So Im a fan of Star Wars fighting styles where a Jedi or Sith would wield a saber in one hand and now and then use a force power as a secondary weapon.

I want to create a talent that allows the Psyker to use a power as an off-hand weapon:

Psychic Warrior
Tier: 3
Prerequisite: Psy Rating 3, Two-Weapon Wielder (melee)
The character is so in tune with aggressive warp powers that he can summon a bolt of energy with the point of a finger or flick of a wrist. When armed with a melee weapon in one hand, one he can use single-handedly, and a free hand, he may, after making a Half Action Attack (this can be a Single Attack, a Swift Attack, or a Lightning Attack with a melee weapon), manifest as a Half Action a known Psychic Power that requires no longer than a Half Action to manifest.

This Psychic Power must be a Psychic Bolt in nature or the Mind Over Matter Power. The Power may not be manifested at a Push level. Both tests made to attack or manifest suffer a –20 penalty. (The Weapon Skill and Power Test). This Talent does enjoy the benefits of the Ambidextrous Talent.

This raises 3 issues:

1)Would you allow such a Talent, if not, why?

2) What would you change? My friend suggested that this talent, when wielded, should count as a Sustained Power, visually depicted by the crackling warp energy surrounding the psyker's free hand. I like this image.

3) On a side note: Isn't the Side Arm Talent a bit expensive considering it is the most popular wielding style in the 40k universe? It requires an additional talent which I fell is uncalled for considering it limits a player to this fighting style already.

Just as an FYI, the rules officially would block you doing it.

BC Core Rulebook P234, bottom of the left column:

In addition, characters in Black Crusade may only take one action with the Attack subtype and one action with the Concentration subtype during their turn. They may still take Reactions with the Concentration or Attack subtype during the same round, since this does not happen during their Turn.

So you either withdraw the rule altogether in your campaign, which can be a very dangerous option both for them and for you as a GM when players find other ways to abuse that, or you allow the talent to override that. All attacks are obviously of the Attack subtype and most powers or at least hostile ones are also Attack subtype so you would need to keep that in mind. This does however exist already in a similar form such as the Rune Staff from Deathwatch First Founding (P100) so the principle is already there to work with:

When he strikes a foe he can channel his power as normal (making a Focus Test opposed by his target’s Willpower), but instead of inflicting additional damage, he can trigger one of his psychic powers as a Free Action, with a Psy Rating of 1 for each degree of success he scores over his target. Only powers with a specified target can be used in this way and must be targeted at the creature being struck with the Rune Staff. This trigger ignores the restrictions on using multiple psychic powers in a turn. Only a Rune Priest (Space Wolves Librarian) can use a Rune Staff.

As you can see that specifically states it overrules so yes, careful on the wording old chap. Suggest then that if you were to do it, that you allow them to make the hit and have them expend their reaction to use it. Likely a Sith using that ability would leave them somewhat exposed if they have to make a strike and then channel the force to strike a victim and would leave them slightly off guard to a counter attack, hoping to destroy or incapacitate their target utterly in that one go otherwise they would pay for it.

Also since you are saying "must be psychic bolt in nature", again this is really lacking in clarity and you need to make it clear that it's just BOLT before they try saying "well psychic blast is in the same section" and using Primordial Annihilation...

1 - Would I allow it as a talent though? Certainly not. The reason being, again due to your dubious wording, is the horrendous potential for lots of misuse and abuse. The potential damage output can be horrific if you consider that even at a half action you can get a decent swing with a blade such as Force Sword, you get the hit and the damage from that. You can also channel your killing will into the blade for bonus damage, also as a free action and then you have the second half which is your talent saying you can do another psychic bolt at a person and that can just get even worse.

2 - Pass.

3 - I don't see why it's so popular. It's a horrible fighting style since it pays no heed to proper defence but that's just me getting technical. It's not limiting or preventing you from doing it though and just drops the penalty. Imagine the coordination it would take for you to subsequently aim a good attack with a sword and shoot someone at the same time at close range without them doing the same to you, the penalty is justified. Also the most common fighting style in the Imperium is likely "shoot it from a distance away using a shedload of bolter/las/bullets"! It's only 750xp since it's an unaligned upgrade at Tier 3, that's quite cheap to be honest, it's about a session or twos work (give or take).

Just as an FYI, the rules officially would block you doing it.

