I apologize if this has already been posted but I searched around the board and couldn't find it anywhere. My group was having a fierce debate as to how the Psyker power Catch Projectiles actually works. Some of the members seemed to think that the Range of the power indicated that its effect would be only work if the origin of the SP bullet was within the Range (5m in this case) and some thought that it would stop any SP bullets (equal to willpower bonus) that entered the 5m radius of the Psyker using the ability. I sided with the Psyker on this case because it seemed that if the power only stopped SP bullets originating within the 5m radius, then the power was severely crippled for a Discipline power. So hopefully one of you could clear this up for us. I appreciate it greatly, thank you in advance.

I think you can stop any projectiles that are fired at people within the 5m radius, so you can help someone standing beside you. It can also help stop a missle or grenade lobbed at you, so it doesnt explode beside you mid air.

So, anything that enters the 5m (or whatever range) radius, it'll be able to stop, correct? The origin does not have to be within the 5m. I appreciate that. I would like a few more responses, just so I can prove to my group that this is how it should be and not just 1 person's opinion.

The entry for the power does not mention the point of origin of the projectile, so I have to conclude that it is irrelevant. And I would also agree that the range is primarily to allow you to shield other players if you wish, since it also makes no mention of catching projectiles directed at you.

This question over ar Dark Riegn threw up a few more questions for me, that you chaps may be able help with.

I'll ask them here too...

1. What counts as an 'incoming projectile'? Presumably 'outgoing projectiles' aren't stopped? What about an Earthshaker Cannon shell...its a solid projectile...does this stop it? What about a descending Ork Rok? thats a solid projectile isn't it?

2. Discount hits equal to WPb? In total? From each target within the field? does the psyker decide which projectiles to stop? Does a shotgun blast count the pellets as individual projectiles?

3. 'When the power ends they fall harmlessly to the ground'. what about grenades or missiles? Do they explode or are they somehow deactivated? What about an atomic bomb? Or an Exterminatus virus missile? Do they 'fall harmlessly to the ground'?

1. Anything over a Heavy weapon projectile would be GM option and I would require a WP test based on my mood towards the players actions.

2. I might be persuaded to allow the Psyker to select a number of rounds equal to his degrees of success before I switch over to order of attack. The shotgun would be up to the GM. I can see arguments for each shell and each scatter hit being valid. I would probably lean toward the cool factor of each shell, not scatter hit.

3. Again GM option here. Grenades and Man portable missiles might detonate after the effect wears off or the corruption of the Warp might freeze them somehow. I would lean toward the Warp freezing them, but leaving them unstable. Again I would say anything bigger than a heavy weapon would require a WP test and need to be really plot driven to work. Probably require burning a Fate Point for an atomic or virus bomb incoming from orbit.

Use, not burning, of a fate point would go a long way toward stopping that Earth Shaker shell.

Since it's the telekinetics discipline I'd be inclined to borrow the mechanics of the other telekinetic powers and rule you can catch any projectile up to 5X WP bonus in kgs. Thus you could stop an average cannonball but a deathstrike missile would be to heavy to stop.

1. What counts as an 'incoming projectile'? Presumably 'outgoing projectiles' aren't stopped? What about an Earthshaker Cannon shell...its a solid projectile...does this stop it? What about a descending Ork Rok? thats a solid projectile isn't it?

A solid projectile is one fired from a SP weapon. It won't stop Bolt Shells or Hand grenades. At least that's how I see it.

2. Discount hits equal to WPb? In total? From each target within the field? does the psyker decide which projectiles to stop? Does a shotgun blast count the pellets as individual projectiles?

It's a reaction, so the field goes up on the opponent's turn. I would think that the first solid projectiles that hit in a WPB radius would be stopped.

3. 'When the power ends they fall harmlessly to the ground'. what about grenades or missiles? Do they explode or are they somehow deactivated? What about an atomic bomb? Or an Exterminatus virus missile? Do they 'fall harmlessly to the ground'?

Grenades and missiles aren't solid projectiles as fired from a weapon with the class SP.

Again, that's how I've been playing it with my psyker. I can't stop hand grenades (thrown weapons) or rockets (don't have the book with me, but I assume they aren't fired from an SP weapon). I can't protect anyone unless I'm targetted first (as it's a reaction, and I can't use a reaction until I'm attacked). I can stop 5 bullets (my psyker's wp bonus) within 5 meters (range of power) of myself (since I don't have any talents or powers that let me move as a reaction).

Now, if someone threw a hand grenade at me, and I was able to dodge out of the area of effect, the center would change on the 5 meter radius, since I would move out of the AoE. I would need to have step aside to do this, though, since the Catch Projectiles uses my reaction, and Step Aside with give me an additional dodge.

Oan Mkoll said:

You are fast enough to catch a bullet, but not a grenade or a rock thrown at you? It said solid projectile, not energy. So anything thats physically solid, not fire or lasers. Poor choice of words on their part.

I would assume also that gernades, missle (to a point), knives, rocks, bullets, arrows etc... would all be counted under the power. Most missles go off on impact at the tip.. so I would say random to see which way it lands when it falls "harmlessly" to the ground. As for gernades they are on a timer before they pop so I would say they would still go off... But the radius is under 4 meters for all gernades s you would be close but basically safe from the blast.

I would use a wording if it comes from a person, ie not launched from a battle cruiser , then it could be stopped.

Because I'm mean, and like powers to have the occasional weak spot, I'd probably rule that shots from weapons with the scatter quality couldn't be stopped either. Or, alternatively, rule that a shot from a scatter weapon would count as all the projectiles that could be stopped if that'd be more cinematic.

the power actually states that it discounts a number of hits from incoming missles equal to your WP bonus. so this would only work for solid projectiles that would hit you. anything thrown, shot, fired, launched, or tossed is a solid projectile. the only catch is that it must "hit".

a shot gun blast or an eldar splinter round would still qualify as they have solid hits.

in the case of the eldar weapon, has a chance to hit up to 10 times, so if they all hit, and you had a WPb of 100, you could stop all 10.

a grenade does not have to hit you, it hits an area, so technically, they do not qualify.

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for devestating effects, combine this with the power fling. as a reaction you hold this large missle in the air, on your turn, you fling the missle back at your opponent and watch them explode in a big ball of firey fun.

damere said:

Well, if you want to get supper technical, it will work against a grenade -that is to say, if a grenade is thrown at your head, the power will stop the grenade from klonking you up-side the noggin. Te whole exploding ting they do, that's a whole separate matter, but with tis power active, at least the grenade wont bounce off your skull before it explodes... it'll just explode about a meter in front of you where your power dropped it ;-)