Into the Dark

When a space hulk emerges from the warp, forces near and far respond. To some, space hulks are dire threats to be tracked, purged and destroyed. To others, their structures - conglomerations of potentially thousands of ships melded in the warp over millennia - represent sources of vast wealth and power, packed full of arcane technological treasures. Space hulks are rarely found devoid of life, however - fell monsters and warp spirits often make them their home, and any number of dangerous enemies may already be aboard.

This book gives you a glimpse of the madness, confusion and horror to be found by kill teams when fighting aboard a portion of a gargantuan, labyrinthine space hulk. It includes faction army lists for two brand new kill teams - the boarding troops of the Imperial Navy Breachers and opportunistic mercenaries of the Kroot Farstalker Kinbands. There is plenty more rules content besides this, including nine matched play missions, nine narrative play missions, mission rules for fighting in close quarters, killzone rules and a narrative campaign for exploring a section of the Gallowdark.

Below, you will find nine missions from the Shadow Operations: Into the Dark mission pack. These are missions themed around early expeditions into the Gallowdark. They contain a mixture of symmetric and asymmetric mission rules and mission objectives. In the case of the latter, this means that the Attacker and Defender will have different goals to achieve and different strategies to achieve them. The missions increase in detail, with the first three missions being the most simple and straightforward, the second three missions requiring more thought and consideration, and the final three missions being the most detailed with the most unusual mission rules.

The scoring parameters of the mission objectives vary across the mission pack, therefore having an expansive roster will allow you to select the right operatives for the mission. They have been designed to immerse you in the story of your operatives as they explore and understand the Gallowdark, with a particular mind to rewarding players who use these missions as part of a Spec Ops campaign. Therefore, they are especially suited to narrative play.

The missions use Killzone: Gallowdark, and Killzone: Into the Dark to supplement it. The location of terrain features are specified using a key system, as described here.

To randomly determine a Shadow Operations: Into the Dark mission, one player rolls one D3 to determine one of the tables below, then the other player rolls one D3 to determine the mission from that table.

Expeditionary Teams: Players do not complete the Set Up Barricades step. Note that they can, however, set up barricades by other means, e.g. the Fortify option in the Scouting step.

A Gallowdark expedition is an expansion to a Spec Ops campaign. It involves a group of players getting together with a kill team each and playing a series of linked games. Their kill teams will be exploring a section of the Gallowdark space hulk, earning points in three different categories that determine the victor and the spoils at the end of the expedition.

Players can participate in a Gallowdark expedition with their kill team instead of conducting a Spec Op (they should make a note of ‘Gallowdark expedition’ in the Spec Ops log of their dataslate). If their kill team is currently assigned to a Spec Op, they must abort it to participate in the expedition. A Gallowdark expedition is considered a Spec Op for the purposes of faction Spec Ops rules (i.e. Imperial Navy Breacher Spec Ops Rules and Farstalker Kinband Spec Ops Rules).

Campaign Master

A Gallowdark expedition is best run with a Campaign Master. This is a heroic individual who takes on the mobilisation and organisation of the expedition so that the other players can focus on playing games. A Campaign Master is a privileged position that offers a degree of leadership to the individual who takes on the role. Its primary purpose is to facilitate a smooth and enjoyable experience for all players involved. A Campaign Master can indeed play in the expedition, but in larger expeditions that include a multitude of players, it may be best if they solely oversee the expedition rather than play in it.

Over the following sections we will refer to the Campaign Master and how they can go about organising a Gallowdark expedition. Below, you will also find Campaign Master’s Edicts, which are useful tools and rules ideas that the Campaign Master can use to add further excitement to an expedition. These are by no means essential, however. If this is the first expedition for many of the players, or they would otherwise prefer to keep things as simple as possible, then Campaign Master’s Edicts are not necessary for a Gallowdark expedition.

Expedition Length

Before the expedition begins, the Campaign Master should determine its length. It is split into three stages, and they should decide the length of time allocated to each stage and the total number of games that can be played in that stage. Once either of those conditions have been met, that stage ends. Once the third stage ends, the expedition ends.

