If I was to chose 3 powers, here they'd be

healer , I think everyone agrees on this.

dull pain removes fatigue. we actually nerfed this ablity to same rules as healer, its insanely powerful otherwise.

call item nobody really talked about it, but there is ALWAYS a need for this one.

everything else mentioned is good in 1 way or the other, but these 3 will likely save your life, AND get used almost every game session.

The thing with Psykers and what the "best" powers to for them really comes down to scrutinizing just what your Psyker is all about, what makes them tick. "Awesome" powers for a feral-worlder Psyker with a high WS and S are going to be a radically different list from "awesome" powers for a scrawny void-born, and this is before we even delve into personality and the character's backstory.

Perhaps your character was raised in the Cult of the Red Redemption and turned themselves over voluntarily to the Black Ships when their powers emerged.... You will almost certainly have a very angsty self-loathing wytch who favours the pain and punishment type powers and eventually Pyromancy. ("I am damned and doomed, but thanks to the Inquisition I will take as many sinners and heretics down with me before I burn!")

Perhaps you come from a family that has a long tradition of service in the Adeptus Arbites and had every intention of following the same path yourself... That is until you changed. Your family did their duty and handed you over to the Black Ships and no-doubt thanks to your stern and disciplined upbringing you survived the Sanctioning process. Although service in the Arbites is no longer possible for you, you still do what you can in serving the Emperor's Justice by using your investigational and telepathic powers. Instead of black carapace armour and a badge you have a bodyglove, the sponsorship of an Inquisitor and a really cool looking black overcoat, but you still serve the Throne.

Between varied origins, background packages, Sanctioning side effects and overall character concept it is (or at least very much should) be true that every Psyker in DH is a distinctively unique character. Certain career choices are prone to the "cookie-cutter" effect in the hands of non-creative players, but the Imperial Psyker should never suffer from this problem.

Side thought: I am curious if Linearblade is playing this as a roleplaying game or as a board game? Also, the example character in this thread has a starting WP of 47 and took their first advance with starting XP to bump up to 52 as was clearly indicated in the stat block, which is within the realms of possibility.

ZillaPrime said:

I like the Cult of Red Redemption idea. A LOT.

(It is possible but unlikely, especially when combined with the freakishly high other stats (most of them).)

As much as I liked the two background ideas, unfortunately, I have no background. Whatsoever. I've been Mind-Cleansed. This is going to be one of my first ventures since being cleansed. So I could very well BE from a Feral World.

Anyways, I've talked to the GM to see if the power thing was an oversight...and it was. So I'll be starting with 3 Minor Powers and that's it. I'm cool with that. Gives me a bit of time to develop the character before having to choose something like what Discipline I want to go. I had also mentioned my concern about becoming nothing but a HealBot if I go Biomancy....he wasn't concerned. Evidently he's going to make the effects of healing seem absolutely horrible, to emphasize just how......creepy it is to allow the Warp to enter your being and heal you. So he's not betting on half of them LETTING me heal them. Lol.

So, now, Minors are looking like: Healer (even if its used for just myself), Fearful Aura (will just have to be careful when to use it), and Weapon Jinx. I feel alright with this starting setup.

He also mentioned that after I get a couple PsyRating that he'll probably implement Fettered Casting.

Thank you all for giving me advice and ideas! Most of them were very helpful and even flavorful. I'll be referring back to this thread many times throughout my beginnings in DH. If you have any more advice, please, keep it rolling. Or if you just want to share experience with your Psyker, and tips you've picked up throughout play, by all means! Thank you.

Forgot to ask, the Sanctioning Brand. Where is there more info on this? Like if there's a required location and such?

Brolthemighty said:

It's not stated as to wear or what exactly the sanctioning brand is. Some art work I've seen shows Imperial Psykers with the Aquilla prominently displayed on their foreheads; whether as an actual brand or tattoo, who can say.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Was curious. My GM said that they HAD to be on the forehead...and that just didn't seem conducive to undercover work and such.

There has been some discussion about Sanctioning Brands previously. I think the conclusion I preferred was that it is literally a brand, but perhaps one imbued with something that makes it more permanent. Otherwise, it could be easy to lose if you take injuries to that location and heal them.

Our preferred ruling on where it was is either to just choose the location yourself, or else (as I did the first time) roll a location with d100. In the fluff, many psykers don't walk around with their brands on prominent display, so this seems reasonable.

Oh, and you would begin with 2 Minor Powers, not 3. I thought you had actually begun with 52 WP. If your starting stat is 47, you half that and get your Minor Powers before any buy-ups. But as mentioned before, your GM may have different thoughts on that.

It is awesome fun, though, going from grubbing around on 2 powers to ascending through to Psy 4, 5... 6... and then people really are taking you seriously.

And if I didn't mention it already, I strongly recommend starting with Pistol (SP) over Pistol (Las). Las pistols never served me well, and I only ended up buying SP later for 100 xp and wishing I'd begun with it.

Due to my background package and such that I'm starting with, I'm starting with Pistol (Las) and Pistol (SP)

And yeah, I'll be starting with 3, since the 400xp is "before" play. He's okay with it.

I rolled my thrones, and got 9, so that totals 55 thrones. Man is that hard to start with :S I'm tempted to not pick ANY armor up, and then just strip the first heretic we come across and get is sized or something. Not sure what I'll be buying with it. We'll see.

Not sure if I'll hit Psy 5 or 6 though, because I'm considering the Templar Calix advancement at Rank 4. Lol, there's just SO many choices.

