Just want some clarification regarding how Psykers and the Sorcery talents interact:

#1: Do Psykers not gain the other benefits listed in the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer talents, acquiring only the additional Psy Dice, and not for example, the free Minor and Major Arcana?

#2: Does Sorcery cast by Psykers feature somatic (hand waving) and verbal (chanting) components?

Lasers said:

I would say yes to both of those. They wouldn't get the extra arcana, and they would have to do the somatic and verbal components, given that sorcery is different to psychic powers.

MILLANDSON said:

First; the gaining of knowledge of the varied Arcana is part of learning the Sorcerery talents. While I would like to agree with MILL, the emphasized portion of his post goes a way towards an affirmative to learning the Arcana as normal in my mind. After all, how can you have developed the talent for sorcerery without having had developed even a small repertoire of the forbidden arts to go with it?

Second; yes, a psychic with the sorcery talents would requie all the "normal hand waving and chanting" associated with the casting of Arcana. For the subjects normal psychic powers, no such actions would be required. If you grab the talent Sublime Arts then you can pass on the obvious trappings of sorcerery for a slight increase in the threshold.

Hope that helps some.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Generally I make a psyker use somatic and verbal components when using Arcana and when using the extra psi points. This also takes a full round action. On the plus side unless someone has forbidden lore warp this just appears to be a psyker using invocation.

Generally I give the psyker the extra Arcana, but these can only be used as Arcana. The Psyker doesn't know how to use these Arcana as standard psyker powers even if they are Arcana versions of psyker powers not free psyker powers.

Dalnor Surloc said:

Definite for the Arcana ; kind of part and parcel. Hiding incantations as invocation might not work even when those present do not have Forbidden Lore: Warp. What about Forbidden Lore: Psykers, Heresy, or Dæmonology being able to identify the sorcerous nature of the manifestation?

Dalnor Surloc said:

Exactly my thought, though worded more succinctly. Sorcery allows for some interesting flavor to the game, while having a variety of limitations most people simply seem to overlook.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Another question; when a Psyker gains the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer Talents, are all of his Psychic Powers subject to higher rolls on the Psychic Phenomena table, even when he is not utilizing his extra Psy Rating/Dice from these Talents?

Lasers said:

Since there is no statement saying otherwise, yes, you are always subject to the higher rolls. It's because the Sorcery taints you, it makes you a prime target for malicious warp entities. It's one of the negatives of starting down that path.

The contextual language however, cites the perils of powers being 'supercharged' by sorcerous energy; this would suggest that when sorcery psy dice are not employed there is no increase to the Psychic Phenomena rolls, though the RAW is clear. An official ruling would be appreciated; this might be something worthy of an errata.

I've recently got some official answers, and they are as follows. My queries are italicized, and Ross Watson's responses are bolded:

Hello!

Reading through Disciples of the Dark Gods, I've noticed that on Page 119, in the sub-section on sorcery, 'Malefic Witches and Warp Tainted Psykers', a Psyker with the Sorcerer Talent suffers +20 to results rolled on the Psychic Phenomena table. Does this apply even when the Psyker is _not_ 'super charging' his powers with the additional Psy Dice from his Sorcery Talents, or otherwise stacking/incorporating these Psy Dice? Is this increase cumulative/stacking or overlapping (apply the highest) with the +10 and +20 to the Psychic Phenomena roll for Minor and Major Arcana mishaps respectively stated on Page 117?

Further, does using these additional Sorcery Psy Dice to manifest a power require the somatic and verbal components of Sorcery?

The last two questions are less ambiguous (at least according to th e RAW), but decisive clarification would be welcome:

Does Arcana used by a Psyker require verbal and somatic components (I assume so)?

While I understand Psykers do not gain the full Psy Dice normally allotted to non-Psykers for the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer Talents (+2/4 Psy Dice respectively), do they receive the other benefits listed, such as free Arcana, and Daemonic Mastery Test bonuses, etc... or just the bonus Psy Dice?

As ever, I really appreciate the quality and rapidity of your responses; keep up the great work! Thanks again!

Hello there!

The practice of sorcery is inherently dangerous, and the +10 (for using a Minor Arcana) and +20 (for using a Major Arcana) to any rolls for the Psychic Phenomena chart always occur when using sorcery.

Super-charging your sorcery with psychic power (per page 119) adds additional threat, and you suffer an additional +20 to the roll, for a total of +30 (for minor arcana) or +40 (for major arcana).

Whenever you are invoking Sorcery, you must be able to speak and gesture freely (see page 116 of Disciples of the Dark Gods).

Psykers with the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer Talents gain all the bonuses listed with the exception of the increased Psy Rating (the effects of which are listed on page 119 of Disciples of the Dark Gods).

Ross Watson
Senior RPG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games
[email protected]

Thank you for the prompt reply! Just to confirm, if a Psyker with the Sorcerer/Master Sorcerer talent uses a Psychic Power, not Sorcery, or Sorcery mimicking a Psychic Power, and does not apply the bonus Psy Dice gained from these talents to that roll, does he add +20 to his rolls on the Psychic Phenomena table, or does this +20 to Psychic Phenomena rolls only apply when he is using Sorcery, or Psy Dice from the Sorcerer/Master Sorcerer talents?

Again, your clarification is most appreciated!

Hello there!

The latter is correct. Hope that helps!

Ross Watson
Senior RPG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games
[email protected]

So in conclusion:

• A Psyker with either the Sorcerer or Master Sorcerer Talents does not suffer from the +20 bonus to rolls on the Psychic Phenomena table if he is not using his bonus Psy Dice from these talents, and is not using Arcana.

• A Psyker perform the verbal and somatic components normally required by Arcana if he does not have and use the Sublime Arts Talent (DDotDG, Pg 117, RH Pg. 169).

• Psykers applying Psy Dice not granted by the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer Talents when casting Arcana, (i.e. that are 'supercharging' Arcana with psychic power) roll +30 and +40 higher on the Psychic Phenomena table for Minor and Major Arcana respectively, as the +20 increase to rolls on the Psychic Phenomena table stack with the normal +10 and +20 increments to rolls on the Psychic Phenomena table for using said Arcana.

• Psykers gain all benefits normally provided by the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer Talents with the solitary exception of the 2 and 4 bonus Psy Dice respectively, including bonus Minor and Major Arcana. Instead Psykers with the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer Talents gain only 1 and 2 bonus Psy Dice respectively as stated on Page 119 in Disciples of the Dark Gods.