply.
Thou Shalt Not Allow Mine Servants To Perish: If, during the post-battle sequence, a gang pledged to Vermin has had an Exotic Beast suffer a Critical Injury or Memorable Death on the Lasting Injury table then the Crusading gang is Sanctioned.
Mine Eyes See Everywhere, Mine Presence Goes Everywhere: Increase the maximum distance allowed between the Conduit and any Exotic Beasts they own by 3".
CALIBRE, THE LORD OF BULLETS
Thou Shalt Find Thy Casings: Once per round the pledged gang may re-roll a failed Ammo check.
Thy Gun Shalt Never Run Dry: If, at the end of the battle, more than two weapons have an Out of Ammo marker on them then the Crusading gang is Sanctioned.
Thine Casings Shalt Rain Around Thineself: During each pre-battle sequence, one weapon carried by the Conduit either loses the Scarce trait if it had it, or it gains the Plentiful trait for the duration of the battle.
SHANKS, THE SAINT OF KNIVES
Thine Foes Shalt Not Expect Thy Stab: All fighters in the gang gain +1 Strength when using weapons with the Backstab trait.
Thou Shalt Grant the Peace of the Blade: If, at the end of the battle, friendly fighters haven’t performed at least two Coup de Grace (Simple) actions then the Crusading gang is Sanctioned.
Thine Blade Shalt Forever Thirst: The Conduit gains a bonus of +1 to hit with any weapon with ‘knife’ or ‘knives’ in its name.
GLURG, THE GUNK SAINT
Thine Chems Shalt Burn With The Light of Righteousness: A Crusading gang pledged to Glurg may pick D3 weapons with the Blaze trait during the pre-battle sequence; for the duration of the battle they all gain +1 Strength and the Unstable trait.
Mine Blessing Shalt Be Seen In The Ashes Of Victory: If, during the post-battle sequence, a gang pledged to Glurg hasn’t caused at least two enemy models to be subject to the Blaze condition then the Crusading gang is Sanctioned.
Thine Flesh Shalt Be Inured To Mine Touch: The Conduit is immune to all effects of the Blaze trait and reduces the Strength of all hits they suffer from a weapon with the Blaze trait by 1, to a minimum of 1.
AMENDED SAINTS:
COGNUS, THE SAINT OF QUOTAS
Thine Labours Shalt Be Rewarded: When rolling to determine scenario credit rewards, the pledged gang may re-roll one dice. The second result must be kept even if it is worse.
Thou Shalt Fulfil Thine Quotas: If the pledged gang does not earn at least 40 credits from their UTI roll, the Crusading gang is Sanctioned.
Thine Diligence Shalt Lead To Great Blessings: During the post-battle sequence the Conduit may make a Trade action in addition to their normal action (this can lead to them making two Trade actions).
GELT, THE SAINT OF COIN
Thou Shalt Find Value In All Places: When rolling to determine the contents of a Cog-Port Loot casket, if the result isn’t 1 – Bomb!, add an additional D3x5 credits to the gang’s Stash.
Thou Shalt Maintain A Reserve Fund: If, at the end of the post-battle sequence, the gang has less than 100 credits in their Stash, the Crusading gang is Sanctioned.
Thine Coin Shalt Be Pure To Spend: When the Conduit makes a Trade post-battle action, reduce the credit cost of the first item purchased by D3x10 credits (to a minimum of 5 credits).
COG-PORT LOOT CASKETS
Place two loot caskets per player (in addition to any scenario rules) anywhere on the battlefield, at least 6” from another Cog-Port loot casket and at least 3” from a table edge or deployment zone. When opened, roll a D6 and consult the list below:
1 | Bomb! Roll a D3:
Frag bomb! (S3, D1, 5” Blast, Knockback.)
Gas bomb! (5” Blast, Roll D6: =/> T, roll Injury Dice, no Save.)
Vape bomb! The Fighter is immediately affected by Kalma (When a Fighter affected by Kalma makes an action, roll 2D6 + their Toughness. On a roll of 11 or less, they do nothing and the action is wasted. On a roll of 12+, they shake off the effects and can act normally for the remainder of the battle.)
2 | 2D3x5 Creds
3 | Lho Sticks
4 | Bottle of Second Best
5 | Bottle of Wild Snake
6 | Salvage Token (+2 to any Rare/Illegal Rolls per token – These may be added to your Stash. They are available as a custom item in the Trading Post)
UNDERDOG BOOST TABLE
If one gang’s Starting Crew (including Reinforcements) has a lower rating than its opponents AND a lower Wealth, it gains 100 credits to spend on the below table per 150 credits difference in crew rating.
Underdog Cards must be chosen from the table on the following page.
Fighters hired from this table do not count towards Bottle Tests.
Bounty Hunters automatically leave the Gang at the end of the Battle.
CLOSE COMBAT
Fighters making a Follow Up move may end this move Engaged.
A Prone & Pinned Fighter becomes automatically Standing & Active when Engaged. Attacks made against them count as coming from outside their vision arc.
