Hi guys, i wanted to know how do you ha dle the energy needed to keep a power weapon on?, i personally never reallu cared about it, but after reading the power fist entry, this came to my mind, how much time do you think for example that the energy of a power sword would last?, and what doyou think would be the availability of a weapon battery????

As far as I know, power weapons will never run out of charge.

Power weapons are "charged" in such a way that is it done through contact with matter. Basically the weapon literally causes the atomic bonds of the materials that they are colliding with to splinter and break apart. In theory, that is what provides the weapon with charge, and allows it's energy to be 100% renewable.

Power weapons are called thus because of the power field emitter embedded in the weapon itself or more commonly the hilt or handle. These do require power as was mentioned by the OP, and it has been mentioned in lore that they can and do run out eventually. However, as to the reloading process we would need to speculate.

From my view it would make sense for the weapon to have an internal power pack or capacitor of some kind that can be recharged, as to its value and if it ever needs to be replaced I wouldn't have the faintest idea, though I'd imagine they cost at max the same as a reload for a heavy las-weapon like the Multi-Laser or they simply cannot be replaced and only require recharge every so often.

With the knowledge of how to create and repair power weapons ling only with the oldest of adepts within the Adeptus Mechanicus... I dare say that it isn't worth considering. That's just my take, though. An Acolyte messing around with that kind of technology would strike me as dangerous as letting an acolyte repair a ship's gellar field.

I mean, the power pack may or may not be something that you can replace yourself, and even if you can, spare power packs floating around by themselves are probably at least as rare as the weapons they power. Combine that with finding the correct type of power pack for the weapon patters you have. Some special-made power weapons may have unique power packs that you can't just buy.

I'd say that the availability of a weapon battery would be one step more common than the weapon itself, as is the case with regular ammo. It's a little odd, but if the power cells were any rarer there wouldn't be much point in acquiring them -- you could just get a new power sword with the same difficulty!

I'd say that the availability of a weapon battery would be one step more common than the weapon itself, as is the case with regular ammo. It's a little odd, but if the power cells were any rarer there wouldn't be much point in acquiring them -- you could just get a new power sword with the same difficulty!

Like printer ink cartridges.

Now this being 40k, if you don't want to worry about the battery life of powerweapons, the GM can just describe them as a something something type powerweapon with a self recharging powersource.

The amount of strikes made in any session is highly negligible, unless your having an epic sword fight to end all sword fights. Or you have one of those blades with an external cabled pack like some storm troopers. I'd consider the pattern and origination of the power sword.

I treat it like recharging lasgun power packs: it's just something that PCs do in their 'down time', without hard rules. It would only be an issue if they don't have access to power outlets. That said, my players will be making a trip to a Feral World soon, so I may have to contrive some limits to the charge duration to ratchet up the tension.

I'd say that the availability of a weapon battery would be one step more common than the weapon itself, as is the case with regular ammo. It's a little odd, but if the power cells were any rarer there wouldn't be much point in acquiring them -- you could just get a new power sword with the same difficulty!

And that wouldn't bother me too much. I don't know, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of the charge packs being built into the weapon, and you have to plug the weapon into a power source of some kind to charge it. It would probably need to be a specialized power source.

I just feel like simply buying batteries for your power weapon or plugging it in to the same socket as your lamp ruins the quasi-mythical nature of such rare weapons.

As Dante's Servant said. Power weapons are a part of the elite classifications, much like Force weapons. As somebody who doesn't like to go against the already-established lore in any regard, I personally wouldn't feel comfortable allowing acolytes to merely recharge, repair, create, or modify such technologies.

Regarding the original question, I don't imagine an Acolyte would ever run out of power weapon energy under normal circumstances. Unless you're slaying more heretics than an entire Deathwatch kill-team, you shouldn't have to worry about it. Chainswords don't run out of powereither.

What the poor person covered in mustelids said. The only time I'd have fuel/power for these melee weapons be relevant for my games is on planets where it is impossible to acquire it or it is thematically relevant.

For Power Weapons, I make the assumption that either their power cells are either easily charged or so potent as to not need charging outside of exceptional circumstance/very extended periods of time. Maybe if they enter Haywire zones or some kind of region that messes with the power used in the weapon it'll come up too. Or decrease the rarity of a power weapon by one step if it has an external power supply/limited power reserve.

For Chain Weapons, I make the assumption that they run on promethium, therefore anywhere with promethium is going to be able to supply them. If they can't get any, I'd assume the weapon can hold enough for a half-dozen encounters/situations where it is used (like cutting a swathe through a jungle). If need be, I'd say getting lower quality fuel slows it down, and it loses the Tearing quality as a result.

