Got it tonight, looks like I won't be getting any work done.

Preliminary thoughts:

Fate and Wounds are capped, and all player are bumped up to a minimum of 3 fate points with an "optional" maximum imposed at 5. Personally I like the caps (though it means my 6 fate point assassin wastes one of his), but I dont like that everyone gets a free bump to 3 fate points.

Influence appears largely unchanged, though they added a section on using influence to manipulate people and situations. Looks like good stuff here.

The old income system is done away with in favor of 1000 thrones times character level, and rules for accessing "blind accounts" which are like laundered money the acolytes can access (in small doses).

Literally every career can become an interrogator or Inquisitor except Tech Priests. Most have unique Ascended careers (some overlap a bit), and some have more than 1 they can ascend to.

There isn't much in the way of variety for transition packages unfortunately. There are 5 general transition packages (which take you from any career to any career), and 1-2 specific ones that are ascended career specific. From what I see it's pretty standard stuff but it's cool nonetheless.

At the higher ranks, your advancement options are mostly influence and perr/reputation modifiers. They do introduce two new characteristic upgrade ranks (which we knew), Heroic and Master. There IS an ascended talents section too.

There are 8 new "ascended powers" with 3 ranks each. I'm getting a very Ravenor vibe off of them, very cool powers. Can't wait to use some of these. There are also 3 levels of psychic use you can operate at now, Fettered, Unfettered, and Push. Fettered gives you half your normal powers dice, unfettered is just normal, and Push gives you +3 DICE (not adds three to your threshold, but gives you 3 more dice to roll) but automatically invokes a Psychic Phenomena, with +5 to the roll for each nine in the power dice.

The armory gives us some new toys to play with, nothing TOO exciting (but not many duplicates from RT) except for the Exitus Rifle and Pistol. Some of the new Melee weapons are simply beastly. (Daemonhammer just SOUNDS awesome)

A good 60 pages is given over to background, enemy stats, and "Serving the Inquisition," with the last 40-odd pages of the book given over to an adventure called "The Red wake."

Anyway, was just really excited about the book and wanted to give everyone a taste. Looks really cool, another job well done FFG!

First: I'm jealous. Green with envy. *shakes fist*

I must ask, even if you cannot answer...

Are the Fettered, Unfettered, and Pushed states supposed to be retroactive, i.e. are recommended for pre-Ascension play, or are they supposed to be Ascension only?

I ask, because the Fettered mechanics highly similar to a certain Radical's Handbook talent...

Part of the section says "If a psyker survives long enough to be elevated to the rank of Primaris... A psyker can modulate, or fetter his powers..." which leads me to believe that only Primaris Psykers can do this however I haven't red the text in enough depth to say for sure. Maybe it's a talent?

Dang. Was hoping I wouldn't have to spend that extra XP for it.

Unfortunately, that also means that if I DO spend the XP on it, i basically lose out of XXX xp (no cost listed, so don't know what it'll cost me) for something I'd get for free if/when I ascend... One of the costs of safer manifesting pre-Ascension, I suppose.

There's nothing to stop your GM approving you using it now. I know I'll certainly be asking mine as he know's I've always thought the current rules too risky.

There's nothing to stop the GM ignoring the cap on Fate Points either.


So what do the Exitus Rifle and Pistols do?

Are Psycannons in?

Any Tau/Necron stats?

Can I have your copy?

BYE

Well, if you want to use minor powers and the easier of the majors with little risk, this is fairly easy to do once you get favored by the warp. Rolling one die and using Favored if you get a 9 -> very small chances of getting a Perils of the Warp (10% * (25% * 25%)) = 1.25%. And that's before using Fate points.

If you think this is too much risk, you don't deserve to play a psyker imo

But seriously, it's already the most powerful class BY FAR - I don't think this should be without a pretty hefty drawback.

Slight calculation error, it's actually 0.625%.

Can I kill you and take it? I haven't even seen a single place online selling it in the UK, yet alone releasing it.

Also, can you please tell me what the hell is a Crusader? Looks so cool, but I haven't seen much fluff on it.

Also, if you can go from an Interrogator to an Inquisitor can you take 2 packages?

Also, do different ordos have different rules? Are they treated differently in the book?

dyp100 said:

Here's what a crusader miniature looks like.