SHOOTING
All Ranged Weapons and Grenades now use the Exploding Weapons, Unreliable Weapons, and Hail of Bullets rules from pages 236-237 of the Rulebook. Please see the following page for a summary.
Blindfire treats shooter’s BS as 6+.
Overwatch shots with an Unwieldy weapon treat the shooter’s BS as 6+.
Stray-shots hit on a 4+, affected by cover modifiers, measured from the shooter as per rules for cover.
Shots with the Blast trait in Pitch Black conditions always Scatter.
Shots into Full Cover can never be modified to hit on better than a 3+.
Shots into Combat suffer -2 to hit and hits are randomly distributed among all Engaged Fighters. Shots with the Blast or Template that hit an Engaged Fighter will hit all Fighters Engaged with that Fighter.
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EXPLODING WEAPONS
If a natural 1 is rolled when making an ammo check, the weapon is both out of ammo and may explode. Roll a further D6, on a 1 the Fighter immediately takes a hit from the Weapon, the Weapon is destroyed and removed from the Fighter’s card.
UNRELIABLE WEAPONS
When Rolling to Hit, only Rapid Fire weapons use the Firepower Dice.
If rolling the Firepower Dice, ignore the Out of Ammo Symbol.
If a natural 6 is rolled, make an Ammo Roll for the Weapon.
If Firing a Weapon that does not need to Roll to Hit (e.g. a Template weapon), roll a Firepower dice ignoring any result except the Out Of Ammo symbol.
HAIL OF BULLETS
A Rapid Fire Weapon may fire a Single Shot or Burst:
Single Shot: Make a Hit Roll as normal, using the rules above.
Burst: Roll a number of Firepower Dice equal to the Weapon’s Rapid Fire Trait. Make a Hit Roll for each Bullet Hole rolled, using the rules above.
Shots can be distributed among multiple targets within 3” of the original target as per the Rapid Fire Rules. Additional targets may not be any harder to hit than the original target. Allocate all hits before making any Wound Rolls.
BOTTLING & LEAVING THE BATTLEFIELD
No Bottle tests made before turn 3.
A gang that voluntarily bottles out may not secure victory.
INJURY DICE
Flesh Wound – Fighter suffers a Flesh Wound (-1 Toughness)
Seriously Injured – Fighter is Seriously Injured. Multiple SI results on the same Fighter do not stack.
Out of Action – Fighter removed from Battlefield; roll one Lasting Injury.
RECOVERY ROLLS
If a Seriously Injured Fighter rolls Seriously Injured again and is not assisted, they suffer a Flesh Wound and remain Seriously Injured.
A Fighter recovering from being Seriously Injured via an assist can never have Toughness reduced to 0.
GAINING EXPERIENCE
Fighters gain XP for:
Granting a successful assist when a Fighter makes a Recovery Roll.
Specific conditions or actions as defined by the scenario.
Taking a Fighter Out Of Action because of one of their actions.
XP gained is equal to the Wounds stat of the Fighter taken OOA.
Fighters gain an additional +1 XP for taking a Leader OOA.
This includes but is not limited to indirect causes such as:
A recovery roll after being Seriously Injured.
From a fall caused by an attack.
From the damage caused by the Blaze effect.
You may award an opposing Fighter 2 XP for something spectacular.
HOUSE LISTS AND TRADING POSTS
Gangs can recruit Fighters without Visiting the Trading Post.
Purchasing Weapons and Wargear from the House List (or equivalent) is now a Post-Battle Action, separate from Visiting the Trading Post.
Only Leaders, Champions (or equivalents), appropriate Hangers On, or Fighters with the relevant Skill may Visit the Trading Post or Purchase from House Lists.
ITEM AVAILABILITY
When making a Purchase Equipment post-battle action during a Trading Post visit, a player may purchase Common items without any checks.
When making a Seek Rare & Illegal Equipment action, it works by rolling on the below table for each Leader or Champion involved in completing the action, this determines the categories of equipment available, the player then makes the normal 2D6 availability roll for each category (modified as per below).
+2 to Rare (X) and Illegal (X) availability if the gang’s Leader is making the action
+1 to Rare (X) and Illegal (X) availability if a gang Champion is making the action
+1 to Rare (X) and Illegal (X) availability for every full 10 Reputation the gang has
+/-X to Rare (X) and Illegal (X) availability as determined by special rules
-2 to Illegal (X) availability for all Gangs within the League
-2 to Rare (X) availability for Outlaw Gangs
-2 to Rare (X) availability for Corrupted gangs (in addition to the Outlaw -2)
-2 to Rare (X) and Illegal (X) availability for Enforcers (in addition to other mods)
A gang may only buy one item per action; Fighters may be pooled into a single action to improve the odds but count as one action when determining the number of items available.
For example: A Leader and Champion each go to Purchase Equipment on their own, the Leader rolls Armour and gets 11 rarity availability post mods, the Champion rolls Pistols and gets 8 rarity availability post mods. The gang can now buy 1 armour of rarity 11 or less and 1 pistol of rarity 8 or less.
