My apologies if this has been asked before, but can someone point me in the right direction in the rule book as I can't seem to find anything on it.

It's regarding the sentence in the talent "Bastion of Iron Will" which states you "double your defensive Psy-Rating on any Opposed Test involving Psyniscience Skill or Psychic Techniques".

I assume by this description that the norm for resisting Psychic Techniques is to add +5 per Psy Rating you have to the Resistance roll much like the bonus you gain to the Focus test? Or is this talent just some throwback to a previous rule which was eventually excluded from the rulebook?

Please help!

Does anybody know the answer?

I kinda need to know before our next session on Wednesday

I think you should replace "Defensive Psy rating" with Willpower, then it makes more sense.

I've had trouble finding a definitive answer for this as well, because like you've said I can't find a rule stating what a 'defensive Psy-Rating' is.

You could approach it in two ways; either the 'Defensive Psy-Rating' is exactly the same as your Psy-Rating, for example 2, for a starting level Astropath Transcendent. Or as you've said above you use the Focus Power rules, giving this starting character a 'Defensive Psy-Rating' of 10 (2 x 5) on opposed will power tests and the like.

So using the Talent 'Bastion of Iron Will' these would jump to +4 (2 doubled) and +20 (10 doubled) respectively.As neither of us can find any RAW in the RT Handbook, it’s up to you as a GM to choose which works best for your group.

To me, if you only use the Psy-Rating (4), then this is a very small bonus for someone who has a good grasp of physic powers and how they would be employed. But then again, if you use the Focus Power type 'Defensive Psy-Rating' (20 for a starting character) then you will quickly get massive bonuses to your characters Will Power Tests as they progress in XP. Making it virtually impossible to use a power against that player.

I suggest you sit down with the Astropath player and decide which 'house rule' you want to use.

Anyone else got any thoughts on this, or point us both in the right direction?

Lindgaard said:

Yeah, this could be a simpler option. But it might give you a massive bonus, even with the average stats of a starting player.

The other thought is, the Talent 'Bastion of Iron Will' is a merging of your natural mental strength (Will Power) with your knowledge of Psychic Techniques. So would just doubling Will Power be a good reflection of this?

Again, up to you which house rule you choose.

But using it like the Focus bonus should scale up equally when compared to an even foe, shouldn't it?

For example, take 2 Psykers each with WP 50 and Psy Rating 2. For powers which use Willpower as thye Focus roll, both would be roling against 60 or under (one to attack and the other to defend). Now take the same foes with the same advances (and thus we assume the same level) who now have WP 60 and 6 Psy Focus. Both the attacker and defender would still be rolling against the same number, in this case 90. Now place the latter vs the former and you have a vastly superior Psyker rolling vs 90 against the lesser Psykers defence of 60.

Also, It would make sense for "normals" to be more vulnerable than trained Psykers at keeping other Psykers abilities at bay wouldn't it? (a bit like trained Jedi using the Force or some such comparison).

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I like it! SOLD!

Glad you've found a solution.