Hi,

My players have little interest in playing a radio, ehr, Astropath so decided to start a new project...
This is the start of a new career path.

Rogue Trader: The Rogue Psyker

Starting Skills:
Awareness (per), Common Lore (Koronus Expanse) (Int), Forbidden Lore (Psykers, Warp)(Int), Invocation (WP), Speak Language (Low Gothic, Under Deck) (Int)

Starting Talents:
Pistol Training (Universal), Melee Weapon Training (Universal), Psy Rating 3

Starting Gear:
Good-Craftsmanship Chain Sword or Best Craftsmanship Mono-Sword, Bolt Pistol or Good-Craftsmanship Naval Pistol, Psy Focus, Micro-bead, Guard Flak Armour, Charm, Void Suit

Special Ability: Unsanctioned Psyker
The Rogue Psyker is an illegal psyker and therefore has never been taken to Holy Terry in a black ship to be sanctioned and thus has never received official training.
The result of this is that when they have to roll on the Psychic Phenomena Chart (Table 6-2) they add +10 to the roll.
The upside is that because they weren’t sanctioned they had the possibility to grow far more powerful and thus start out with a Psy Rating 3.

Psychic Powers:
The Rogue Psyker starts out with one Psychic Discipline of their choice and 3 Psychic Techniques, they may not start out with Theosophamy (Into the Storm, page 197).

Characteristic:
Weapon Skills 250/500/750/1.000
Ballistic Skills 500/750/1.000/2.500
Strength 500/750/1.000/2.500
Toughness 250/500/750/1.000
Agility 250/500/750/1.000
Intelligence 100/250/500/750
Perception 500/750/1.000/2.500
Willpower 250/500/750/1.000
Fellowship 250/500/750/1.000

Rank 1
Awareness 100
Common Lore (Koronus Expanse) 100
Common Lore (Underworld) 100
Deceive 100
Forbidden Lore (Psyker) 100
Forbidden Lore (Warp) 100
Invocation 100
Psyniscience 100
Scholastic Lore (Legend) 100
Scholastic Lore (Occult) 100
Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader) 100
Speak Language (Underdeck) 100
Dodge 200
Psychic Technique (x2) 200
Psy Rating 3 200
Melee Weapon Training (Universal) 500
Pistol Training (Universal) 500

Rank 2
Awareness +10 200
Charm 200
Common Lore (Koronus Expanse) +10 200
Common Lore (Underworld) +10 200
Dodge +10 200
Forbidden Lore (Pirates) 200
Forbidden Lore (Warp) +10 200
Intimidate 200
Invocation +10 200
Psyniscience +10 200
Scrutiny 200
Psychic Techniques (x2) 200
Sound Constitution (x2) 200
Psy Rating 4 300
Resistance (Fear) 300
Frenzy 300

Santiago said:

Actually, most unsanctioned psykers live up to nothing like their potential without training.

i think you might want to dream up new powers that the rogue psyker has access to. also, keep him at the same psi level as an astropath, and either give him only one power to start off, but increase his mastery, or give him more powers, but limit the amount of mastery he can take in them. other than that, some fluff would be nice, so we know what kind of rogue psyker you're aiming for

I have to agree with Errant. No training means that they'd be less developed in psykic powers, not more developed.

I think a look at the Witch Born: Perilous Choice gives a good idea of how an unsanctioned psyker works.

Psy rating 1, one discipline and one technique worth no more than 100xp, Psyniscience for free and you use the renegade psyker rules from the core book. And it costs all 500 of your 500 starting xp.

I figure taking that and running a character as otherwise normal would be your best bet so as not to go through all the difficulties of creating a full career. If doing a full career though, it should generally be weaker than the astropath because they don't have proper training, they don't have the protection of being soul-bound, and they aren't required to take a particular set of powers exclusively for the first several ranks.

I'd suggest keeping the rogue 1 psy rating behind the astropath (or even with them at best, certainly not stronger). Similarly the rogue should only have 1 or 2 powers at start, not more than the astropath. Perhaps gain fewer powers, but have access to the higher end powers sooner (They don't have the proper training, but they are also less concerned with restraining themselves to powers they know they can handle)

But perhaps the simplest method (Besides using the method already provided for being an unsanctioned psyker) is to simply take the astropath, remove the soul binding and the requirement to start with the telepathic discipline, and swap out any skills/talents that seem inappropriate (They should not for example be able to do the Rite of Sanctioning, but might get Warp Affinity cheaper)

They have little interest in playing an Astropath so they play.......a Rogue Psyker? Oh, ok, that makes perfect sense.

Fortinbras said:

You could use the Imperial Psyker from Dark Heresy, start them with 5000xp so they'd be equal or so to a RT Rank 1, as a base. No need to start from scratch.

Karoline said:

Or that a Missionary also can sweet-talk people after they dispense holy cleansing flame in the previous turn.

As far as what power level an unsanctioned/rogue psyker "should be" there isn't one answer. A psyker can be unsanctioned and have any level of capability from Alpha-level (high-end Ascension stuff) through craptastic sacrifices to the Throne waiting to happen. The 500xp option from Into the Storm produces the latter, but it's meant to be added to a character that has something else as the primary path of learning (such as Archmilitant, Missionary, or Rogue Trader). For a character that makes being an unsanctioned psyker the first priority, that path would be wholly unsuitable starting point for a RT career (but possibly OK for Dark Heresy's lower power levels). Since "more power but less control" seems to be a common theme, it wouldn't be outrageous to have a RT unsanctioned psyker start with Psy Rating 3.

bobh said:

Well, unless you have a strong dislike for the DH psyker system and want to covert it all to RT's psyker system. Then you almost have to start from scratch.