They were a type of henchman in the 40k tabletop game, close combat specialists. They had power swords and storm shields. Not really much background apart from that.

EDIT: Hey, Gathrawny, where'd you get your copy from?

You must be greatly blessed by God-Emperor (or there are some pacts with the Dark Gods in working) If you would be so kind to answer a few questions:

1/ What are all, exact possibilities for every "normal" career of Ascension towards Ascended Career? (for example can tech-priest become Sage? and can guardsmen ascend to Crusader?)

2/ Is there some sort of Ascended Arcana and is sorcery treated somehow in the book? (Hmm, Lash of Submission...)

3/ Are Nemesis Force weapons and pseudo-astartes gene-crafting (do you know the fella called Hector Rex?) present?

4/ Are some realy monstrous and mysterious cults as Sleepers of Solomon or Servants of Twilight covered?

5/ Is there something about Unknown Heretic incident?

6/ Are there any connections with Rogue Trader/Koronus Expanse, Deathwatch/Jericho Reach and BL fiction/Scarus Sector in?

7/ What the haarlock is Ordo Chronos!?

Ordo Chronos studies Time Warps. They were established in the... wait for it... Jericho Reach.

I have the book... my only comment is that I want more... More ascended gear, enemies, scenarios, sample characters, psyker powers... all of it... I want more!!!

TorogTarkdacil said:

1 Tech-Priest can become Magos or Sages. Guardsmen can become Crusaders.

2 There are really awesome powers, but no sorcery and nothing overtly Chaos oriented.

3 Not that I saw.

4 There is a great deal of new detail on previous material.

5 Not that I saw

6 Tenuous ones, yes.

7 See above.

Called 10 game shops in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area. Finally found a store that did get theirs in this weeks' shipment.

Drove across the sound to get it but I have it.

Alexis

*smiles and goes back to reading Ascension*

Funny, I just had to swing by Game Matrix in Tacoma. They had three copies unloaded and on the shelf around 4:30. Two when I left the store.

I am still waiting for Fishpond to receive stock. According to the order page, they will ship a copy on the 27th of April. I can wait, but I leave Australia on the 30th and won't be back until the 15th of June. However, I may purchase a copy in London while I am in the UK and sell the first copy to a friend.

HappyDaze said:

I had my copy in hand before 2pm.

I knew Game Matrix was expecting their shipment later today, as was Gary's Games in Seattle, Uncles in Renton Square and a couple other stores. however it was Uncle's in Bellevue that had it unpacked for me and ready to roll before 2pm.

I did not post til I made it home though hence the time discrepency that could make yout hink I could have gone to Matrix.

Alexis

*smiles*

Wilfred Owen said:

Check out Orc's Nest in Earlham Street in central London, Wilfred, they're usually pretty good, it's where I get my stuff. Although they don't have Ascension on their website yet...

Lightbringer said:

Or try Leisure Games, they have a huge stock, and usually are on of the first places to get it in the country.

How come the Tech Priests can't become Inquisitors if "Radical's Handbook" has Cyrrik Scayl who is precisely that? Minor nitpick though.

Could you perhaps transcribe the table of contents? It'd be easier for us to get an idea of what's in the book than you having to answer all the questions.

Pardon me whilst I step in briefly, as I wrote the "Most Wanted" section of the Radical's Handbook:

Cyrrik Scayl was not an Inquisitor. He was certainly affiliated with the Ordo Hereticus, but a Tech-Priest may be part of an Inquisitor's retinue of Acolytes (or in his cadre as a Magos) without actually being an Inquisitor.

Hope that helps!

Jephkay said:

Time Cops?

The closest we are getting in the UK is being told when it is available to pre-order on Amazon. Unless anyone has any better leads.

FFG Ross Watson said:

That is silly, I've never seen fluff anywhere saying it CAN'T happen, only it's unlikely. (Plus my group has a thing about Tech Priest Inquisitors.) I just hope I can house rule it in without ruining anything.

Also, when are we getting it here?

Also, any more Inquisitor characters in the book? (Loved that from RH, and the corebook.)

After a quick breeze through I don't see any new inquisitors, though it does outline the various factions or schools of thought for inquisitors which is nice.

Lightbringer said:

Thanks Lightbringer and MILLANDSON.