Toll Bridge By Gary & Mark James
Pugh took a last long drag on his niccomoss cigar, coughed convulsively, spat out the stub and watched it drop into the Sump River oozing past three storeys below. "Christ", he thought "that stuff is killing me. The sooner we get control of this trading route, the sooner we earn some cash, and the sooner I get some off-world tobacco". Three more faces joined his at the edge of the tower. "There it is" croaked Pugh. "I've been watching it for three days now and I still can't work out how the damn thing is controlled. Some automatic mechanism or remote Guilder control system I guess.
When it turns it is impossible to get on or off it until it turns around again." The gang surveyed the bridge carefully. No-one was on it at the moment, but it was a major artery for gang trading traffic. Whoever controlled the bridge controlled the traffic. Marco piped up first: "OK, so whats the plan boss?". Pugh strained out a little farther to peer along the river edge. "We wait until Silver and the boys are in the boat, then we move on the bridge.
Birdseye, I want you to stay off the bridge and lay down suppressing fire if necessary, and the rest of you listen up, 'cause Birdseye will shout once and you have half a second to hit the deck before he opens up with that 'eavy stubber over yer 'eads. When we reach the bridge bulkhead in the middle we'll hold it from there while Birdseye legs it across to join us. Then we hold the bridge until the boys get across in the boat and take out any resistance from behind. Any questions?" Birdseye swung the heavy stubber over his shoulder. "OK, lets go".
Silver directed Robby and Pugwash to take the oars whilst he and Tye kept an overwatch. The current in the Sump River was at times violent and unpredictable, and the gang had been unable to practise their sumpmanship much lest they raised suspicions. "Come on yer wimps, get rowing - Pugh just gave the signal that they were moving on the bridge and it'll take us all day at this rate". When he heard Robby exclaim "Oh my God" and redouble his rowing rate Silver at first thought that his stirring encouragement had worked - until he realised that they had changed direction.
"Where the hell you two going?". The oarsmen retorted with "Away from THAT" and pulled harder. Silver followed their gaze to the huge, hairy legs that had emerged from the sump filth a few yards away. Lots of legs. "Sump spider!" Silver yelled at Tye "Well don't just look at it, shoot the bloody thing". Tye took aim but stumbled as the boat wobbled. "Hold still damn you. Stop rowing a minute". The rowing stopped and the boat drifted. Tye aimed his plasma pistol...fizz..."Yo, got the son of a bitch". The rowing started again as the boat began to spin out of control and then reoriented itself toward the opposite bank. "No, no, toward the spider!" yelled Silver. "But what about the bridge?" "Oh, it'll only take a minute and spider eyes are worth a fortune!" "Well, if we mess up, and Pugh finds out we been bug huntin', then it's your arse on the line matey". Silver readied his knife "We won't mess up...trust me".
Pugh risked popping his head around the bridge bulkhead only to hear the hiss of superheated air as a plasma blast almost parted his hair (and head). Where the hell are the boys? At that moment there was a clang, followed by a loud hum. Pugh had heard that sound a few times in the past three days and knew instantly what it meant. "Oh hell" he thought, then bellowed "hold tight everybody, we're going for a little ride". The bridge swung 90 degrees and halted, breaking contact with the buildings at either end and exposing their flank to fire from the enemy bank. "Where the HELL are those boys?"...
The Scenario This scenario is basically a gang fight with the addition of a take and hold objective. Unless stated otherwise, all the rules for the Gang Fight scenario apply here as well. A new territory is introduced - toll bridge - as are rules for rowing boats and randomly attacking giant spiders.
Special items You will need to construct a swing bridge and some boats. This is easy. For the swing bridge, fix a plank of thick cardboard to the tube from a cooking foil roll or similar, and cut to the height of three Necromunda storeys. If you only have one set of Necromunda buildings you might prefer to make it two storeys high. Fix a 4 inch square of cardboard to the bottom of the tube to make it stand up and weight it if necessary to stop it falling over. Blu-tac a Necromunda bulkhead which has a door in it onto the centre of the bridge span. For the boats, just cut a boat shape which is 2 bases wide and 3 bases long from cardboard to make a boat-shaped template, and place the models on that when they are in the boat. For spiders, use toys or invest in some beasty sprues from Warhammer Fantasy Quest. These sprues cost 1 pound and include a rather nice spider, giant rat and carrion bat, plus a snotling (?).
Using rowing boats Boats can be rowed by one or two gang members, and can carry up to four including the rowers. Rowers can make no other action. Boats move in the movement phase. Roll an artillery die and a scatter die. Subtract the artillery die roll from the strength of the rower, or the combined strength if two are rowing, treating misfire a result as zero. This is to simulate the eddies and currents of Sump River. If the strength score is higher than the artillery die score then the boat moves a distance equal to the difference in score in inches in a direction as desired by the player. If the artillery die roll is higher than the strength then the boat drifts a distance equal to the difference in the score in the direction indicated by the scatter die. For example, two Str 4 gangers are rowing, and the artillery die rolls up 10. The boat drifts 2 inches in the direction of the scatter die. Next turn the artillery die rolls up 3. The boat moves 5 inches in the direction desired by the player. There is no movement penalty for turning.
If a boat drifts off the edge of the gaming table then the members can take no further part in the scenario but are otherwise not harmed any more than they may have been at the point of departure.
