I am playing a Psyker for the first time in our ascension campaign.

I play a diviner/pyromancer and I have questions about the mechanics of some powers.

I cannot imagine that these topics have not been discussed to death, but after employing the search-function for a while, I am still not getting the info I need.

So without further ado, here's my questions:

1: Can I manifest powers through far-seeing? The farseeing power states that I am limited to half actions while employing it, and psychic powers such as firestorm are half actions. Can this be done?

2: If I manifest Arcana (yes, I have arcana) do I get corruption? The rules about corruption in the Dark Heresy book, seems to indicate that I do, but I find no mention of it while reading through the sorcery-related chapters in Radicals or DOTDG.

3. I seem to recall reading something about psychic powers counting as Warp Weapons and that they could penetrate daemonic resillience. How exactly is the verdict on this topic?

4: It seems to me that in terms of sheer combatminded damage, the pyrokine is outdone by the telekine. Is this true? I see how Holocaust can be powerful, being the only power that can outright slay anything from the beyond, but aside from that is there anything specifically combat-efficient about the pyrokine I am just not seeing??

These 4 questions are the main topics of this thread. If you have an answer I would very much like a link or page number of your source, so that I can tell my GM where I have the information from.

Last point of this thread is tips. I would very much like some tips on how to play a diviner. I have no grounds for knowing and I would love some roleplaying ideas and general ideas for application of divination.

Thank you all very much in advance.

-Nearyn

Having never done ascension, I can't help you with anything related to that. However, I can tell you that if you have a high WP/WP Bonus then telekine far outstrips any other discipline in damage.

Also, pg. 168 of Radical's Handbook:

" Every time you successfully manifest an Arcana, you gain a number of Corruption points equal to 1d10 minus your Willpower bonus."

1.) No, you can't. You can use your half action to change your facing or do something else at your physical location. Your "inner eye" is using Far-Sight, your outer eyes are aware of whats going on around you.

2.) Yes, 1d10 minus your Willpower bonus in corruption.

3.) Yes, the daemonic trait is useless damage from psychic powers and force weapons. No, psychic powers do NOT have the warp weapon quality, otherwise they would all ignore armor and cover.

4.) Depends on what you are looking for. Overall, pyromancy has the farthest range (50+ meters in most cases) and the greatest potential for affecting multiple targets (Firestorm, Holocaust, Wall of Fire, Blinding Flash) as well as possibly setting targets on fire when damaged. Telekinetics seems more suited to close combat and is devestating when focusing on a single foe (Psychic Blade, Force Barrage). It also offers greater versatility with its defensive powers (Telekinetic Shield, Catch Projectiles) and utility powers (Precision & regular Telekinesis).

Dude, as the groups diviner your going to play a central role in the investigative part of the game (Psychometry, Soulsight, Dowsing) as well as gather intel (Farsight).

Use Soulsight during interrogations/interviews

Use Dowsing to find missing people, stolen items, to follow a suspect (by planting on him an item you will Dowse on later).

Use psychometry on a piece of evidence (a murder weapon maybe), at the scene of a crime, or a suspects room to gather intel.

Use Farsight and lip reading to gather intel/spy.

1) the power only allows you to cast out your sight, nither you mind nor body is actually present so while you could still cast powers normally (subject to sustained powers etc.) you would not be able to cast your powers from where you are perceiving; for example you could not chose to see 3 km to the south which happens to be a heretic stronghold and then cast firestorm inside the building to burn the heretics inside. the only power (on the top of my head) that allows you to use powers beyond the reach of your physical body is the My Will, Manifest telepathy power from Ascension.

2) As Brolthermighty have said each successful use on an arcana grants 1d10-WB CP.

3) three things here; firstly Warp Weapons ignore armour not the Daemonic Trait Toughness increase. secondly unless specifically stated psychic powers does not count as warp weapons. thirdly and most importantly yes psychic powers that deals damage do ignore the TB increase deamons gain from the Daemonic Trait as not under the trait on page 329.

