I am not sure how the "fear the darkness" psychic power is handled. If you take rules as written, targets of this power seem to receive 3 (!) rolls to avoid rolling on the shock table. When sustained, targets may get 2 (!) rolls each round to overcome the effects. Considering this, it seems very unlikely that this spell will ever be effective at all. An example:

1. Librarians initiative: The Librarian rolls an opposed focus power test against the target (and let's assume the Librarian succeds)
2. Targets initiative: The target rolls a willpower test -5xPR to see whether he shakes off the effects. if not, he makes an ordinary fear check to see if he has to roll on the shock table. (let's assume it's a combat situation and he is not successful on both rolls and suffers minor effects of shock)
3. Next turn
4. Librarians initiative: he sustaines the spell
5. Targets initiative: The Target gets a willpower test -5xPR to shake of the effects of the spell and after that the normal willpower test to snap out of the minor effects of the shock.

Is this correct or am I missing something?

onkldoktr said:

One might read it this way: if a target passes the WP test vs the power this means the spell has no longer the effect of making the target afraid of every enemy. I would rule it so that already rolled-up results on the shock table continue to be in effect as normal. It's just that no new fear tests need to be taken.

Alex

Thank you for this suggestion. But it would still mean that the resistance vs the spell and the resistance vs the fear caused by the spell are handled seperately and thus giving targets ample opportunities to avoid the effects in the first place:

- by winning the opposed focus power test

- by succeeding in the -5*PR "shake of the effects roll" at the start of their turns

- by succeeding in the normal fear (1) test against unmodified WP

onkldoktr said:

What I was suggesting was that the second opportunity does not remove the effects of previously botched fear resistance rolls; it just means that you don't have to take additional fear rolls.

Under that scenario it would work like that:

Make focus power test.

If succeeded: not affected.

If failed: enemies cause fear. Make fear tests and shock rolls as necessary. On following turns make the "shake of the effects rolls". If successful, enemies no longer cause fear tests to be taken but effects from any failed fear tests (from shock rolls) remain in effect. If unsuccessful, keep making fear tests due to enemies.

So only two chances to avoid the effects: resist the power and pass every fear test to begin with. Once you fail a fear test, you are under its effects.

Alex

Thank you again. This would be a rather pragmatic approach to make this power a bit more balanced. But on the other hand I think your idea requires the clarification of several very general questions regarding fear and shock:

- when do you need to roll the fear test? as an immediate reaction when the source of fear first appears? or as a "free action" at the beginning of your next turn?

- if it is at the beginning of the next turn, then what comes first? the fear test or the "overcome psychic effects" roll?

- when does the effects of shock end? only under the conditions detailed on the shock table or also when the source of fear has visibly ceased to exist?

and one more question:

if there are multiple sources of fear (such as 5 space marines in solo mode) does opponents have to make 5 seperate fear checks if all are in range?

onkldoktr said:

I would make just one test. With hordes you make one test too and increase the fear rating by 1 after all.

I'd like to add that what I stated before was my interpretation of it. Not sure if it's the correct one.

Alex

OK, thanks. Since I am still not sure how to handle this correctly I would appreciate some other opinions or suggestions.

I believe that you only apply the highest ranking of fear, since a bunch of minor daemons are going to look like nothing compared to the daemon prince that is walking behind it. If you can resist fear from him, the minor daemons would barely register on your radar.

MILLANDSON said:

Correct. Also, a Horde of creatures which normally have a Fear Rating individually will see their Fear Rating effectively raised by 1; maximum of 4.