An expedition can be a long and expansive experience where each stage takes place over a month, with many battles fought, objectives secured and heroes (or villains) forged. Equally, it can be a short and focused expedition played over a weekend, with each stage consisting of just one game representing the key moments of the expedition. Ultimately, the Campaign Master should determine an expedition length that best suits the gaming group taking part, thinking about how regularly they can meet and how many games they are likely to play. As a guide, if each member of your group will usually play a couple of games in one evening each week, we recommended each stage of the expedition lasts as follows:

• Length of time: 2 weeks
• Total number of games: equal to twice the number of players

A Gallowdark expedition works best if each player plays an equal number of games, giving everyone an equal chance to achieve victory. Therefore, the Campaign Master has a few options concerning how players are matched up for games. They can leave the players to arrange games themselves, with challenges thrown down and honour at stake. This is perhaps the simplest way of arranging the games, and lets the expedition progress naturally with plenty of friendly rivalries to go with it! Alternatively, they can introduce more structure to ensure everyone gets an equal amount of games. This can be done by scheduling match-ups in each stage, and works particularly well if the group meets at a regular time, e.g. at a games night or gaming club.

Generating the Hulk

A Gallowdark expedition would be incomplete without a section of the Gallowdark to explore, for within its time-worn halls lay all manner of spoils ready to be secured. The Campaign Master constructs a section of the Gallowdark by using a deck of standard 52 playing cards. These cards are location cards, and represent different locations of the Gallowdark waiting to be explored. The Campaign Master shuffles the cards and draws a number of them at random - without looking at the results - to create a Gallowdark deck. The number of cards in the deck should be equal to the total number of games to be played in the whole expedition (as determined by expedition length above, usually the number of games in a stage multiplied by 3). For example, if they decided the number of games in each stage would be 8, they would deal 24 cards into the deck.

The Gallowdark deck then stays with the Campaign Master - they will be using it to generate different locations for the kill teams to explore. Each time a Gallowdark expedition game is arranged, the Campaign Master draws a location card from the Gallowdark deck, assigns it to a free location of their choice on a Gallowdark expedition map and informs the players of the result for their game (drawn location cards remain for the duration of the expedition).

Material Points

In a Gallowdark expedition, the kill teams will be attempting to secure three different materials: Salvage, Knowledge and Resources. This is expressed as points, the total of which will determine commendations and the overall victor(s) at the end of the expedition.

The location cards and their material are as follows:

Salvage
Ammunition, weapons, medical equipment, machinery etc.

Knowledge
Investigation, study, survey, examination etc.

Resources
Fuel, promethium, plasma, food, water etc.

Wild
This is not a material. Each time a player would gain material from this location, they assign the points in full to a material of their choice instead (i.e. Salvage, Knowledge or Resources).

It is the player’s responsibility to inform the Campaign Master of any material points they gain, and the Campaign Master’s responsibility to record it. So that one player isn’t unfairly penalised for circumstances beyond their control (e.g. if their opponent does not show), the Campaign Master can award material points at their discretion. In the aforementioned example, they would draw the location card and follow the relevant steps as if that player had played and won that game.

Caches

Jack, Queen, King and Ace location cards are cache cards. Each time a cache card is drawn, the players in that game compare their points of each material. If one player has less than the other in two or more materials, they gain one additional Requisition point for completing that game. While the opposing kill team was securing material in a previous game, they secured easy pickings from the cache!

Commendations

At the end of each expedition stage (including the final stage), each player that gained one or more material points in that stage selects one commendation from the list below:

• You gain one Requisition point.
• You can add one item of rare equipment to your stash.
• You can increase your asset capacity by one.
• You can distribute up to 5XP across the operatives on your dataslate.
• You can remove up to one Battle Scar from each friendly operative.

At the end of the expedition, compare each player’s total points for each material to determine the winner of each victor category below:

• Scavenger: The player with the most Salvage points.
• Researcher: The player with the most Knowledge points.
• Prospector: the player with the most Resources points.

The winner of each victor category can select one commendation from above (they cannot select the same commendation more than once per stage). If players are tied in a victor category, the winner of that category is the tied player with the highest number of material points overall. If that is still a tie, the subsequently tied players are the winners of that category.

Twists

Twists are additional rules effects that can be used in expedition games. They add another tactical layer to games and can capture certain narrative circumstances. A Campaign Master can introduce twists to games in a variety of ways. For example, they could specify their use in certain games, perhaps specifying the mission too, for a curated narrative experience. Alternatively, they could introduce a twist to each expedition stage, with players using that twist for all of their games during that stage. A Campaign Master can use the twists below, either as written, or to inspire twists of their own creation.