4) Well practically all the pyrokinetic powers are direct damage powers unlike any other discipline (though telekine has alot as well), while most telekinetic powers benefit more on average from a high Willpower pyrokinetic powers have a far higher damage potential. for example in the Core Rulebook Force Bolt is the telekinetic power that can deal the most damage (or force barrage depending on how you read it) with a WB of say 5 it does 1d10+5 plus 1 per 5 points of overbleed, than take Firestorm it only costs 3 more in threshold has a 6m radius and deal 1d10+5 plus 1d10 per 5 points of overbleed. and then as you say it there are Holocaust which does (with a WB of 5 as before) 5d10 that bypasses both Toughness and Armour and has the highest possible damage potential in the core rulebook. then there is also the Burning Man from DotDG, while it destroys all gear and weapons you are carrying it increases you TB by 3, become immune to fire damage of any kind, takes only half damage from Plasma, Las and Melta weapons, gives you the Stuff of Nightmare Trait, and you unarmed attacks deals 1d10+SB E with a penetration of 5 and the Powerfield Quality. then if you take Ascension inot account Pyromancer can get (or everyone can but it is a pyromancy power) Inferno which is the power in the Dark Heresy with the single highest damage potential both in terms of raw damage and area of effect, if the character has unnatural willpower this is outright lethal to anything, with a Unnatural Willpower (x3) and an willpower of no more than 5 (x3 = 15) this power deals 1d10x15 every round to everything with a radius of 20m that exands by 10m each round, with an average damage roll that is 65 E in a single round on a lucky roll its 150 E. even without Unnatural willpower and only a decent high WIlpower it can still do uptowads 40-50 points of damage every round (this of course is theoretical as most wouln't roll that well, but still). well Pyromancy is a very good combat orientated discipline (in my eyes at least) especially compared to the others if the the psyker has a fairly low willpower.

Sorry if the text became a little incomprehensible there towards the end

Some aspects of the Diviner can be difficult, since this can largly depend on how your GM goes about it. If you make it to Ascension, it really wont matter too much what your previous power were, the ascended powers all rock pretty hard.

Nearyn said:

Telekinetics usually do more damage outright on the turn they use the power. Pyrokinetics set things in fire and the flames continue to do damage long after the power was first used. Because of this pyrokinetics tend to be overall more destructive against multiple target while telekinetics tend to kill single targets better. Its really a choice of what you want to do:

Want to slay a man? Be a telekinetic and rip his heart out.

Want to slay thousands? Be a pyrokinetic and set the town on fire.

1. No, as above, but if you delve into the Telepathy Discipline, you can use other Telepathic powers while Projected.

2. Shame on you.

3. Daemons don't get their unnatural toughness against psychic powers (or force swords). They only take off normal toughness (and armour).

4. Telekinesis may give you more options when it comes to doing people in, but nothing compares to Holocaust. The Ascension-level Telekinesis path offers some of the best aspects of it (mainly being able to ignore SP weaponry) without actually getting bogged down with the Discipline. (Speaking as a long-time telekine, often wondering if I shouldn't just have learned Pyrokinesis and blasted everyone into the Warp.)

Re: playing a diviner, I suggest working with the GM on how your powers will work. Obviously when you're foreseeing things, that can be demanding for the GM as they have to balance giving you enough information to make it worthwhile against giving you too much and making something glaringly obvious. Also, it's not always easy to know how the players will move through a campaign, and you don't want your Divination to prove utterly wrong!

Providing the GM is ready for it, though, and is able to prepare some suitably cryptic snippets to feed you as/when you use the power, it should be fun.

Also, as has been mentioned, you're second to none when it comes to finding things/people using Dowsing. Psychometry might be fun as well (if just for voyeuring on who was in this hotel room before you... if you're brave enough to look).

Have fun!

Sorry for the delay. I've been preoccupied.

Thanks alot everyone. This is very helpful, and not only that, you answered all my questions

Anyway, now I'm a bit more confident in what I'm playing.

Again, thanks.