-=Brother Praetus=-

ak-73 said:

I was thinking about the solution above and I am sorry to say that it still isn't clear to me. If the "shake off the effects roll" doesn't remove the effects of botched shock rolls, then what does this do at all? If I am getting this right, fear generally works like this:

• you encounter a fear causing foe (or multiple fear causing foes)
• as a reaction, you immediately roll a WP check with appropriate modificator for the degree of fear that the most frightening foe causes
• if you succeed, your opponent doesn't frighten you and you don't have to do fear rolls again in subsequent turns vs this foe in this encounter
• if you fail, you immediately roll on the shock table with appropriate modificators and apply the results
• at the start of each turn of yours, you can roll willpower to snap out of shock (if you didn't end up high on the shock table and snapping out of it isn't an option anymore)

Ok, now what happens in the following instances?

• if the fear is caused by a power like "fear of darkness" and you have the chance to overcome either the effects of fear or the effects of the power. If you overcome one, does this mean you automatically overcome the other? If this is the case, the effects of the power are much weaker than the effects caused by a foe with a fear trait.
• if the fear causing opponent is suddenly gone (eg. killed or the effect of the psychic power causing that fear vanishes). do you automatically snap out of shock? if not: what is the point of sustaining a power like "fear the darkness"?

One additional question regarding hordes

• "fear the darkness" can be directed at multiple foes. Does this mean single targets only or hordes as well? If hordes are the target, can "fear the darkness" be considered as an area effect?

onkldoktr said:

I am not sure I would handle it like this "if you succeed, your opponent doesn't frighten you and you don't have to do fear rolls again in subsequent turns vs this foe in this encounter" in this instance. In fact I would have them make fear tests until they fail one or they succeed their resistance vs psy test.

But my recommendation if you want to know the official stance is to use the Rules Questions link at the bottom of this page. FFG is usually very helpful about this things. Usually.

Alex

I got a response from Ross Watson (thanks again!). I am happy to share his answers to my questions (in bold letters):

"I have a number of questions regarding the blood angel librarians "fear the darkness" power. [...] The main problem is, that targets of this power have so many opportunities of avoiding the effects (e.g. compared to the "terror be thy fried" power armour history). It is unclear how to combine the game mechanics of overcoming fear, overcoming shock and overcoming a psychic power. Here are some detailed questions that may help to clarify:

1) At what time exactly does a target of this power has to roll his fear check (and possibly on the shock table)? A) As an immediate reaction of the failed opposed focus power test or B) at the beginning of targets next turn after failing the opposed focus power test? If B: does the target take the "shake off the effects" roll against this power before rolling for fear (i.e. having altogether three rolls to avoid being affected by shock)? Or does a target of this power doesn't have a "shake off the effects" roll in the first round of this power?

A

2) When the power was successfully manifested and is sustained (and target didn't shake off the effects), but the target succeeded in his fear roll in the first round: does the target have to continue making fear rolls every subsequent rounds that the power is sustained and the target wasn't able to shake off the effects? Or is the target considered to be immune to the fear caused by this power in subsequent rounds?

You make one Fear Test for the power, whether it is sustained or not.

3) If a target of a sustained "fear the darkness" suffered from shock but succeeded in snapping out of it, does it have to take a new fear check and possibly roll again on the sho ck table?

No.

4) Do the effects of shock caused by the fear that is caused by this power end when the power is no longer sustained? And what about if the cause of the fear ceases to exist (Librarian leaves, is killed etc.)?

No and no.

5) Do the effects of shock continue, when a target succeds in the "shake off the effects roll"?

Yes.

6) Can this power be used not only against multiple single targets but also against multiple hordes?

Yes.

7) Against hordes: can "fear the darkness" can be considered as an area effect? Thus causing PR+D10 Magnitude Damage.

Yes.

Thank you very much for considering these questions.

Ross Watson
Senior RPG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games
[email protected] "

in that case, they can simply the sustaining possibility

True, sustaining doesn't make much sense anymore. And reading the errata 1.0 some additional questions come up:

a) Do hordes have to fail a fear test (modified by magnitude or not?) before taking PR+D10 magnitude damage? Or do they simply take this damage without rolling a fear test when targeted by this power?

b) Will hordes who fail their fear test (modified by magnitude) caused by this power automatically break (like detailed in the errata)?