Low Light

• During each Turning Point, the first time each operative makes a shooting attack, it gains a Light token until the end of the Turning Point.
• For an operative to be Visible, it must have a Light token or be within of the active operative.

Corroded Hatchway

Until it is opened for the first time, each Hatchway is corroded. While a Hatchway is corroded, each time an operative performs the Operate Hatch action, roll one D6:

• On a 1-3, an additional action point must be subtracted to open that Hatchway. If you do not open that Hatchway, the action point(s) subtracted for that action so far is not refunded.
• On a 4+, open that Hatchway as normal.

Thin Atmosphere

• Operatives cannot perform Dash actions.
• Operatives cannot move more than their Movement characteristic for Charge actions.
• Subtract from the Rng of ranged weapons that have both the Rng X and Torrent X special rules e.g. Rng becomes Rng 2.

Distorted Machine Spirits

In the Ready Operatives step of each Turning Point, roll one D6 for each open Hatchway, rolling one additional D6 if there are no operatives within of that Hatchway:

• If any result is a 4+, close that Hatchway.
• If any result is a 6, until the end of the battle, that Hatchway is locked. Each time an operative would perform the Operate Hatch action to open a locked Hatchway, one additional action point must be subtracted.

Unstable Structure

• Subtract from the Movement characteristic of operatives.
• In the Ready Operatives step of the second Turning Point, roll one D6: on a 1-4, repeat this process in the subsequent Turning Point; on a 5+, the structure subsides (note that the structure can only subside once).
• If the structure subsides, roll one D6 for each operative: if the result is greater than their unmodified APL, subtract 1 from their APL.

Strategic Exploration

Strategic Exploration adds an additional layer to a Gallowdark expedition, as the location and numerical value of each location card has an impact. Each time a game is arranged, the players must first roll off to determine the Attacker and Defender for that mission. The Campaign Master then determines the location card for that game, and the Defender assigns it to a free location of their choice on the Gallowdark map that is adjacent (above, below, left or right, but not diagonal) to an existing location card. If it is the first game of the expedition, place the card in the centre of the map.

Each location card can provide no more of its specified material points than its numerical value during an expedition. For example, an 8 location card has no more than 8 points of Salvage material available during an expedition. When a cache card is drawn (Jack, Queen, King and Ace cards), the Campaign Master rolls one D6 and adds 5 to the result: the total is the numerical value of that location. Each time a player would gain a point of material from a location, deduct it from that location’s total; once the total reaches zero, that location becomes exhausted and no more material can be gained from it. Note that, although Wild cards provide points to a material of the player’s choice, the numerical value is still a limit for that location.

At the end of each game, players alternate choosing where to gain all their points from, starting with the winner. This follows the same rules as specified in Material Points section, except that ‘1 point of the material from any existing , or location card on the map’ must be an adjacent location card (above, below, left or right, but not diagonal). Players then alternate gaining points, one point at a time, starting with the winner (if the winner chooses two different locations, they choose which they gain points from first). Note this means locations with low material points can become exhausted before a player, or both players, would get their due amount of material points from that location; in such circumstances, those points are lost.

For example, both players complete a game in a 3 location. The winner chooses to gain 2 points from that location and 1 point from an adjacent location with material points remaining, and chooses to gain points from the location first. The loser chooses to gain 2 points from that location. The winner gains 2 Resource points and 1 Salvage point; the loser only gains 1 Resource point; that location is exhausted.

If a Campaign Master decides to use Strategic Exploration, the location and numerical value of location cards are critical, therefore they must keep an up-to-date record and regularly communicate with the players.

Extra Commendation

In an expedition that includes a large number of players, the Campaign Master can award additional commendations at their discretion. For example, they could allow the winner of each victor category (i.e. the Scavenger, the Researcher and the Prospector) to select one additional commendation.

The Campaign Master can then determine the runner-up categories, which can be won by any player that did not win a victor category. The runner-up categories are as follows:

• Warlord: The player who won the most games during the expedition.
• Architect: The player who scored the most victory points from Security Tac Ops during the expedition.
• Spy: The player who scored the most victory points from Infiltration Tac Ops during the expedition.
• Scout: The player who scored the most victory points from Recon Tac Ops during the expedition.
• Headhunter: The player who scored the most victory points from Seek and Destroy Tac Ops during the expedition.
• Paragon: The player who scored the most victory points from their faction’s Tac Ops during the expedition.

