Skills
This page has been reworded to comply with copyright. Refer to the Necromunda Core Rulebook (2023) for its original text.
This page lists all the universal skills for fighters. They belong to nine different categories (also called 'Sets'). More senior fighters such as leaders and champions normally take a skill at gang creation, and more are unlocked with XP. Other fighters such as Bounty Hunters often have skills already included in their profile.
A fighter's rules details what skill categories are available to them, as either Primary or Secondary. 'Buying' these skills with XP has varying cost depending if it's a Primary skill, a Secondary skill and how you pick it (either chosen or random).
Crew are treated a little differently: they can only gain skills from the Driving, Leadership, Shooting and Savant categories.
Universal Skills and Gang Specific Skills
A number of gangs also their own unique set of skills that they have access to. These are listed in Gang-Specific Skills.
The following two tables list all the Skill categories, and have a D6 index to use for random selection.
Agility
1. Catfall
When falling or jumping down, halve the vertical distance, rounding up. Eg 3" becomes 2" (3/2 = 1.5, rounded up to 2).
If they were not Seriously Injured or Out of Action from the fall, take an Initiative test. If they pass, they remain Standing instead of being Pinned.
When falling into a pitfall, mark the closest edge. At the end of that round, place the fighter next to the pitfall on a 4+.
2. Clamber
Don't halve the fighter's movement when climbing. Eg treat all climbing like a ladder.
Move freely through ductways without spending a Crawl Through (Double) action.
3. Dodge
When suffering a wound from an attack, roll a D6. On a 6, the attack is dodged and has no effect.
If trying to dodge a blast/template, rolling a 6 allows the fighter to move up to 2" (and potentially out of the template). You can't dodge into Engagement range.
4. Mighty Leap
Ignore the first 2" of leaping a gap. If the gap was 2" or less to being with, then you don't take an Initiative test.
5. Spring Up
If Prone at the start of an activation, take an Initiative test. If passed the fighter can Stand Up (Basic) for free.
6. Sprint
Double the length of the second Move in an activation.
Brawn
1. Bull Charge
When attacking as part of a Charge, Melee weapons gain the Knockback trait and are resolved at +1 Strength.
2. Bulging Biceps
Can wield an Unwieldy weapon in one hand rather than needing two. Unwieldy weapons still take up the space of two weapon slots.
3. Crushing Blow
In close combat, when rolling to hit, choose one dice to be a Crusting Blow (can't be a Sidearm). If it hits, the attack gets +1 Strength and +1 Damage.
4. Headbutt
If Engaged they can make the following action:
Headbutt (Free): Pick an enemy fighter that's Engaged with the fighter and in base contact. Roll two D6. If either roll is higher than their Toughness, they suffer a Strength+2, Damage 2 hit. However, if both dice are lower that the enemy's toughness, this figher suffers a hit equal to their own Strength, Damage 1.
5. Hurl
If Engaged they can perform the following action:
Hurl (Basic): Pick an enemy fighter that's Engaged with the fighter and in base contact, or a Seriously Injured enemy fighter within 1". The target makes an Initiative test. If failed, the enemy is hurled D3" in a direction of your choosing. If they were standing, they're now pinned. If they hit any terrain or a Standing fighter, they suffer a Strength 3, Damage 1 hit. If they hit another model, that model also suffers from that hit, and they become Pinned as well. a Hurl can be performed for free after a Charge (instead of the free Fight action).
6. Iron Jaw
+2 Toughness against AP - (zero AP) close combat weapons.
Combat
1. Combat Master
Doesn't suffer penalties to their to hit rolls from interference. They can always grant assists.
2. Counter-Attack
When making a Reaction attack, roll an additional Attack dice for each of the attacker's Attacks that didn't hit (eh missed, parried).
3. Disarm
Any Melee weapon used gains the Disarm trait. If the weapon already has it, disarm on a natural 5 or 6, not just a 6.
4. Parry
Can parry attacks like a weapon with the Parry trait. If they already have a parry weapon, they can parry an additional attack.
5. Rain Of Blows
Fight (Basic) becomes Fight (Simple) (so can be used twice an activation).
