Hello everyone. Recently rolled up a Space Wolf Librarian, got him the "Death is Joy" armor (double damage from all hits vs. hordes) as well as the Smite power and, now after two sessions, I can't help but shake my head at the ludicrous power the combination has against Hordes. As Smite is a psychic power that affects an area, it gains the extra 1d10 hits against hordes. Even without pushing my Rank 1 Runepriest deals an average of 16-18 magnitude damage (3+5/6, then doubled) per round with no real effort, and when pushing the damage gets even more insane.

On similar note, Librarians over all seem to be insanely powerful. In the Final Sanction adventure during an ambush by eight Genesimmons... errr... Genestealers, my Runepriest slaughtered through six of them, pretty much oneshotting them as he went whether it was through Smite or liberal application of force sword+channeling. I could naturally push all the rolls with no fear since I was elected as the leader of the kill team and chose the Oath of Knowledge that lets me reroll the psychic phenomena without having to expend Fate.

Can the other Marine classes catch up to the punishing potential of the Librarians later on, or is the whole concept of Librarian doomed to be overtly broken from first to last rank? Should I propose banning the "Death is Joy" armor history from the game entirely? I'm saying this because I think the other players are getting a little less enjoyment out of the game, dealing maybe 3-5 magnitude damage/round to the hordes (Devastator notwithstanding) whilst I consistently roll Mag.Dam in the double digits.

Rhazagal said:

Death Is Joy gives one additional damage point per attack. It doesn't double anything. Thus your librarian should do 3 (unfettered PR) + 1D10 (AOE power) + 1 (DIJ armour) for 5 to 14 points of magnitude damage, 9.5 on average. Your Rune Priest might not like these news though.

And your runepriest should be warned: there is a 25% chance for Perils of the Warp when Psychic Phenomena is triggered. Just read through entry 39-46. A major enemy in the Purge The Unclean campaign has fried herself that way. Can happen to PCs just as easily. And that's only the entry 39-46. Other fates are worse on that table. Use fettered + invocation whenever you can, especially against hordes. You don't want the warp to consume you because of a bunch of mooks with stub revolvers.

Rhazagal said:

Just don't let them hit you. Just don't let them hit you.

Rhazagal said:

A well-fed Devastator is able to outclass your magnitude damage to be honest.

That said Librarians are cruel . They are supposed to be. Just look at the point cost differences in 40K if you're not convinced. Still they just play a part in well-oiled kill-team.

Alex

ak-73 said:

Well that's a relief, actually. I was getting worried I had accidentally made a total monster! Huh... So THAT is how the armor works? Crikey, all five guys in my gaming group got that totally wrong, but I'm just happy I can tone down the punishment dealt by my Runepriest; makes me more on-par with the other players as opposed to being leagues above them.

As for the perils of the warp... Well, my RP is still the chosen boss of the mission and he still has the free reroll to psychic phenomena from the Oath of Knowledge (and it looks likely that he'll be the dedicated boss on most every mission since I'm the only one with ANY leadership capability... Yup, no Tac-marines in the group!) so I'm not too concerned.

Thanks for the input, I'm sure just the clarification on the armor's property is going to work wonders on improving everyone's gaming experience in my group!

Rhazagal said:

Make sure you guys distinginguish between additional damage per attack and per hit . If you spray full auto that is an attack . If you have 4 Degrees of Success, that's 4 extra hits for a total of 5 hits .

That's a useful oath.

Alex

Personally I would consider not allowing armor histories to modify psychic attacks, only those that the armor has a hand in. Since an armors machine spirit is guiding a weapon, melee or ranged, where it is not guiding the psychic attack.

As there are psychic hoods and force weapon there can be librarian tuned armor. An armor that have served librarians for century is probably attuned to the immaterium and give power of the warp the same bonus than other armor give "normal" attacks. Don't forget that even if it is know considered as "arcane" and "witchcraft" there is such thing as psy-tech in w40k (psychic hoods, force weapons, aegis coating, psy dampers, etc.).

Xalendar said:

Wouldn't the Armor's history then say something about "being issued to librarians"? Or would they just issuse psy-reactive armor to regular people in the hopes that a Librarian gets it later?

Can Smite be used against a horde?

For starters, Smite is ridiculous overpowered. Anything that makes it even stronger just makes it worde.

Oh look, a greater deamon and a few demon princess we are undone!
No worries unleash the librarian and don't forget to close the blastshields on your helmets.

<<Insert noise of multiple nukes going off simultanously>>

Oh look, a couple of piles of ash.

Sister Callidia said:

*Puts on his helmet, awaiting the devastating power of the librarian*

Librarian "By the emporer's will, BE PURGED FOUL DEM-"

*A large hole to warp immediatly forms infront of the psyker. He tries to scream, but the sound becomes warped as it's sucked into the void. A large claw, soaked in blood grabs the psyker as he's pulled into the void. The librarian feels something strange, something overcome his body as he's unable to act. An alien emotion: Fear. Emerging from where the psyker once stood stands a Daemon Prince. Heretical runes adorn his body, his weapon is engulfed in flame. His eyes gaze at you, and even through the blastshield you can see the darkness within them. His wings flap, pushes debris and dust into the air as he let's out a loud bellowing laugh.*

Space Marine Player "******* Psykers..."

Sister Callidia said:

Depending on what others have it could be overpowered as compared to them. Hellfire rounds in a storm bolter are quite powerfull, along with some other combos.

Either way it is not that much different than the D&D mage problem, wiping out all of the enemy with the fireball.

Sister Callidia said:

Ahem, I have a Dark Angel Lexicanium and a Runepriest in my group and as a GM I am not scared. Even though both have smite.

Let them use it. Even better, let them push it.

Don't forget: rolls on Psychic Phenomena/Perils Of The Warp are not tests and therefore fate points do not apply. So for lower ranked psykers, it'll be a risky specialty.

Alex