[DH1] Some Q&A I had with a producer about Questions from the FFG Forum Archives Dark Heresy First Edition - Rules Questions (Batch 5 - Disciples of the Dark Gods)

By ThenDoctor, in Dark Heresy

Disciples of the Dark Gods

Psykana Obscura

1. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/16005-when-a-person-slips-in-space-does-it-make-a-sound/

I implore for your opinion. A player asked me if he could slip by people using Space Slip.

- Specifically asked if it made a sound, or cause any disturbance (other than the stuff detectable by a psyker in the warp) like heat, or something else. It does not specifically say as so, but, in your opinion, does it?

-------- > I don’t see it making sound or whatnot, but anyone sensitive to psychic activity or the Warp would easily detect it. Psyker would also be facing the same direction as when they entered the Warp. I think the comments in the thread cover this pretty well.

2. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/78351-untouchables-and-the-waaagh-field/

We have an Untouchable in our group and will be fighting orks soon. I know that Untouchables by nature disrupt psychic phenomena, and the in-game rules for this represented by the negative modifier to psychic attacks in the Untouchable's WPB.

- But how does this work against an Ork's Waaagh field? Does it straight-up shut it down whenever an Ork is in the Untouchable's field?

-------- > Again, the reply on the thread covers this well.

The Thread’s Answer for Posterity:

“the Orcs Waaagh field won't affect the untouchable, and if he goes in close combat with the ork, they lose the advantage of the waaagh field”

3. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/15875-untouchables-and-force-weapons/

This is something I am interested in, as it came up in a conversation.

- What exactly would happen to a force weapon within the field of an untouchable? Is it rendered simply a normal weapon as the field pushes the psyker's will out of the weapon? Obviously, the part of the weapon counting as a psychic power cannot be used on the Untouchable, but what would happen if the force weapon were to make contact?

- Personal Addition: For that matter how would psychic blade do against an Untouchable? Just cancel itself out?

-------- > Any effects the weapon would gain that are the result of psychic energies would be lost when used against an Untouchable. It would work like the mundane version of the item.

4. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/57719-untouchables-vs-pure-faith/

Is an Untouchable immune to Pure Faith powers?

- For exemple: a Battle Sister use Wrath of the Righteous to deal 2d10 additional damage, an Untouchable will suffer these additional damages?

--------- > It could depend on the power, but in general yes they are.

5. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/11670-regarding-the-psychic-telepathy-power-soul-killer-the-protection-afforded-by-a-rosarius-need-official-rulling/

My Psyker used Soul Killer on the big bad guy in a mission, the power had no effect (the GM grinned), and I was left wondering why. Before he told me there was no effect, he spent time going over the write up of the power.

Once the battle was over, it came to light that the baddie had a rosarius. The GM informed me that by the write up of the power, the rosarius protected the bad guy. I don't have the book handy, but I will paraphrase what line the GM was reffering to in the write up... the power fires off an invisible shard of psychic energy.

Now, I try not to argue rules during a game, I feel it distracts and makes the GM look bad, so I have been waiting until now to get a better understanding so I can bring it up before next game. I realize that the rosarius protects against ranged attacks, but there is no attack roll used for Soul Killer, only the Power roll used to determine success or failure in the activation of said power.

- Does a rosarius protect against such a power, if only because the description mentions an invisible shard of psychic energy flying off to the target(s), or does it not protect?

--------- > It wouldn’t protect here as the power is telepathic in nature.

Xenos

The Halo Devices

6. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/40761-halo-device-clarification/

As per the Halo device on page 100 of the Disciples of the Dark Gods book.

Phase one is pretty simple. (Gain, Unnatural Agility (x2) and Unnatural Toughness (x2))

The problem lies with phase two.

The character: Gains Unnatural Agility (x3), Unnatural Strength (x2), and Unnatural Toughness (x2).

- Now does that mean, since Unnatural Agility is already at x2 from phase one, increasing it with the 2 additionally listed (x modifier -1) would bring it to Unnatural Agility (x4)?

- Or would it just bring it to Unnatural Agility (x3)?.

In which case it would be better written as: Increase the Unnatural Agility multiplier by x steps and if they did not already have this trait give them Unnatural Agility (x ..)

- Personal Addition: Apparently this person asked, and received an answer but did not source it from FFG

“The reply was such, "When you gain Unnatural Toughness twice you simply add 1 to the multiplier, so they get Unnatural Toughness (x3)" “

Was this still the school of thought?

--------- > See page 332 of the Core Rulebook:

Unnatural Characteristic

One or more of the creature’s Characteristics is unnatural. Each time this Trait is gained, select a Characteristic and double its bonus. For example, a creature with a Strength of 41 normally has a 4 Strength Bonus. With this Trait, its Strength Bonus increases to 8. The Trait may be gained multiple times. Each time, you may select a new Characteristic or one chosen previously. Each time you apply this Trait to the same Characteristic, the Bonus multiplier increases by 1. For example, one selection multiplies the Characteristic Bonus by ×2, two selections by ×3, and three selections ×4. Note that this Trait does not modify the creature’s movement.

Malleus

The Dark Art of Sorcery

7. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/6725-sorcerermaster-sorcerer/

DotDG says that a Psyker who gains the Sorcerer and Master Sorcerer Talents increase their Psy Rating by 1 for each.

- I know this takes them to an effective Psy Rating 8, but does the increase in Psy Rating let them take more powers as per psy ratings 1-6?

-------- > Yes.

8. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/7932-force-weapon-question/?tab=comments#comment-73885

In DotDG, for the potential Daemon Weapon properties, one of them allows it to act as a Force Weapon using the Daemon's WP. I'm fine with that, but it says that the weapon can 'kill outright as per a Force Weapon'.

- Did they change it from dealing damage to killing outright when FFG reprinted the BI IH or is this just a typo...I've only got and seen the BI version, so if it's changed, I won't have known about it.

-------- > It works as per a Force Weapon, so just use the rules from that item’s entry. A Force Weapon can possibly kill outright, but it’s not automatic.

9. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/34247-sorcerers-and-force-weapons/

Hypothetically, would a sorcerer be able to use a force weapon?

The case where the sorcerer is also a psyker is a no-brainer. Of course he'd be able to utilize it. But a "vanilla" sorcerer? He can channel the warp, albeit in a different way compared to a psyker.

- Would it be possible for him to channel the warp through a force weapon, much as he does with other types of warp-powers?

---------- > Yes.

10. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/47881-warp-spectres/

So I have a question for all you guys and girls out there- about the warp spectre, page 158 of Disciples of the Dark Gods.

- It implies that the creature is capable of maintaining a grapple, and thus draining someone several rounds- but it doesn't have a strength score... so how exactly does it go about that?

------------ > Replies on the forum thread is quite good, and I like the idea of using Wp.

The Reply for this question involving WP:

“But I would have to say that if you are considering it as a grapple then use the Willpower percentage for the oppose characteristic test of the victims strength or you could use a battle of the minds and have it like a the Warp Spectre grapples the victim and then it's a Willpower vs. Willpower test to see if the victim mentally forces the Warp Spectre off of them physically.”