Ugh... armor is seriously advisable, maybe even more than a pistol. Maybe you could get a poor quality one (half price). 55TG is indeed very little to start with, very much like the scum. Even poor quality quilted vest is better than nothing.

Once you can loot something I reccomend Autopistol.

Psykers are indeed poor to begin with! Unless you are a Noble Psyker, in which case you take a hit of -5 to your WP... But enough about my strange game decisions. I would agree with the previous poster that armour is important, especially at low levels. Even something just for your body is good (do Psykers start with a Quilted Vest, or am I imagining things?).

Templar Calix is a lot of fun, and gives you a huge amount of good combat options. Also, roleplay-wise, it's pretty exciting (and you can work towards earning yourself a Force Sword, which are extremely solid). You'll need to try and keep your Corruption down as I believe there's a restriction of being under 10 to become a Templar. (At worst, your GM might well let you buy down Corruption at the usual 100 xp per point, so you could still take the advance.)

If you do go that route, you'll still be able to get back onto the militant psyker tree and reach Psy 5 at Rank 8, which isn't bad. Especially when you're seriously adept at beating things around the head with a force weapon!

Niqvah said:

The Psyker in my group is at rank 8, and has been doing pretty good. 5 dice+power wells etc. makes him a very good psyker and he routinely heals the entire party with Seal Wounds. He had imperial navy background and started with an Iron Claw, has used the Vanaheim quite a bit, and has also been quick to enter melee with sword in hand. He has yet to use his newly aquired Force Staff, but now he just has the possibility to pick up a Power Sword, which of course is even better.

Military psykers are cool, but miss out on Psy Rating 6 and some very nice talents.

Friend of the Dork said:

Indeed, there is always a trade-off. Still, Psy 5 is very respectable and close-combat psykers are interestingly different from the norm. It sounds like the one in your game is extremely useful to the party, both in terms of combat and healing.

I would respectfully suggest that a Force Sword is in fact better for a Psy 5 psyker than a Power Sword, with regard to standard damage profile and the ability to channel Warp through it to deal additional damage, ignoring Armour and Toughness (though granted, it has no chance of breaking unpowered weapons, unlike the Power Sword). Force Staffs have a few problems (two-handed, lower damage, Impact instead of Rending, can't use Blademaster for re-rolls) so, whilst flavourful, I find them less desirable. I actually just sold my good-quality one and have opted for a standard Force Sword (until I can afford best-quality).

Niqvah said:

Unless rules have been changed, you can't buy down corruption.

A psyker getting to Rank 4 with less than 10 CPs is pretty unlikely IMO.

Inquisitor sapiens potensque said:

It is indeed quite unlikely, but a requirement of that class, which is why I figure a GM may be disposed to allowing a buy-down of Corruption, as per the Insanity rules. I believe you can buy it off the same way at Ascension, so it doesn't seem utterly unreasonable, providing you come up with a good in-character reason for it (learning certain rites, spending time with the Ecclesiarchy, training with a great sage... or somesuch).

Yeah, I'm hoping that path is going to be available, because it just sounds amazing, and very flavorful. Going that route, I'd probably take Telekinesis as my Discipline (although I still really favor Biomancy) since that Disciplines powers seem to mesh better. Biomancy has some really good powers, just not sure if they would mesh well with melee combat (aside from Seal wounds of course)

Brolthemighty said:

Uhm... Hammerhands??

That's one power, and it counts as a primitive weapon. But yes, I noticed that power

Friend of the Dork said:

.....imperial navy background? I haven't come across this.

Brolthemighty said:

Well I dont have IH in fron of me right now, it may be a generic military background but I beleive it was one for void born. In any case I gave him the Iron Claw myself there are no particular rules for that, but I believe there is one giving +5% WS when in tight quarters (such as corridors in a spaceship) and -2 Initiative when outdoors in the open air. I can't remember if it was IN or just Imperial Fleet in general but it fit alot.

Hammerhands really made an impression the few times the Psyker used it, but they have really been few, despite his fitting Frenzy talents. But against enemies with lots of armor it makes more sense to use a Power Sword, so it hasn't been used much lately and probably won't again. It could be useful for a captured psyker with no weapons and no Call Item power...

Other than that Renegeration and Seal Wounds of course synergizes well by being thick in melee as such a psyker can take extreme punishment and be back fit for fighting in a single round - I can't think of any other discipline that fits better in fact.

Friend of the Dork said:

Unique Worlds of the Calixis Sector on page 21 of the Inquisitor's Handbook . It's called Battlefleet Calixis and is a variant Void Born origin. You use the Void Born modifiers, replacing the Charmed and Ill-Omened traits with Close-Quarter Fighter, Naval Lineage, and Officer on Deck.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Gotcha. Thanks for that info

Alright, so I've got everything setup for tonight's game, and am looking to the future of this char (hoping that he lives of course) and have come across an interesting question. Since I'm going Templar Calixis Psykana....is it feasible to try for Psychic Mastery of a Discipline.....or would it be bettery to cherry pick a couple from other discplines?

Brother Praetus said:

Wow, an Imperial Navy Cleric... sounds like a good idea for my next character.

Alex

ak-73 said:

Suddenly a blasphemous version of "In the Navy" comes into my head.

"In the navy
Yes, you can sail the Galaxy
In the navy
Yes, you can work the industry
In the navy
Come on now, people, make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
For the Imperium of Man!
In the navy
Come on, protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on people, and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy)

The Emperor wants you as a new recruit!"