Hey guys got an important question for you. How does an astropath's astral telepathy work ? It broadcast an area with the signal and those who receive it will broadcast it too? Or it specifically target someone ? And also as it seem it is a very unrealiable way of communication :S it is very likely that a signal will be lost/misunderstood/interrupted/never heard etc.

I just checked the power in RT and DW, and it's not exactly clear, but I think it's meant to target specific individuals. Which doesn't really make sense if you ask me, because how does the Imperium maintain it's network of astropaths when they're supposed to know each other?

Vedneros said:

Well, in 40K it mostly works as the plot dictates. In the DoW computer game it was portryaed as if it is a direct video link (which is of course rubbish IMO) and in the DH rulebook it was often described as being rather ponderously and error-prone (which is a little weird IMO). Mainly it is described as something inbetween. The third Enforcer novel (Blind?) gives a good portrayal how an astropathic station could work.

In my view astropathic messages are sent comparably to radio waves. The messages are often encrypted, because others than the intended receiver could receive the message. Messages can be sent to a certain planet, system, sub-sector or sector or even to everyone in reach (e.g. emergency sending) depending on the location of broadcaster. Experienced Astropaths are able to specify their target (planet, person, whatever) more narrowly than others and having some sort of mind-link with the respective person beforehand could help further to narrow down the possibility of intercepting the message by a third-party. It is indeed an ureliable way of communication (though not to the degree as depicted in the DH rule book imo), but that is part of the credo of 40K/the Imperium (warp travel is either for example). Nothing is really sophisticated in the Imperium and most things can go horribly wrong and are more akin to the 19th century than to a sci-fi setting…

There is a scene in one of the Gaunt's Ghosts novels (I forget which one) where an Imperial Navy ship has to intercept and re-broadcast an important astropatic message because it is fading out and won't reach its destination otherwise. Make of that what you will…

In my campaign I treat astropathic communication as being comparable to using the telegraph in the 19th century: about 85% reliable, no images, only text, and they go to a single 'reciever' on the other end (but a talented heretic might be able to intercept it).

Luthor Harkon said:

For the life of me I can't remember the name of the video (Inquisitor, Daemonhunter, something kind of generic, it should be on youtube). It was some old film that either GW or some fans did way back when, and it had a depiction of how an astropath got the message, The captain of the vessel was speaking face to face with the astropath when he (the astropath) informed the captain of an incoming message. The captain accepted it, and the Astropath's voice and deameanor changed to match that of the inquisitor sending the message. It was kinda creepy, but also rather interesting.

My bet is that there is no "set" way this works, and that really, there is a multitude. Thematically, pick what you like. As far as relibility… well yes, it is notoriously unreliable, but its also one of the only means of long distance communication the Imperium has. If you're looking at the straight rules on the matter, remember there is usually an entire choir sending out the message.

IIRC, this movie's official. It's called "Inquisitor" I believe. It's extremely dated, makes Damnatus look like it was produced by Michael Bay.

I guess (after reading the Deathwatch rulebook) it works as you can broadcast it(so anyone within range can hear it) or target an astropath to receive the message (much more safe due to interception problem but the message may never be heard) also how do they send or receive the message is really depends on the astropath (read rogue trader RPG core rulebook Imperium section) some may send messages as visions, voices, symbols etc.

Per the writup in RT: An astropathic message is transmitted in the direction of it's intended recipient. It must have enough strength to reach another astropath along the way who will retransmit it until it reaches it's intended destination. The "relay" nature of the transmission is such that there is a certain amount of potential enreliability built in. Basically; The stronger the originating Astropath the better chance of it being received by it's intended recipient. In my game. Astropaths consider the accurate transmission of information to be a "holy" duty (It is what they were soul bound for after all!) and thus will always retransmit any message received. to do otherwise would be heresy in their mind! Messages can be sent in text or pictogram (Drawing) without a problem. There are also examples within the fluff of machines that could read an image from the mind of someone "jacked" into it (Through an MIU or similar connection so the "Video feed" idea is not impossible but certainly not common! I would rule it to only be possible to receive in an Astropathic choir chamber (Which would have the necessary equipment.) and then only if the sender was strong enough to send the picture feed. (I think there was something in the RT core rulebook about this but I would have to find it.) Hope this helps!

But it is a bit weird… All Astropaths in the Imperium knows the other astropaths in their vicinity? So basically an Astropath in Scintilla knows the Astropaths of Iocanthos, Settlement 228 etc. ?

Since Astropaths require a trip to Terra for their soul-binding, I imagine on their way back to the planet they serve on, the ship would stop off at nearby destinations, such that the newly placed astropath is introduced to those in the area. As long as each new astropath is introduced in such a manner (and assuming there are not multiple inbound from Terra on different ships at the same time), all astropaths in an area would know each other.

Vedneros said:

No, but they would know that an astropathic relay station is there.

For Astropaths, I don't think personal knowledge of the recipient is needed, so much as knowing someone is listening..

So they are sending their messages to planets rather than individuals? And there are Astropath Relays in subsectors (maybe in multiple locations) to resend the message ?

I would think that an astropath's first job would be to receive messages so they know where to send them. I'd also think that very few messages are specific in who the receiving astropath is.

"Void Stalker" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden has a pretty good description of how astopathic "channels" work. Following how he described them, think of roots growing across the galaxy, starting in terra and going to segmentum hubs, then sector hubs, then systems and so on. Make a few dead spots where warp-storms disrupt it and make every connection and end a relay station.

Following Dembski-Bowden's description, even if you DID need to know the other astropaths, unless you were at a main relay station, you'd only need to know a handful of offworld astropaths to function. Supposing they don't need to know each other, their job is even easier. Though I'll admit that astropaths serving on ships might have it pretty rough at times.

Well i dont know how he described them…

I paraphrased the important bits in my last post, right there in the middle

Somehow I see them as radio broadcasting. You select a frequency (I think that every astropath has its own unique frequency) and then send it over the airways. You can roughly direct your signal and it grows weaker the farther it goes. When you listen, you just scan the ether for signals and once you find any you tune in to listen. It helps if you are pretuned to frequencies, you wilkl receive the messages much easier and more reliable.

wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Astropath#.T9NlkcX4Kh9 has a nice write-up about Astropathy.

Nice reading thank you But i dont want to accept ALL astropaths are insane to hell approach (though most of them are and should be thats another story) i dont like the stereotypical approach style like '' all x wear green robes and talks like yoda '' etc. Otherwise thank you that pretty much covers some of my questions

well not all wear green robes but they usaly wear some kind of robe in general.

Some do go insane due to there use of there power for they grow older and there sanity slips away over time because of there constent wispering into the awarp

For my game I'm going with the more mystical and cryptic way its writen in the Corebook. I kind of like the idea of it not being very scientific and more like omens than a video link.

In regards to sending I would say both are possible. You can direct yourself to a single location or individual or just throw it out there and hope someone answers.