When facing Fear causing enemies a marine in solo mode has a penalty to his willpower tests based on the enemies Fear rating.

This means a Librarian in solo mode would face penalties to his Focus Power tests.

This penalty means a space marine is less effective than a normal person who passes his Fear test.

How do others work this?

I dont think this rule makes much sense.

Same for a Grey Knight from Dark Heresy.

Actually, the errata specifically calls out fear as *not* affecting focus power tests. Realistically, as they are immune to fear otherwise, the only situation I can see willpower tests that aren't focus tests being called for is to resist accruing insanity points, and to resist psychic powers. Even more realistically, a situation where a Space Marine is alone, and facing things causing both fear and insanity simultaneously *should* result in the accumulation of insanity points, as that's about as bad as it gets, and if you absolutely never allow insanity points to get accumulated, the Primarch's curse is a pointless mechanic.

If you ask me, the thing that makes less sense is that Jaded is not available to Deathwatch Space Marines. If you want to limit that aspect of the fear rules, or just really hate insanity points, allow characters to pick up Jaded, or give it to them for free (they're in the Deathwatch, after all).

In terms of the whole psychic powers thing, because of the incredibly poor way they are balanced in this game, there is no chance a psyker of any merit will ever fail to win in an opposed willpower test as part of a psychic power anyway. Fear causing creatures just rub salt in the wound. My recommendation for more balanced gameplay in general would be to simply not grant the +5 x PR to focus power tests at all, this will make psychic powers much less automatic, and more easily resisted by those who are focused upon that task. That has nothing to do with fear rating, just a recommendation in general.

Of course, the other options would be to allow the space marine to take a fear test to ignore the willpower penalty, or to actually stick together when facing such foes.

Personally, I have no qualms with the rules as they stand, I think it heightens the dramatic tension and weakness of a lone space marine in the face of such a foe and encourages reliance upon each other, which is good for the group dynamic. But if you feel it interferes with the game, or the way that people are attempting to represent their character (especially the ones who want their space marine to be a rock upon which the tides of the enemy break themselves), there are plenty of options to fix it.

Thankyou for the informed reply, most helpful

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the Rule as Written, where SMs take an automatic penalty to WP, while 'mere mortals' have at least a chance to ignore Fear entirely.

I House Rule that SMs in Solo Mode take Fear tests as normal; if and only if they fail , 'And They Shall Know No Fear' means the WP penalty replaces the normal effects of Fear.

As Quinn stated WP is rather pointless for SM.

I'd suggest the rules for normal people for SMs in solo mode with a big bonus or reroll or something if you want to change it.

SM Willpower isn't pointless against opponents attempting to Pin them. Sure, they get a free re-roll against pinning, but the auto WP penalty is still pretty 'feel-able', in my opinion.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the Rule as Written, where SMs take an automatic penalty to WP, while 'mere mortals' have at least a chance to ignore Fear entirely.

I House Rule that SMs in Solo Mode take Fear tests as normal; if and only if they fail , 'And They Shall Know No Fear' means the WP penalty replaces the normal effects of Fear.

I really need to spend more attention reading the rules. I thought your house rule was RAW.