BC Core Rulebook P234, bottom of the left column:

In addition, characters in Black Crusade may only take one action with the Attack subtype and one action with the Concentration subtype during their turn. They may still take Reactions with the Concentration or Attack subtype during the same round, since this does not happen during their Turn.

Well I thought the Talent would cover all the exceptions.

Curious though, how do you treat Two Weapon Wielder in your games as that is also in contradiction to the game rules?

Likely a Sith using that ability would leave them somewhat exposed if they have to make a strike and then channel the force to strike a victim and would leave them slightly off guard to a counter attack, hoping to destroy or incapacitate their target utterly in that one go otherwise they would pay for it.

I might consider later on to require a reaction to do it, but at this stage I think it is too much of a burden

Also since you are saying "must be psychic bolt in nature", again this is really lacking in clarity and you need to make it clear that it's just BOLT before they try saying "well psychic blast is in the same section" and using Primordial Annihilation...

Indeed I meant all the forms of psychic bolts, not just barrages. But by your tone it seems you wouldn't agree with this.

Primordial Annihilation is a Full Action so would not qualify under this talent.

1 - Would I allow it as a talent though? Certainly not. The reason being, again due to your dubious wording, is the horrendous potential for lots of misuse and abuse. The potential damage output can be horrific if you consider that even at a half action you can get a decent swing with a blade such as Force Sword, you get the hit and the damage from that. You can also channel your killing will into the blade for bonus damage, also as a free action and then you have the second half which is your talent saying you can do another psychic bolt at a person and that can just get even worse.

Well I didnt do an extensive test, but bar Bolt of Tzeench(which is broken and better to Push anyway), I dont really see any Bolts that can surpass a Legion Plasma Gun in damage. Doom Bolt does 1d10+PR (lets say 5 to be fair) pen 8and as an unlimited semi auto. At -10 Power Test as indicated in the talent you might score 3 or so. The Plasma is limited to 2 but thats 1d10+12 Pen 10. Doom Bolt will be 30 Damage on average vs 32 of plasma.

This excludes the fact that Weapons can be upgraded and Possessed even and can enjoy Best Craftsmanship. There are also many ways to resist or completely circumvent Psy Powers.

You complain of how powerful the combo would be once the psyker carries a force weapon, but you are fine with a psyker being able to dual wield 2 such weapons with one less talent?

3 - I don't see why it's so popular. It's a horrible fighting style since it pays no heed to proper defence but that's just me getting technical. It's not limiting or preventing you from doing it though and just drops the penalty. Imagine the coordination it would take for you to subsequently aim a good attack with a sword and shoot someone at the same time at close range without them doing the same to you, the penalty is justified. Also the most common fighting style in the Imperium is likely "shoot it from a distance away using a shedload of bolter/las/bullets"! It's only 750xp since it's an unaligned upgrade at Tier 3, that's quite cheap to be honest, it's about a session or twos work (give or take).

I dont know why it is popular, but in the world of 40k it is. both in fluff and tabletop. Im not comparing realism with 40k, Im just trying to imitate the setting/world.

The issue with this talent is it requires BOTH a Two weapon fighting talent in melee AND range.

1)Would you allow such a Talent, if not, why?

2) What would you change? My friend suggested that this talent, when wielded, should count as a Sustained Power, visually depicted by the crackling warp energy surrounding the psyker's free hand. I like this image.

3) On a side note: Isn't the Side Arm Talent a bit expensive considering it is the most popular wielding style in the 40k universe? It requires an additional talent which I fell is uncalled for considering it limits a player to this fighting style already.

1. Nope. I only allow house-rules where I see them necessary and giving a psyker even more flexibility in his offense is by no means necessary.

2. I would make him wait for his next turn if he wants a bolt to follow up his melee attack.

3. It may be most popular but all you need is ambidextrous. Shoot when you want to shoot, strike when you want to strike. Just because many do it that does not mean they do it perfectly and simultaneously.

Apologies also if the initial post came across a little blunt or too critical for the idea. I looked back over it a few hours ago and was concerned I may have come across too brash or "matter of factly". Wasn't the aim.

Two Weapon Wielder is not part of it as I think there's something elsewhere in the combat section which says it's actually counted as one action, not two attack actions which is why it passes through.

