hello

can someone please explain how psi defense works? does this come into play while playing a psyker who is in an opposed test with another psyker? I cannot find anything in the book that pertains to this. thanks,

Do you mean Willpower?

Page 157-158: Opposed tests and multiple targets. It is mentioned on page 157 that psychers gain +5 pr psy-rating to any psychic roll, which logically should include resisting psychic powers with an opposed roll. In effect; WP + (Psy-rating x5) +/- any other modifiers = Opposed roll target number X.

Then look at the power being used, like for instance Compel on page 165. Opposed willpower test, and it gives information about additional modifiers. On page 232 you will find rules for Opposed tests.

can psykers ever "push" their psi rating as a defensive measure, in anticipation of an psychic attack and subsequent opposed roll?

darrrrren said:

I doubt it. "Pushing" is not a reaction, it is an active action. Also, you can "push" when making a shield.

Besides there is supposed to be a risk involved with "pushing", being that you quite possibly set off some bad stuff from the tables. Would the same bad stuff-roll happen if you could use "push" as a reaction? Don't make any sense, everyone would just count as psy 5++ all the times if "push" was so easy to do.

Well if psy rating doesn't have an effect in a reaction manner, someone explain what this talent does:

BASTION OF IRON WILL -

"The Explorer's sheer willpower and psychic focus have become one and the same over years of practice and training, such that their combined use is second nature. He doubles his DEFENSIVE PSY RATING on any OPPOSED test involving the Psyniscience Skill or Psychic Techniques."

This sounds reactionary and includes your psy rating.

harlequin0823 said:

Not reactionary, no. It is still quite passive, and more support for not allowing Psi-Defense to be "pushed." Least ways, that's the view from where I am sitting.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Ok for more clarification then:

If i'm making an opposed test i can use my base psy rating unfettered? So if someone is say using Compel on me, I can roll willpower (63) plus my psy rating of 5 (25) for a total of 88 or under for success? So the talent Bastion of Iron Will would double my psy rating of 5, thus making opposed tests a 10 (50) plus my willpower?

If not, how does this talent function so i can spend my exp's on it!!!

Svarte Hanske said:

Reading comprehension ftw... ok ya this does tell me that my opposed test with Bastion of Iron Will would come out to (if unfettered psy rating is 5):

WP(63) + Psy((5*2=10) 50) + orthoproxy(20) + psychic resistance(10) = 143 to oppose compel

making strong minded pointless as i cannot fail the 143 roll.... unless strong minded allows me to reroll if i get less degrees than the opponent?

Hm, maybe that is why there is a rule on page 158: "Modifiers, Characteristic Bonuses, and other benefits generated by Psychic Techniques do not stack, only the highest applies."

In effect that would mean you only use WP + Psy OR choose another modifier instead of Psy, for example Orthoproxy. If not, it gets a bit out of hand as Harlequin shows. Sorry, it was to easy to generate misunderstandings with my last post :/

Edit: and yes, it looks like Bastion of Iron Will makes one with Psy 5 get +50 when opposing psy effects

Svarte Hanske said:

None of those modifiers are generated by Psychic Techniques. They're all Talents and Talents, as far as I know, do stack.

Okay, so what is the benefits of being a psyker then if it so easy to auto-negate their powers?

Because, generally, it's only other psykers that are resisting you that much, which makes sense.

Psyker to Psyker it seems fine to me. It sorta represents an epic contest of wills. And as someone said before this will only occur psyker to psyker. I guess a way to figure out whether orthoproxy (or anything similar) stacks with the Psy rating would be to check npc skills/talents/abilities. If say orthoproxy is present within and the npc is a psyker, this might lead you to believe they stack.

Also as someone mentioned above talents stack. So psychic resistance + orthoproxy would supply you with +30 to oppose. This all begs the question why these are even talents on an Astropaths rank listings if they DID NOT stack. What would be the point? It's a given that the astro will have a psy rating.

Having a 143 to oppose seems reasonable to me. I'm able to push my offensive psy rating 100+. So going toe to toe with another psyker, it would just come out to who can produce more degrees of success:

Offense - Psy rate 6(30) + push 3(15) + WP(65) = 110 to compel

Defense - Psy rate 5(25) + orthoproxy(20) + Psy resist(10) + WP(63) = 118 to oppose

Offense rolls 10 - 10 degrees of success

Defense rolls 42 - 7 degrees of success

OFFENSE WINS

So offense being allowed to push, defense allowed to use unfettered psy rate... works out pretty well to me. I realize this is only one instance with very specific talents.

Cool, and it seems pretty epic!

Svarte Hanske said:

I am vaguely reminded of an issue of Order of the Stick , where two powerful clerics are having a massive spell battle, and no one notices because of the lack of blatancy of most of their spell effects... It is not so much the battle I picture, but the responses between the two the whole time which simply consisted of " Made my save ," back and forth as they fought.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Haha! I must confess I pictured it a bit more like the movie "Hero" where two fighters meet and mentally fight their duel.

Svarte Hanske said:

You know what really throws off most opponents in such a duel. Lewd thoughts about them.

-=Brother Praetus=-