Some Question on outfitting a psyker

By Tokatasa, in Deathwatch

So,

I'm starting a Blood Angels (or perhaps Blood Drinkers) scriptor. He should be meele-combat focused, using his psypowers for chaos and show-ofs.

The Idea is to make him very bloody. He has no "utility" powers, just purely offensive, with the maingoal is to get boiling blood.

Since I have had no Psykers yet in my campains, some questions:

On the 1000 start XP I was planning on getting him "Sanctioned" (to the psi event that lets all stones bleed blood), Pilot (Jumppack), Calling (not sure about this translation, test on willpower next psipower gains psirank +1)

So, first of all:
Is Calling ever beeing used? Or is the turn just not worthwhile and you better do another Psypower / Attack?

Next on the Equipment:

1) Jumppacks: Is it possible for Scriptors to get Jumppacks? I found nothing against that, but I didn't know of any Scriptors using Jumppacks yet. (I'd like to have a jumppack because it adds amazing movment flexibility and helps me to get into meele - at least until he can learn the blood wings Psypower)

2) Psi Weapons: Are there any Psi Weapons other then Blade and Staff? I don't realy like any of the options, tho actually i'm sticking with staff (if there are: In what rulebook may i find them? As I have to wait for the german translations i might pick up that rulebook in english^^) - Two handed would be great, like a gleve.

3) Arm mounted Bolt Pistol: I'm thinking of giving the Psyker a arm mounted Bolt Pistol (cause of carrying a 2-handed meele weapon). Either with an Ammunition Exchanger (Most likly to get the exploding Ammunition, for moar blood!^^) or even an Ammunition Backpack (tho this is a bit unlikly :D Backpack attached to a bolt pistol :D ), so he has an arm mounted bolt pistol with 250 shots each mission. Maybe if there are enough points even a laser point scope for better bf.

So what are your thoughts on the arm mounted Bolt pistol, alternative Psi Weapons (I'd love a Psi-Chainsword, but nothing like that exists as far as i know :( ^^ would fit the bloody theme tho :D ) and may Scriptors use Jumppacks / Is it possible to Mount a Jumppack on top of an Ammunition Backpack?^^

Edited by Tokatasa

Sanctioning is good. A good thing to take to stop you going mad but where are you going to get the piloting skill from? At Rank 1 and your initial XP you are only able to pick up skills and talents from a few trees and none of them have piloting. It isn't free for all unless your GM is giving you the option for it. Also how the hell are you going to afford all three? Invocation (which your translation came to as Calling) costs 400xp. Sanctioning costs another 400 and piloting usually 800xp each. Can't afford all that from the off again unless you're looking elsewhere or your GM is giving you it for nothing. Also side note, remember that Calling/Invocation only grants you +1 Psy Rating on Fettered power tests not all tests. I personally don't bother with Calling/Invocation as usually it's a waste of the experience points which I much prefer to put into better abilities such as towards Smite or Possibility shield (expensive and more than the XP cost of Invocation but so worth it). It would be a less efficient use of your talents as you have taken one which mitigates phenomenon to some degree and then you're taking another which allows you to use psychic powers at a level that phenomenon cannot happen. The applications of this are too niche for my liking to recommend its usage and I would avoid it personally.

You can get yourself a jump pack if you have the 15 requisition required in each mission to request it but you wont be able to use it. The wording on the item explicitly says you need Pilot (Personal) to be able to use it effectively. Pilot is an advanced skill which means it cannot be used untrained. Now as far as I can see and as mentioned above, the earliest you would be able to pickup the skill is Rank 3 where it comes up under General Space Marine Advances (P61 - Core) as "Pilot (Any)" and Blood Angels don't get it as a freebie. You'd have to be an Assault Marine to get it free and Librarians don't get it at all normally. So you can pick one up but unless the GM decides to override the rule on advanced skills it would just be taking up weight and a backpack slot.

Extra Psy Weapons - They don't have to be swords or staffs but most of them usually are. For two handed options you might be looking at something like a Force Halberd or other Nemesis Force Weapons such as hammers. The rules for those, someone has probably made a few homebrew and there might be a load in other books I havent got to hand right now although I think you could adapt a few from the Black Crusade books as well as I'm sure I read of a few in Tome of Fate. There is however a very nice Force Staff in The Emperors Chosen (P48) named the Serpent Staff of Sabazius. It basically is a relic which you are borrowing, are able to recall it to your hand and makes your psychic powers poisonous. As for a force chainsword, you could probably do it as a custom job but it would need to be well thought out and balanced carefully as you already have the extra damage from tearing plus damage for it being a force weapon and adding your PR to damage and pen. My worry is the power of it but thats for you to discuss.