Allow the fighter to make 2 consecutive Fight actions when charging (and potentially receiving 2 reaction attacks as well).
6. Step Aside
If hit in close combat, they can try to step aside. Make an Initiative test. If passed, the attack misses.
It can only be used once per enemy per round of close combat (if attacked with multiple attacks, you can only try and step aside one of them).
Cunning
1. Backstab
Melee weapons gain the Backstab trait. If they already have this Trait, add 2 to the attack’s Strength rather than the usual 1 when the Trait is used.
If benefiting from this skill, apply an additional -1 AP.
2. Escape Artist
When making a Retreat (Basic) action, add 2 to the result (a natural 1 still fails).
If captured at the end of the battle, and are equipped with a skinblade, they may add 1 to the result of the dice roll to see if they can escape during the Rescue Mission scenario.
3. Evade
If targeted by a ranged attack, while Standing and Active and not in any cover, there is an additional -1 to hit, or -2 if the attack is long range.
4. Infiltrate
Don't deploy at the start of the battle like normal. Just before the start of the first round, set them up anywhere on the battlefield not visible to enemy fighters, and not within 6" of the enemy.
If both players have Infiltrators, roll off to see who goes first.
Infiltrate can break many scenarios. In those cases, make 2 move actions before the 1st round instead.
5. Lie Low
When prone, enemy fighters can't target them with a ranged attack unless in Short range. Weapons that do not have a Short range are unaffected by this rule.
6. Overwatch
If Standing and Active, and haven't activated this round, they can interrupt a visible enemys action. This is as soon as the action is declared, but before they do anything. This fighter loses their ready marker and makes a Shoot (Basic) action, targeting the fighter they interrupted. If the enemy is Pinned or Seriously Injured as a result, their activation ends immediately and their action/s aren't made.
Driving
1. Jink
When their vehicle is hit by an attack they can make a Jink save (not modified by AP). Roll a D6. On a 6 the hit is ignored.
This Jink save can only be made once per round.
2. Expert Driver
Add +1 to the result of Loss of Control tests.
3. Heavy Foot
When performing a Move (Simple) or a Ram (Double) action, you can increase Movement by D3". If a natural 1 is rolled, suffer a single Glancing Hit to the Engine.
The can be performed once per round.
4. Slalom
When performing a Move (Simple) action, you can make an additional turn of up to 45° at any point before, during or after its move.
The can be performed once per round.
5. T-Bone
If you have a Head-on Collision with another vehicle or terrain, add D3 to your Front Toughness characteristic until the collision is fully resolved.
6. Running Repairs
When Stalled and making a Handling test to Restart, if a natural 6 is rolled, you recover 1 Hull Point (as well as Restart the vehicle).
Ferocity
1. Berserker
When fighting as part of a Charge (Double) action, roll an additional Attack dice.
2. Fearsome
If being charged against, the enemy must make a Willpower test before moving. If they fail, they can't Charge and their activation ends.
3. Impetuous
Can consolidate 4" instead of 2".
If eligible, can both Coup de Grace and Consolidate (2") after a Fight action.
4. Nerves Of Steel
When hit by a ranged attack, make a Cool check. If passed, you can choose to stay standing.
5. True Grit
When making an Injury roll, roll one less dice. If you were only rolling one dice anyway, roll two and discard one.
6. Unstoppable
Before making a Recovery test, roll a D6. If 4+, remove a Flesh Wound. If you don't have any Flesh Wounds, roll two Recovery dice and discard one.
Leadership
1. Commanding Presence
When this fighter activates to make a group activation, they may include one more fighter than normal as part of the group (i.e., a Champion could activate two other fighters instead of one, and a Leader could activate three). This skill cannot be gained by a vehicle and, if randomly selected, a new skill is randomly selected.
2. Inspirational
If a friendly model within 6" of this model fails a Cool test, make a Leadership test for this model. If the Leadership test is passed then the Cool test also counts as having been passed.
3. Iron Will
Subtract 1 from the result of any of your Bottle checks whilst this model is on the battlefield and is not Prone and Seriously Injured or Wrecked.