Fair play on the Primordial Annihilation, I had forgot to edit the example after I reread it. Thing is though, you're not at a -10 on using the power afterwards as remember if it's still a focus power test to manifest the bolt you get a +5WP for each point of PR so if we use your example at PR5 you are looking at +25 which neutralises your penalty and is in profit. Even better with ambidextrous. Average psyker is probably looking at a Willpower of around 40 so realistically that's a good chance of lots of DoS. Again it's the combination of that and the hit. It's a game of luck mind but something to bear in mind.

I also did double check and AFAIK you can only use the force weapon quality once to channel extra so even if you hit the target with two force weapons using two weapon wield, you can only pick one of them to add the extra. Moot point since either way it would not be affected by the weapon.

Reason I was also on about bolts and being explicit is that if things are not stated 100% then players like to find loopholes, myself included. Never question a players ability to find a rule you didn't notice or try to catch you out! I would recommend leaving it as bolt though and not barrage, storm or blast because that can get quite silly.

I don't have a major problem with the concept of it but again I would recommend making it expend the reaction to use it in a similar way to All-Out Attack and expand that a little which means you go aggressive with no heed to the consequences if they survive the blow, which sounds a little more balanced and I would actually consider allowing that if there was a little more of a drawback to it. I ran a few numbers through and in theory you can do a lot of pain with this so it might need some edge.

I personally wouldn't see any problem with it, but then again I would cut out the Talent and permit a Player to do it so long as they had Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee, Ballistic). However, it would fall under the same penalties that a Gun would if in melee (assuming the Psychic power is shooting/ranged), applying any equivalent talents that would deduct this penalty.

As far as the Sidearm Talent is concerned, I apply it to all weapons that may be fired One-Handed by the Player (Bolters, Plasma guns, etc.). Especially considering that a Space Marine (or Heretic with Recoil Glove) can do it to begin with (with all the penalties included mind you).

For any further GM consideration, I just tend to follow the "Rule of Cool" school. Doesn't change how likely the Player is to die, only how well they can perceive their outward effects on the game (if they do too well, make them miss now and again).

Apologies for the mild thread necromancy, but if I might chime in a little here. Might I suggest a (to me) simpler set of talents.

Novice Psychic Warrior

Tier: 1
Prerequisite: Psy Rating 3
The character is so in tune with aggressive warp powers that he can summon a bolt of energy with the point of a finger or flick of a wrist. So long as the Psyker has a free hand, he may manifest a psychic bolt (but not a psychic barrage, psychic storm or other psychic power with the attack subtype] as if it were a pistol for the purposes of using Two Weapon Fighting.The psyker suffers a penalty to his focus power test equal to any penalty he would have suffered for using a pistol in such a manner. The character may not use blasphemous incantation or corpus conversion in conjuction with this talent, nor may he push his psychic strength. Additionally, the psyker may only manifest one psychic power in this manner during his turn.

Initiate Psychic Warrior

Tier: 2
Prerequisite: Psy Rating 5, Novice Psychic Warrior
The character has refined his affinity with aggressive warp powers so that he can now unleash a brief torrent of energy with practiced eased. So long as the Psyker has a free hand, he may manifest a psychic bolt or psychic barrage (but not a psychic storm or other psychic power with the attack subtype] as if it were a pistol for the purposes of using Two Weapon Fighting. The psyker suffers a penalty to his focus power test equal to any penalty he would have suffered for using a pistol in such a manner. The character may not use blasphemous incantation or corpus conversion in conjuction with this talent, nor may he push his psychic strength. Additionally, the psyker may only manifest one psychic power in this manner during his turn.

Master Psychic Warrior

Tier: 3
Prerequisite: Psy Rating 7, Initiate Psychic Warrior
The character has refined his affinity with aggressive warp powers to their very limit, such that he can now unleash furious torrent of energy as easily as one would squeeze the trigger of a gun. So long as the Psyker has a free hand, he may manifest a psychic bolt, psychic barrage or a psychic storm (but not any other psychic power with the attack subtype] as if it were a pistol for the purposes of using Two Weapon Fighting. The psyker suffers a penalty to his focus power test equal to any penalty he would have suffered for using a pistol in such a manner. The character may not use blasphemous incantation or corpus conversion in conjuction with this talent, nor may he push his psychic strength. Additionally, the psyker may only manifest one psychic power in this manner during his turn.

Simply put, I prefer an approach that works alongside the existing talent structure and explains why this approach isn't more widely spread. It takes serious effort and dedication to this style of fighting in order to truly master it. Effort that most psykers prefer to spend on other abilities.