During my latest DH game, one of my players became concerned when he noticed that the Adepts has access to the Electro Graft Use talent. He was under the impression that Electro Grafts were exclusive to the Mechanicus (due to it being listed under the Mechanicus Implant package) and its lack of availability anywhere else as a career path option or implant purchase. In fact, until I examined the errata, Tech-priests didn't even get Electro Graft Use. Interestingly enough, though the Adept gets the Talent Electro Graft Use, they do not get the implant. And though the Talent in Dark Heresy does not require the implant, the Talent in Rogue Trader does.

I'm curious if other groups noticed this and if they had issues with the exclusivity perception of the implants and the availability of the talent and how they handled it or would handle it.

Yeah I've found that to be pretty strange as well. And the issue arouse lately because I wanted to play a Seneschal augmented with cybernetic implants designed for interfacing with cogitator systems and data-looms.

The way I did it was to have him implanted with a Good quality Mind Impulse Unit. It seemed to function and give the same kind of benefits as an Electro graft in my opinion, so that's how I solved the problem.

The Electro Graft should be considered the poor mans MIU. I would not restrict them or withhold them from non-Mechanicus people. Glavian Flight Circuitry is just a limited version of an Electro-Graft and a MIU is a much more efficient form of the same thing. All of them are just a way of communicating with cogitators and machine spirits. There is also no reason not to have both as you are limited by they interface of the device you are trying to use and most machines will only have one interface type.

Well, that talent is Talent and Implant at the same time, so to buy it you need some RP-ing..

Santiago said:

true. however, in this case, the PC was brought in with some back XP to make him reasonably competent with comparison to the rest of the party. Though there is the point that until the Errata came out, Electro Graft Use was not with the Tech Priest career path (though I probably have to recheck this) despite Tech Priests starting with the implant in the first place.

Techpriests are supposed to have the training to use all of their starting implants package, so if you feel the need to document it, just consider a Techpriest to have the "virtual-Talent" Electro Graft Use.

Since technically players are supposed to have appoval on what they spend their XP on (in case the GM is deliberately blocking certain choices or perhaps offering different choices) it is a simple matter to allow your Adept to buy the Electro Graft Use only when they are in an appropriate situation to get the implantation, programming and training. As far as I am concerned, when a player buys a talent that is actually an implant, they get that implant. Otherwise what was the point of spending their hard-earned points? Think that the implant in question is too overpowered for your game? Not a problem, the local Mechanicus are short on suitable parts right now, and they dare not offend the machine spirit by constructing an implant from inferior and non-template parts...

You can also "unlock access" to certain items or implants as a reward for mission performance, unflinching dedication to the Inquisitorial cause at great personal sacrifice, etc.

Techpriests are supposed to have the training to use all of their starting implants package, so if you feel the need to document it, just consider a Techpriest to have the "virtual-Talent" Electro Graft Use.

Er... no, they explicitly don't. Training to use the more esoteric functions of implants are unlocked by the appropriate talents, Electro Graft Use being one of them.

Cifer said:

That's true. Techpriests recieve little to no training in how to use their mechanicus implants from the start. They basically chop the techpriest up, staple the necessary implants into and onto his body, stitch him or her back up and hope everything works (it's a matter of faith in the Machine-God of course, where the unfaithfuls implants will malfunction).

At first, the Techpriest won't be able to activate any systems in his body except those that are automatic (like the respirator unit least he/she dies from asphyxiation), it takes time, meditation and dedication to unlock the different functions that the mechanicus implants has to offer. Abilities like Feedback Screech, Maglev Grace, Luminen Charge, Luminen Shock, Luminen Bolt etc.