As far as Acolytes tinkering with such venerable items, I think it should be possible. For one, simply keeping them functioning with a few Rites (the Rite of Cleansing, the Rite of Recharging, etc.) one knows by rote definitely meshes with the setting. Understanding is secondary to results. Secondly, what's the point in a character investing hundreds, if not thousands of experience into Tech-Use and Forbidden Lore: Tech or Archeotech is you don't let them do anything with it? The term 'Acolyte' doesn't mean 'incompetent.' Sure, you'll need the workplace for it, and you're either a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus or a Heretek, but it should be possible . Intelligence 50+, Tech-Use/Relevant Forbidden Lore +20, the right equipment (like a Combi-Tool), that's the same level as a Tech-Priest whose job it is to maintain and fix a Gellar Field. If someone who can do that can't keep a Power Weapon charged, I think there might be an issue.

As far as Acolytes tinkering with such venerable items, I think it should be possible. For one, simply keeping them functioning with a few Rites (the Rite of Cleansing, the Rite of Recharging, etc.) one knows by rote definitely meshes with the setting. Understanding is secondary to results. Secondly, what's the point in a character investing hundreds, if not thousands of experience into Tech-Use and Forbidden Lore: Tech or Archeotech is you don't let them do anything with it? The term 'Acolyte' doesn't mean 'incompetent.' Sure, you'll need the workplace for it, and you're either a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus or a Heretek, but it should be possible . Intelligence 50+, Tech-Use/Relevant Forbidden Lore +20, the right equipment (like a Combi-Tool), that's the same level as a Tech-Priest whose job it is to maintain and fix a Gellar Field. If someone who can do that can't keep a Power Weapon charged, I think there might be an issue.

Well, yeah, tech-priests can mess with power weapons, but other characters should find it much more daunting (flavor wise, in my opinion).

As far as Acolytes tinkering with such venerable items, I think it should be possible. For one, simply keeping them functioning with a few Rites (the Rite of Cleansing, the Rite of Recharging, etc.) one knows by rote definitely meshes with the setting. Understanding is secondary to results. Secondly, what's the point in a character investing hundreds, if not thousands of experience into Tech-Use and Forbidden Lore: Tech or Archeotech is you don't let them do anything with it? The term 'Acolyte' doesn't mean 'incompetent.' Sure, you'll need the workplace for it, and you're either a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus or a Heretek, but it should be possible . Intelligence 50+, Tech-Use/Relevant Forbidden Lore +20, the right equipment (like a Combi-Tool), that's the same level as a Tech-Priest whose job it is to maintain and fix a Gellar Field. If someone who can do that can't keep a Power Weapon charged, I think there might be an issue.

Well, yeah, tech-priests can mess with power weapons, but other characters should find it much more daunting (flavor wise, in my opinion).

Normally yes, but some characters with technical knock or some sort of aptitude with technology might actually pull it off, and maybe do it quicker than the admech. It really shows how messed up the admech really are. Like with my friends OW sentinel recon squad:

Sentinel driver: "Ah here's the problem! The blast knocked these two cables loose, just lemme... plug them..back in! There! done."

And our regiment's enginseer looses it:

Enginseer: "What? Without a the proper chants! You- how? No! The rituals haven't been observed! No holy ungents! No prayers! Aaaaah! Omnissiah give me strenght! That should not work! Blasphemer! techobarbarian! Unplug those cables and let me do it properly before the machine spirits become even more enraged!"

Sentinel driver: "No. It's my steed, I know what ails her. She's fixed. See?"

Enginseer: " *string of unitelegable binaric cant.* "

Sgt: *deep sigh* "Lets get this show back on the road, shall we?"

As far as Acolytes tinkering with such venerable items, I think it should be possible. For one, simply keeping them functioning with a few Rites (the Rite of Cleansing, the Rite of Recharging, etc.) one knows by rote definitely meshes with the setting. Understanding is secondary to results. Secondly, what's the point in a character investing hundreds, if not thousands of experience into Tech-Use and Forbidden Lore: Tech or Archeotech is you don't let them do anything with it? The term 'Acolyte' doesn't mean 'incompetent.' Sure, you'll need the workplace for it, and you're either a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus or a Heretek, but it should be possible . Intelligence 50+, Tech-Use/Relevant Forbidden Lore +20, the right equipment (like a Combi-Tool), that's the same level as a Tech-Priest whose job it is to maintain and fix a Gellar Field. If someone who can do that can't keep a Power Weapon charged, I think there might be an issue.