The winner of each runner-up category can select one commendation as before (remember, they cannot select the same commendation more than once per stage). If players are tied in a runner-up category, the winner of that category is the tied player with the highest number of material points overall. If that is still a tie, the subsequently tied players are the winners of that category.

Note that if a Campaign Master decides to use runner-up categories, it is the players’ responsibility to inform the Campaign Master after each game of their result and the victory points scored from each Tac Op category, and the Campaign Master’s responsibility to record it.

Below, you will find nine missions from the Critical Operations: Gallowdark mission pack. These are symmetrical missions, meaning that both players have matching mission rules and mission objectives. The scoring parameters of the mission objectives vary across the mission pack, therefore having an expansive roster will allow you to select the right operatives for the mission at hand. They have been designed so that tactical play is rewarded. As such, they are suited to matched play, but can be used with any of the three ways to play.

The missions use Killzone: Gallowdark only (do not use any supplement killzones such as Killzone: Into the Dark). The location of terrain features are specified using a key system.

To randomly determine a Critical Operations: Gallowdark mission, one player rolls one D3 to determine one of the tables below, then the other player rolls one D3 to determine the mission from that table.

Open Hatchway

While a Hatchway is open:

• Its hatch must be fully open (it cannot be ajar).
• Its access point has the Accessible trait.
• Its hatch has the Wall trait.

Accessible: An operative can move through the Walls up to adjacent to this access point as if they were not there, so long as at least part of its base would move through this access point when it does so (as shown in the diagrams below). An operative cannot finish a move in or on an access point. As an operative must finish a move in a location it can be placed, it must finish the move wholly on one side or the other of this terrain feature.

Designer’s Note: An open Hatchway’s access point does not provide Cover, nor is it Obscuring. The Walls either side of the access point, or its hatch, must be used for this instead.

Condensed Environment

Close Quarters amplifies the impact of certain weapons, but the low ceilings and level floors mean targeting enemy operatives must be more direct:

• Weapons with the Blast X, Splash X and/or Torrent X special or critical hit rules gain the Lethal 5+ special rule.
• Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with a weapon that has the Indirect special rule, you must choose whether or not to use that special rule. If you choose to use it, that weapon gains the Rng special rule for that shooting attack.
• Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack against an enemy operative, if a Cover line drawn to that enemy operative crosses one or more operatives with an Engage order (excluding operatives with a Wounds characteristic of 5 or less, and friendly operatives whose bases are touching the active operative’s), in the Roll Attack Dice step of that shooting attack, roll one less attack dice (as shown in the diagrams below).

The Navis Armsman is making a shooting attack against the Kroot Warrior. As a Cover line crosses the Kroot Cut-skin (which has an Engage order) one less attack dice is rolled.

The Navis Armsman is making a shooting attack against the Kroot Warrior. A Cover line crosses the friendly Navis Endurant (which has an Engage order), but as its base is touching the Navis Armsman, it is ignored. A Cover line also crosses the Kroot Cut-skin, but it has a Conceal order, therefore the shooting attack is unaffected.

Barricades

When using the Close Quarters rules, barricades are set up differently. They can be set up anywhere in the killzone that is:

• More than from your opponent’s drop zone.
• More than from access points.
• More than from other barricades.
• Not on a terrain feature (unless it has the Insignificant trait).

Tac Ops

When using the Close Quarters rules, the following Tac Ops are not in use: Seize Ground; Hold the Line; Sabotage; Vantage. If this would mean you cannot build a six-card Tac Ops deck (i.e. you do not have any faction Tac Ops), you can select the number of cards needed to complete your deck from one of the other archetypes your kill team has access to (in matched play, if they do not have any other archetypes, you can select the needed cards from any one other archetype).

Setup

Some Tactical Ploys allow one or more operatives to be set up outside of your drop zone, e.g. Sneaky Git, KOMMANDO$ and Dimensional Translocation, HIEROTEK CIRCLE$. In a battle that uses Close Quarters rules, you cannot do so. Instead, you can only use such Tactical Ploys once per battle at the end of the Scouting step, and they allow the operative(s) with the keyword specified by the ploy that is wholly within your drop zone and has a Conceal order to perform a free Normal Move and/or Operate Hatch action. In addition, that operative’s order cannot be changed in the first Turning Point (e.g. as a result of the Infiltrate scouting option). Note that, for the WYRMBLADE$ Hiding Tactical Ploy, up to two NEOPHYTE operatives can do this.