But the 'stronger with less control' is already represented in push strength. Like I said, just use astropath, take out the soul binding, adjust the skills a bit and you have a good template for a rogue psyker.

Karoline said:

Possibly, but it still needs a lot of adjustments in terms of skills and talents available. Most unsanctioned psykers are less passive than astropaths, so some of the combat talents might show up sooner while some of the lore skill might come up later. The sight without eyes thing would go too, so you'd really need a new unique ability to replace those of the astropath. I'd suggest also converting over the disciplines of the Imperial Psyker from DH to allow for greater variety.

Just as an aside to this, the Ravenor novels do suggest that there are a few unsanctioned but fairly powerful psykers floating around who act as mercenaries. These guys are known to live in secret within the Imperium. One is hired by the vilains in one of the Ravenor books to assist with a ritual.

One of these (highly disreputable) characters would actually make a compelling PC. From a background point of view, such an individual may actually find working for a Rogue Trader to be the only way to make big money without the risk of being dragged kicking and screaming to Terra or the pyre. Working outside the Imperium, under the legal protection of their Rogue Trader's Warrant of Trade, arguably makes them "legal." Well...as much as anything in the Koronus Expanse can be said to be "legal!"

The power level thing is not insurmoutable: for a RT level PC I'd pitch his powers as similar to that of a 5,000XP level Sanctioned Psyker from DH, but I'd offset this with quite a few corruption/insanity points.

so much trouble over no one wanting to play a radio, he can do more than that if you upgrade him right. thought that is the character discription, lol

Never liked astropath which is why i would love FFG to convert the powers from DH to the system used in RT and DW so we can play a normal psyker and not have to play an astropath.

According to fluff as i understand it astropaths shouldn't be able to use telekinesis powers anyway only telepathy type powers or divination but who would want to play a pc who has no real combat powers as such.

completely not true, give the astropath the terrify power. the ability to take a tough opponent mentally out of the fight is invaluable. second, buy the into the storm book and get your guy a force weapon. Also, don't knock the power of the warp, just because it says in the fluff they only do telepathy doesn't mean they are limited to it. the warp is a strange beast. and if the psykic stuff ain't your bag. get the edge of the abyss book and go sorcerer. not to mention the ability to sent telepathic signals to your friends with out alerting those around them. you are more than just a radio, can a radio read you mind. i think not.

The only issue i'd suggest is that there's really no downside to this. +10 PotW. Not enough.

The reason the Imperium, and most of its political structures (Ministorum, Admnistratum/Planetary governors/Inquisition/etc. are so hard on rogue psykers is that they are unwitting planet killers. They generally lack the mental conditioning or soul-strength to resist the warp and the attentions of the warp-denizens desperately searching for a 'weak mind' like an unsanctioned psyker to break through into the Materium.

They also lack skill to manipulate their powers.

If you're going to introduce this career i'd suggest adding the following rules:

Rogue Psyker cannot fetter or push his psychic strength, he lacks the mental training.

He obviously doesn't gain the protection of soul binding (RT p158)

Suffers +10xPSy Rating to any Psychic Pehenomena and PotW testrequired. (So a rogue psyker with Psy Rating 3 suffers +30 to each roll.

The Rogue Pysker is constantly at the mercy of the Warp and therefore doubles all Insanity Point and Corruption Point gains.

The Rogue Psyker cannot 'shut off' the Warp and automatically gains Psyniscience (skill) and Improved Warp Sence (Talent). However he suffers -10xPsy Rating to resist possession by Warp entities.

I think that'd go someway to making the Rogue Psyker character the terrible danger that they are (to themselves, those around them, and indeed the planet they are currently on).

I have to agree with Luddites suggestions.

Also the WP and PER costs should be swapped. WP should almost be bumped to 750 base advance. I'm also not sure why all your Unsanctioned Psykers will be super intelligent with the super cheap INT advances.

ItsUncertainWho said:

Agreed.

Also those advances look like the start of a power-build.

I'd add in a few things like:

Enemies (where to start! Should be a starting talent?) and paranoia.

And why start at Psy 3? Why not psy 1?

I'd definately steer you towards the Hereticus and Malleus (Sorcery) sections of Disciples of the Dark Gods for a bit of inspiration.

Luddite said:

At the least they should start with Enemy (Inquisition), if not just a broad based, Enemy (Imperium of Man).

I would also postulate that harboring and employing a Rogue Psyker is probably one of those few things that could get a RT's Warrant of Trade revoked.

Agreed.

And on the Warrant of Trade, it's really a license to do whatever is neccessary to explore beyond the bounds of the Imperium. I'd say the only reason to revoke would be a 'Dances with Wolves' scenario where the RT ceases to act for the Imperium, 'goes native', or perhaps becomes openly heretical.

As an RT is of similar status to a Planetary Governor, i'd suspect there might be a similar obligation to 'control/suppress rogue psykers'.

Personally i can't see an RT wanting to jeopardise his ship, his life, his legacy and the Imperium by harbouring a rogue psyker...but each to his own i suppose.

On a wider DH/RT/DW footing i rather like the idea of the rogue psyker, but i think it'd only really fit in a campaign where the PCs are playing heretics. After all, a rogue psyker PC will pretty much be readily identifiable by anyone spending even a little time with him...and almost every imperial citizen will be conditioned to revile the psyker and either kill him immediately, or imprison him to await the next Black Ship...

This forces the other PCs to esentially kill/turn on this PC. Difficult for player and group cohesion that one...