A few questions I have about psychic powers and hoping someone can help clear them up.

1. Can psychic powers like smite or blood lance be dodged. It lists smite as not a BS test but a focus power test modified as if it was a BS test. Blood lance doesn't mention dodging at all. I guess the overall question is, can targeted non opposed challenges be dodged.

2. Can a librarian make a standard attack with a force sword (including channeling the force sword's extra psychic damage), then activate a half action power.

1. I operate under the assumption that if it is the sort of power that could be "dodged" (as in not telepathic, etc.), and that the power itself doesn't list some means by which the defender does not take damaged (as in it is not an opposed test), then yes, I do allow a dodge. Also, I am fairly certain that resistance(psychic powers) actually helps this dodge as well.

2. I'm not sure. I don't have my book open in front of me, but I believe the force sword triggers a "focus power" action, as a free action. As you can only use an action type once per turn, I probably would not allow it. This actually is reflected in TT anyway I believe.

Bunad said:

1. Unless it's precluded in a description, I would assume that all attacks can be dodged as if they were an equivalent ranged attack (remember that Smite has a radius and thus special dodging rules apply). I am basing this assumption on there being ranged psy attacks in Rogue Trader which can be dodged too. Someone should email FFG about this.

2. As KommissarK said - I would consider channeling additional damage a Free Focus Action... this excludes another Focus Half Action for the turn. The only correction I would apply here is that I don't think the sword triggers it but that it's an active choice of a librarian to do so or not.

Alex

1. Generally, if the target doesn't get to resist a psychic power it can be dodged. I believe that Resistance (Psychic Powers) does add to this dodge.

2. Focus Power is considered an attack action, so no you cannot attack and activate a power in the same round. If you attack with a Force weapon, the weapon allows you to make the attack and focus power as a part of the same action and overrides the general rule.

ItsUncertainWho said:

This is purely semantics, and I don't think it really will ever come up, but isn't the restriction on only being able to perform an action type one per round by specific half action, not by subtype?

(sorry, prepping to GM the game this Saturday, its been about 2 years since I ran DH, just want to make sure I got the RAW/RAI down pat)

KommissarK said:

As per page 236, you just can't do the same Half-Action twice and subtypes are largely irrelevent unless special conditions apply.

Alex

DH Errata page 9

Making a Focus Power Action is the psychic
equivalent of a Standard Attack Action, and counts as such
for purposes of determining what else a psyker can do in a
round. Therefore, a psyker who uses a Half Action power
cannot make another Half Action Standard Attack on the
same round. A Psyker may manifest only one ability per
Round with the exception of the Resist Possession power.

I would think this applies to all three games, since I don't have my DW book available.

ItsUncertainWho said:

Well, I'm in two minds about this - on one hand DW does not have the 'single attack/round' rule (unless I'm mistaken - please correct me if I am) and replaces it with a 'unique actions/round' rule. There is no mention that using a Focus Power action is in any way treated as standard attack (neither in psychic powers, nor the combat chapter - again, please correct me if I somehow missed it). On the other hand I guess a librarian with a (e.g.) lascannon could get quite powerful if he could use it on the same round as (e.g.) Smite - question is whether that would be more powerfull than what a Devastator can do with proper talent/wargear choice.

ItsUncertainWho said:

Is there anything in the rules to prevent a Half Action Aim and a Half Action Smite? Both are Concentration subtype.

Alex

Some psychic powers like Might of the ancients loose a great deal of their efficiency if it is not possible to attack in the same round...

In my game, I will assume psychic powers that are not directly offensive targeting (unlike smite, the avenger, etc.) can be combined with an attack half action.

They can be sustained and then used for several rounds afterwards. I don't see that making the power bad in any way.