Well, yeah, tech-priests can mess with power weapons, but other characters should find it much more daunting (flavor wise, in my opinion).

Normally yes, but some characters with technical knock or some sort of aptitude with technology might actually pull it off, and maybe do it quicker than the admech. It really shows how messed up the admech really are. Like with my friends OW sentinel recon squad:

Sentinel driver: "Ah here's the problem! The blast knocked these two cables loose, just lemme... plug them..back in! There! done."

And our regiment's enginseer looses it:

Enginseer: "What? Without a the proper chants! You- how? No! The rituals haven't been observed! No holy ungents! No prayers! Aaaaah! Omnissiah give me strenght! That should not work! Blasphemer! techobarbarian! Unplug those cables and let me do it properly before the machine spirits become even more enraged!"

Sentinel driver: "No. It's my steed, I know what ails her. She's fixed. See?"

Enginseer: " *string of unitelegable binaric cant.* "

Sgt: *deep sigh* "Lets get this show back on the road, shall we?"

Yes, however, I would argue that Power Swords are much more toward the "arcane" end of the technological spectrum that a sentinel.

As far as Acolytes tinkering with such venerable items, I think it should be possible. For one, simply keeping them functioning with a few Rites (the Rite of Cleansing, the Rite of Recharging, etc.) one knows by rote definitely meshes with the setting. Understanding is secondary to results. Secondly, what's the point in a character investing hundreds, if not thousands of experience into Tech-Use and Forbidden Lore: Tech or Archeotech is you don't let them do anything with it? The term 'Acolyte' doesn't mean 'incompetent.' Sure, you'll need the workplace for it, and you're either a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus or a Heretek, but it should be possible . Intelligence 50+, Tech-Use/Relevant Forbidden Lore +20, the right equipment (like a Combi-Tool), that's the same level as a Tech-Priest whose job it is to maintain and fix a Gellar Field. If someone who can do that can't keep a Power Weapon charged, I think there might be an issue.

Well, yeah, tech-priests can mess with power weapons, but other characters should find it much more daunting (flavor wise, in my opinion).

Normally yes, but some characters with technical knock or some sort of aptitude with technology might actually pull it off, and maybe do it quicker than the admech. It really shows how messed up the admech really are. Like with my friends OW sentinel recon squad:

Sentinel driver: "Ah here's the problem! The blast knocked these two cables loose, just lemme... plug them..back in! There! done."

And our regiment's enginseer looses it:

Enginseer: "What? Without a the proper chants! You- how? No! The rituals haven't been observed! No holy ungents! No prayers! Aaaaah! Omnissiah give me strenght! That should not work! Blasphemer! techobarbarian! Unplug those cables and let me do it properly before the machine spirits become even more enraged!"

Sentinel driver: "No. It's my steed, I know what ails her. She's fixed. See?"

Enginseer: " *string of unitelegable binaric cant.* "

Sgt: *deep sigh* "Lets get this show back on the road, shall we?"

Yes, however, I would argue that Power Swords are much more toward the "arcane" end of the technological spectrum that a sentinel.

Completely and absolutely. Power Weapons and Force Weapons are the rarest in the Imperium - And I don't think that statement is inaccurate.

The lore supports that only the oldest within the Mechanicus, those who's ages span several hundred years, are the only ones capable of knowing the secrets of Power Weapons - in any regard. As far as mere acolytes go, I would say that it just isn't necessary or non-crippling to require the weapon be without energy.

To answer the question, no, they do not require charge. That is beyond the scope of Dark Heresy as far as RAW is concerned.

Tech-Priests (and Hereteks) can be Acolytes. And any Acolyte who gets access to the information and pushes themselves/has the right Role should be able to equal the Tech-Priest (even if that makes them a heretek).

Given how accessible Power Weapons are, I'd not make the assumption that they're the rarest weapons in the Imperium. You see a number of them on the board with normal Imperial forces, not to mention the Xenos versions floating around as well. Graviton is almost certainly rarer (by the Availability rating and by how common they are in the tabletop game).

The lore supports that the older Magos in the Mechanicus understand Power Weapons, sure. To start, it isn't that only they are capable of handling such knowledge. It's that the Mechanicus deems only them worthy of having such knowledge. There's a difference. Even those who don't understand the intricacies can still create or repair such items. Understanding isn't a requirement to do things in this setting (nor is it always necessary for doing things in real life). Hand them a schematic, and they can follow directions. Give them a broken item, and there's a chance they'll see the part they can fix (like a damaged cable) and repair it.