Aranthian-aligned Gangs
RAW ✔️ The Aranthian Succession – Spire of Primus, p106
The Bidding of Ozostium
Ozostium's influence can already be felt in the deepest reaches of Hive Primus and beyond, with gangs pledged to his name carrying out his orders all over the planet. In order to maintain effectiveness and push forth his conquering efforts, the Aranthian scion expects much of his gangs, though his favour is great and his boons potent indeed.
The following section provides guidelines to creating a gang pledged to the service of Ozostium Aranthus, Prince and ruler of Araneus Prime. During any of the four Necromunda: The Aranthian Succession campaigns, any gang that has declared for Lady Credo's Rebellion can choose to pledge themselves to Ozostium. Gangs may pledge regardless of whether they are Law-abiding or Outlaw, but as soon as the pledge is made, they are declared outlaws in Succession Campaign parts 1 and 2, or law-abiding in Succession Campaign parts 3 and 4 to reflect Ozostium's coup d'etat.
Once a gang has pledged themselves to Ozostium, they cannot rescind their vow of fealty. After all, Ozostium has a tight grip on their minds - and traitors are not tolerated under absolute Aranthian rule.
Pledging to House Aranthus
Becoming an Aranthian-aligned gang can be done in one of two ways. Either a gang can begin in Ozostium's service, or they can change from an Unaligned gang into an Aranthian-aligned gang during a campaign.
During gang creation, a player can decide whether their fighters are pledged to Ozostium. If they are, they become an Aranthian-aligned gang and gain the benefits and restrictions described as follows.
During a campaign, an Unaligned gang can declare for Ozostium by having a fighter perform the Swear Fealty post-battle action. They are then granted Ozostium's power and access to his armoury. From this point, the gang is considered Aranthian-aligned.
Aranthian-aligned Gangs and Alliances
An Aranthian-aligned gang cannot enter into an Alliance with any other faction, and when a gang becomes an Aranthian-aligned gang, any Alliance they are part of instantly dissolves as no one wants to risk earning the ire of the Imperium, no matter what pay is on offer.
Effects of Being an Aranthian-aligned Gang
An Aranthian-aligned gang gains the following benefits and drawbacks:
- They gain access to the Aranthian Armoury as described on page 109.
- The Leader of an Aranthian-aligned gang gains the Iron Will skill if they do not yet already have it.
- They must follow the Prince's Orders during battle or risk losing fighters in exchange as described on page 109.
Ozostium is not picky as to who submits to his service - after all, he does not believe anyone can resist his mental control. As such, any gang can be used for fun modelling opportunities. Each gang is granted white-hued arms and armour, often bearing the mark of the seven-pointed star. An Escher Gang Queen might wear the symbol on her breastplate, or a Goliath Tyrant might wield a finely-crafted power hammer wrought from pale metal, these are just some of the ways you might customise your gang to boast of Ozostium's favour.
While there are no game requirements to model an Aranthian-aligned gang as different from their Imperial-aligned counterparts, it is certainly encouraged. An Arbitrator might require Aranthian-aligned gangs to appear distinct from their Imperial foes so that opponents know what kind of gang they are facing.
The Prince's Orders
Ozostium expects utmost obedience and the highest quality of service from the gangs in his employ. Aranthian-aligned gangs must follow his orders to the letter, lest they suffer the consequences of their poor service. However, further rewards await those that successfully reinforce Ozostium's reign, including wealth, influence or even mental augmentation brought about by the Aranthian's psychic prowess.
At the start of a battle, before the first roll for Priority, an Aranthian-aligned gang rolls a D6 and consults the following table to determine what order they have been issued. If it would be impossible for the gang to achieve the order (for example they must take the enemy Leader Out of Action but they are not on the battlefield), they generate a new Prince's Order. Should they succeed, they will receive the associated reward; should they fail, they must pay a tithe of penitence to their Prince (see below).
Prince's Orders
| D6 | Prince's Orders | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strike at their Heart: End the battle with at least one fighter wholly within the enemy's deployment zone. | When rolling to determine income from Territories, the gang may re-roll one dice from one of their Territories and choose the highest result. |
| 2 | Thin their Ranks: Take an enemy Champion Out of Action. | For the duration of the next battle, any fighter that took an enemy Champion Out of Action may add +1 to the Strength characteristic of all their weapons. |
| 3 | Stand Firm: Do not Bottle during the battle. | Improve the Willpower characteristic of one fighter by 1. |
| 4 | Control the Field: End the battle with at least one fighter wholly within each of the four quarters of the battlefield. | The gang adds 2D6x10 credits to their Stash. |
| 5 | Cut Off the Head: Take an enemy Leader Out of Action. | For the duration of the next battle, the fighter who took the enemy Leader Out of Action may add +1 to their Toughness characteristic. |
| 6 | Do Not Fall for their Tricks: Do not fail any Nerve tests. | Improve the Cool characteristic of one fighter by 1. |
Paying the Tithe
Ozostium rules over Necromunda using the twin pillars of fear and control. Should a gang fail to follow his orders, he demands a sacrificial tithe. During the Wrap-up step of the post-battle sequence, should an Aranthian-aligned gang have failed to follow their order, they must select a member of their gang other than the Leader at random. This fighter is immediately killed. They are deleted from the Gang Roster and their weapons and Wargear are returned to the gang's stash.
The Aranthian Armoury
By raiding the vaults of the Noble Houses, as well as his own hidden caches, Ozostium is able to furnish those who swear to his cause with ancient wargear, crafted in an age long forgotten. Aranthian-aligned gangs add the following weapons and Wargear to the equipment lists of each fighter in their gang:
Weapons
| Item | Credits |
|---|---|
| PISTOLS | |
| Araneus-pattern plasma pistol | 70 |
| SPECIAL WEAPONS | |
| Araneus-pattern meltagun | 115 |
| CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS | |
| Araneus-pattern power fist | 115 |
| Power greatsword | 75 |
Wargear
| Item | Credits |
|---|---|
| ARMOUR | |
| Seven-pointed breastplate | 90 |
| PERSONAL EQUIPMENT | |
| Conduit of Ozostium | 35 |
| Gloves of Ozostium | 30 |
| Seven-pointed talisman | 20 |