Arm mounted bolt pistols. Pretty much any type of pistol weapon can have itself arm mounted so you can get the pistol strapped on.Then for making it belt fed with a backpack supply theres nothing against this either. The Chaos Artifact Talon of Horus is effectively a belt fed combi bolter so you could indeed take the backpack and the arm mounted weapon. Just keep in mind that arm mounting drops the range a bit.

Finally, no. No way are you getting away with a jump pack and a backpack ammo supply. It would be just far too cumbersome and impractical. There is only one real slot and both items require exclusive access to the power supply provided. It wouldn't work even though theres nothing explicitly saying it, more just common sense. Would you be able to put a jetpack and a big backpack full of ammo in the same place without consequence? :)

Edited by Calgor Grim

Sanctioning is good. A good thing to take to stop you going mad but where are you going to get the piloting skill from? At Rank 1 and your initial XP you are only able to pick up skills and talents from a few trees and none of them have piloting. It isn't free for all unless your GM is giving you the option for it. Also how the hell are you going to afford all three? Invocation (which your translation came to as Calling) costs 400xp. Sanctioning costs another 400 and piloting usually 800xp each. Can't afford all that from the off again unless you're looking elsewhere or your GM is giving you it for nothing.

General Space Marine Advances (page 63):

Add the TwoWeapon Wielder Talent (Ballistic) Talent and the Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee) Talent at Rank 7 for a cost of 800 xp each. Add Pilot (Personal) at Rank 1 for a cost of 100 xp."

Fair point, I've read through it again and shall admit missing that. Never liked bits of the errata so thank you for pointing that out to me. I shall withdraw that concern although the invocation is still not worth it and the backpack will conflict with the jump pack for space.

Edited by Calgor Grim

ON PSI/FORCE WEAPONS:

Considering other books' definitions, a Force weapon is limited to Primitive/Primary/Low-Tech templates. That means Shock, Chain, and Power weapons are excluded. However, that also means that you can have [Force Warhammers], [Force Knives], [Force Whips] (maybe), and so on. The base weapon just needs to be free of moving/mechanical parts. Jury is out concerning Force weapons with [Tox Dispensers] or [Discharge Packs] though.

If you're feeling particularly daring, there's the [Chimera Pistol Sword] from <Dark Heresy - The Inquisitor's Handbook>. Make it a Force Weapon and link its built-in [iron Talon Pistol] to a backpack. Maybe even see if you can get away with mounting that belt-fed pistol sword to your arm. Then dual-wield those puppies. Instant overdone-yet-unique(ish) character.

ok thought so on calling^^

for the jumppilot: in the german rules its in common space marine Rank 1 - as the errata says^^

Now the question is wether to jumppack in or have a backpack fed boltpistol^^

Edit: So Asymptomatic - what you are saying is basicly have 2 gunblades linked to my backpack, while still have my hands free? xD^^

Edited by Tokatasa

why have backpack bolt pistal when you can just use the fire selector and get 3 clips?

So Asymptomatic - what you are saying is basicly have 2 gunblades linked to my backpack, while still have my hands free? xD^^

That's exactly what I'm saying, yup. Irontalon Pistols have a RoF of S/2/5, so you would get Full Auto actions if you backpack-link your gunblades. Although, Irontalon Pistols are only [solid Projectile] weapons, not Bolt. Solid Projectile weapons arguably have more in the way of [unusual Ammunition] support, however. [Tracer Rounds] would be my go-to to maximize Full Auto hits.

Edited by Asymptomatic

why have backpack bolt pistal when you can just use the fire selector and get 3 clips?

Exactly, I can't imagine emptying those 3 clips in a battle. And this does not need any higher renown (like the shouldermount).

Okay just going to throw some tidbits out here as I have been playing a librarian for almost 2.5 years now.

Talk to the GM about force weapons, my old librarian used a Force Spear, that was made by taking the Power Spear profile and knocking the bonus for Power Field off which came to -4 damage and -4 Pen. If you can justify making the weapon I would hope your GM is open to negotiations.

I would recommend against putting an arm mounted Bolt Pistol on your Librarian. For one he comes with a bolter and fire selector and for two, taking the range penalty into consideration, by the time you are able to fire it affectively you are in charge range especially with a jump pack. Having said that... why would you shoot a Bolter of any kind when you have Smite at your disposal? Just wondering.

Invocation is a waste of points in my opinion as you are using it to increase your fettered psy rating. I dont think I have ever used a power on fettered. Mainly because the negatives to using a power unfettered or even push are well within reasonably accepted risk factors. Basically the benefits out weigh the negatives.

Lastly Jump Pack or Bike all the way. Mobility is awsome and for an asset like a Librarian it is key to changing the battlefield in favor of your Kill-Team with the use if a single power.

Edited by DavinHeracles