ITEM PURCHASE PROCESS
First Roll: 1️⃣ or 2️⃣ = Weapon (roll again to see which Weapon):
1-2 | Basic Weapon
3 | Pistol
4 | Close Combat Weapon
5 | Heavy Weapon
6 | Special Weapon
First Roll: 3️⃣ or 4️⃣ = Wargear (roll again to see which Wargear):
1 | Grenade
2 | Gang Equipment
3 | Personal Equipment
4 | Weapon Accessory
5 | Status Item
6 | Exotic Beast
First Roll: 5️⃣ or 6️⃣ = Armour (roll again to see which Armour):
1-5 | Standard Armour
6 | Field Armour
CONVERT DEAD FIGHTER TO SERVO-SKULL
He looks like he still has a good head on his shoulders...?
If a Fighter dies, a Leader or Champion may use a post-battle action to visit the local bio-mechanicalist adept and attempt to convert them into a Servo-Skull. Delete the dead Fighter from the roster, pay 30 Credits, and roll a D6. On a 1 the operation fails, and the credits are lost. On a 2+, success! Roll a D3 to see the kind of skull created:
1️⃣ - Sensor-Skull
2️⃣ - Medi-Skull
3️⃣ - Gun-Skull
PSYKER GROVE
Anyone can be special if they really try hard... And if they don't go blind, that's always a challenge...
Any Fighter that has advanced their Willpower (Wil) twice may undergo ‘training’ at one of Cog-Haven’s popular, albeit secretive, post-battle hangouts.
The chosen Fighter immediately enters Recovery. In the subsequent Post-Battle phase, make an Intelligence (I) check with +2 to the roll if the Gang’s Leader makes a Post-Battle action to visit the Fighter and offer ‘encouragement’:
If passed: "You be Special now!" The Fighter leaves Recovery and gains the Non-Sanctioned Fighter special rule (Book of the Outcast pg.52). They may choose one Wyrd Power from the Book of the Outcast lists.
If failed: "Keep tryin." The Fighter remains in Recovery and may test again in the next Post-Battle Phase.
If failed twice: “He cannae see, man!” The Fighter rejoins their Gang in disgrace. From now on, every hit roll they make is an improbable shot and their Initiative (I) becomes 6+. Mark this on their Fighter Card in YakTribe.
NEGOTIATE MERCENARIES
Name your price, as long as it's my price...
Choose a Hive Scum (plus all relevant equipment), or Dramatis Personae (but not a Bounty Hunter with the 'We'll get our bit' special rule). A Leader or Champion can attempt to negotiate with them, the Fighter making the post battle action needs to pass an Intelligence Check.
If passed: “It's a deal!" the Hired Gun can be hired at this time at a discount of D6x10 credits (but never lower than half listed cost).
If failed: “No dice..." the Hired Gun can still be hired, but at standard cost.
If failed with a Double 1: “Breakdown in negotiation!" no new Hired Guns of any type can be hired for the next battle and the Fighter making this action goes into Recovery and misses the next battle.
PRESS GANG
Heeeeeey. Wanna look at some baby rats? Just drink this up…
This Post-Battle action is only available to House Gangs (i.e. Van Saar, Goliath etc). A Fighter with the Gang Hierarchy rule (or equivalent to Leader or Champion) may visit the local drinking holes to see if any ne’er do wells are interested in ‘volunteering’ to join the gang. Roll 2D6 and consult the table below:
Double 6: Free Ganger! (Cawdor/Redemptionist Gangs may only gain a Cawdor Brethren.)
Single 6: Free Juve! (Cawdor/Redemptionist Gangs may only gain a Cawdor Bonepicker.)
Double 1: Brutal Hangover! (The Fighter making this action goes into Recovery and will miss the next Battle.)
FIGHTING PIT
Come one, come all, test your skills today in the ring! Today’s opponent, this here Mutated Rat Monster we found by the sump….
A Fighter with the Gang Hierarchy rule (or equivalent to Leader or Champion) is representing the gang on the fighting ring, either them directly or with one other Fighter from the gang. Choose one Fighter from the gang, it can’t be a Leader or Champion involved in another Post-Battle action. This Fighter is stepping into the ring for the gang!
Roll 1D6 and consult the table below:
1: Embarrassed The Fighter is bested, roll a lasting injury for the Fighter (re-roll Critical Injury or Memorable Death), and the gang loses 1 Rep.
2-3: Draw Nothing gained or lost.
4: Good Fight Fighter gains 1XP
5: Solid Victory Fighter gains 2XP
6: Domination Fighter gains 2XP and the gang gains 1 Rep.
AVAILABLE PACKAGES
Once per quarter, but at any time during that quarter, a player may use a Resurrection Package on a Fighter that has been killed or ritually sacrificed after being captured. Players may either ask the arbitrator to decide or roll on the Resurrection Package tables on the following pages.
Please add the relevant Resurrection Package to your Fighter as Equipment.
Note: Fighters resurrected after being ritually sacrificed can only be returned through option 2: Daemonic Possession.