You may swap over rowers instead of taking any other action with the gang members involved. This will almost certainly cause the boat to drift that turn.
You cannot hide in a boat. Shooting from a boat that was controlled that turn suffers a -1 to hit penalty. Shooting from a drifting boat suffers a -2 to hit penalty. All boat members gain a -1 to hit penalty for shots against them. For simplicity, the boats themselves cannot be targeted.
Controlling the bridge The gangs do not control the bridge. Commencing with turn 3, at the beginning of each player's turn roll a D6. On a score of 5 the bridge turns 90 degrees clockwise. On a score of 6 the bridge turns 90 degrees anti-clockwise. When the bridge is turned the ends are cut off from the buildings and gang members on it are temporarily stranded.
Controlling the spiders The spiders are aquatic variants of the Wolf Spider described in the Outlanders bestiary. At the commencement of each player's turn each spider moves artillery die inches in scatter die direction (treat a misfire as zero). Spiders will not leave Sump River and if they reach the bank or table edge they will stop. If at any time during or at the end of the move the spider passes within spider initiative distance (1 inch) of a boat it will immediately charge the nearest gang member in the boat. If a hit is rolled on the scatter die the spider immediately charges an occupied boat up to the distance indicated on the artillery die. Randomise the choice of boat if necessary.
If a boat ever moves to within spider initiative distance of a spider the spider will immediately charge the boat, even if it has already moved (because it is only 1 inch away).
Deal with all hand to hand combat with spiders during the next hand to hand phase even if it is not the attacked gang's turn. If hand to hand combat with a spider endures to another turn the gangers can row the boat (but not the ganger fighting the spider!) but the spider will pursue until the combat is resolved.
Playing the scenario
Terrain
Set up the terrain with a gap through the centre to represent Sump River, and so that your bridge spans the river and reaches buildings on either side. Use paper or cloth to represent the river if you wish. Place a boat each and take it in turns to place the spiders. The bridge starts in its connected position (touching the buildings). Sump River is toxic and any gang member ending up in it (for example by falling from the bridge) will immediately go out of action.
Gangs As for the Gang Fight scenario. Note that you may not use any method (vents, infiltration etc) to deploy gang members on the bridge unless you have the toll bridge terrain (see below). If you have the toll bridge terrain then one gang member may be deployed on the bridge.
Starting the game As for Gang Fight
Ending the game As for Gang Fight with the following additions: If the bridge is in its unconnected position when the game ends some gang members will be temporarily trapped on the bridge. These gang members will fight it out even if one gang has bottled out.
Experience +D6 Survives
+5 per wounding hit
+10 winning gang leader
+10 to each surviving gang member who is on the opposite bank at the end of the game
+10 to any gang member who takes a giant spider out of action in hand to hand combat
Special This replaces the special section of the Gang Fight scenario. If a winning gang has at least one gang member left on the bridge at the end of the scenario (including any fight-out on an unconnected bridge) then the gang will gain control of the bridge and may add the Toll Bridge territory to their gang roster (see below). If any gang member has collected spider eyes these will add D6 x 10 credits per spider to the gang's income for the scenario.
Toll bridge territory Income: 2D6 x 10 Your gang extorts money from other gangs and traders who wish to use the bridge. On a roll of double 6 for income the bridge has broken down catastrophically in the unconnected position. You get no income from the toll bridge in this game and must now either pay 2D6x10 credits to get the bridge repaired (roll again) or abandon the bridge and cross it off your territory list. You may get a quote for the repair (ie make the roll) before making your decision.
On a roll of double 1 for income a passing trader offers you a rare item for purchase. You get no income from the toll bridge in this game. Generate the item from a trading post list - roll 1D6. On 1-4 you are offered an item from the standard trading post list, on 5-6 you are offered an item from the outlaw trading post list. This applies to outlaw as well as non-outlaw gangs and represents the varied nature of traders using your bridge.
You may accept this single item even if you do not or cannot go to the trading post normally for any reason. The other gangs do not like paying a toll to go about their business. To represent this any gang which holds a toll bridge territory and plays the gang fight scenario can be required to play the toll bridge scenario instead at the choice of the opposing gang. This represents gangs rebelling against the toll and trying to take the bridge back.
Heroic Rescues Taking a deep breath, Pugh sprints from his cover behind the bulkhead, grabs Marco by the ankles, and drags him to the safety of hard cover. "Do that again son and I leave ya there..."
I think gang members with enough bottle should be able to risk themselves for the sake of their mates. These rules are for the heroes in your gangs:
Gang members can drag or carry a comrade for a distance equal to the carrying member's current strength in inches. Two or more gang members may cooperate in the rescue, in which case their strengths may be combined in order to move further, but may never be farther than the distance the slowest member could move. Rescuing counts as the action for the gang member(s) involved.
Example: A gang member of strength 3 could drag or carry a victim 3 inches. Two gang members, one of strength 3 and one of strength 4 could work together to carry a victim 7 inches, provided they could both cover 7 inches by normal movement (by running). Three gang members, all strength 3, could carry a victim up to 9 inches but would probably be hampered by slow members to a speed of 6 or 8 inches - the maximum typical move.
Before embarking upon a rescue each rescuer must first pass a leadership test to see if they have the bottle to do it. If they fail the leadership test they may make a normal move and action instead.
A gang member gains 5 experience points for sucessfully rescuing a comrade.