4. Mentor
Make a Leadership test for this model each time another friendly model within 6" gains XP. If the test is passed, the other model gains an additional XP.
5. Overseer
If the model is Standing and Active or Mobile, they can attempt to make the following action:
Order (Double): Make a Leadership test for this model. If the test is passed, pick a friendly fighter within 6". That fighter can immediately make two actions as though it were their turn to activate, even if they are not Ready. If they are Ready, these actions do not remove their Ready marker.
6. Regroup
If this model is Standing and Active or Mobile at the end of their activation, the controlling player may make a Leadership test for them. If this test is passed, each friendly model that is currently subject to the Broken condition and is within 6" immediately recovers from being Broken.
Savant
1. Ballistics Expert
When this model makes an Aim (Basic) action, make an Intelligence test for them. If the test is passed, they gain an additional +1 modifier to their hit roll.
Can pre-measure the distance to one enemy fighter when aiming.
2. Connected
This model can make a Trade action during the post-battle sequence, in addition to any other actions they make (meaning they could even make two Trade actions). They cannot do this if they are unable to make actions during the post-battle sequence.
3. Fixer
In the Receive Rewards step of the post-battle sequence, as long as this model is not Captured or In Recovery, their gang earns an additional D3x10 credits. Note that they do not need to have taken part in the battle to gain this bonus.
4. Medicae
This skill cannot be gained by a vehicle and if randomly selected, a new skill is randomly selected. This fighter may make the Treat Wounds (Basic) action:
Treat Wounds (Basic): Roll a D6. On a 3+ a friendly fighter within 1" either regains a lost Wound or loses a Flesh Wound (controlling player’s choice).
5. Munitioneer
Whenever an Ammo test is failed for this model, or another model from their gang within 6", it can be re-rolled.
6. Savvy Trader
When this model makes a Trade action in the post-battle sequence, add an additional 1 to the result of the dice roll to determine the Availability level of Rare/Illegal items on offer at the Trading Post on this visit. Additionally, the cost of one item may be reduced by 20 credits on this visit. Note that this means one item, not one type of item. A single power sword may be purchased for 30 credits, but a second power sword will still cost 50 credits.
Shooting
1. Fast Shot
This model treats the Shoot and the Fire All actions as (Simple) rather than (Basic), as long as they do not attack with a weapon that has the Unwieldy trait (note that even if a skill or Wargear item allows a model to ignore one aspect of the Unwieldy trait, Unwieldy weapons retain the Trait).
Apply -1 hit modifier when using this skill.
2. Gunfighter
If this model uses the Twin Guns Blazing rule to attack with two weapons with the Sidearm trait, they do not suffer the -1 penalty to their hit rolls and can, if they wish, target a different enemy model with each weapon with the Sidearm trait.
3. Hip Shooting
If the model is a vehicle, it treats the Move & Shoot action as (Simple) rather than (Basic) as long as it does not attack with a weapon that has the Unwieldy trait (note that even if a skill or Wargear item allows a model to ignore one aspect of the Unwieldy trait, Unwieldy weapons retain the Trait).
If the model is a fighter and is Standing and Active, they can make the following action:
Run and Gun (Double): The fighter may move up to double their Movement characteristic and then make an attack with a ranged weapon. The hit roll suffers an additional -1 modifier, and Unwieldy weapons can never be used in conjunction with this skill.
Apply -1 hit modifier when using this skill.
4. Marksman
The model is not affected by the rules for Target Priority. In addition, if the hit roll for an attack made by the model with a ranged weapon (that does not have the Blast trait) is a natural 6, they score a critical hit and the weapon’s Damage is doubled (if they are firing a weapon with the Rapid Fire trait, only the Damage of the first hit is doubled).
5. Precision Shot
If the hit roll for a ranged attack made by this model is a natural 6 (when using a weapon that does not have the Blast trait), the shot hits an exposed area and no armour save can be made.
6. Trick Shot
When this model makes ranged attacks, they do not suffer a penalty for the target being engaged or in partial cover. In addition, if the target is in full cover, they reduce the penalty to their hit roll to -1 rather than -2.
Apply +1 modifier to any ammo tests.