Okay so our play group is trying out deathwatch for the first time and we came across some questions.

1. the first storm wardens psychic power (ancestors wrath) states that you can gain "a number of exotic weapons talents of his choice equal to his PR"

maybe this is simple but does that mean that while I keep this active I can choose to use a number of exotic weapons of my choice without the penalty or can this be used to get a talent like sure strike or swift attack while sustaining this power? I guess we just need a better more dumbed down explanation of this if possible.

2. our group has also found some errata about how some psychic powers that are sustained are actually free actions??? is there a list of which one or is it a general rule that all psychic powers that you sustain are free?

Sustain power is free, your psyker will get malus for other power while sustaining some other; But not all psy power is sustainable;

Exotic weapon talent means that you can use PR x weapon talent for exotic weapon. Not gain access to other talent. Just know how to use some of the most rare and strange weapon of the W 40K universe.

1. Exotic melee talents would be the training needed to wield an exotic melee weapon, say a xenos blade or ancient relic weapon. Not melee specific talents. I know this doesn't help a lot since most weapons a space marine has available to him he is already trained in, but thats what it is. At least the target also gets a nice boost to his WS.

2. The only power with this option is the "Wings of Sanguinius". The errata entry for this power states it may be sustained as a free action. There is no mention that any other powers or type of powers can be sustained as a free action, meaning all other powers still requires a half action to sustain per page 186 of the main rulebook. This is an example of the wording of a specific power overiding the core rules.

Thanks guys! at least it gives a boost to my ws!

Keep in mind that needing a Half Action to Sustain means that you can't Aim and attack in a single round, meaning that it's only going to ive a benefit usually if used at PR3 or higher.

just to tell about something very odd here…

In all other game psyker can sustain power freely in exchange of a dice roll, why SM librarians are the only one to lose half action to maintain power?

Thebigjul said:

You need to provide examples or references, or I'm just not going to take you seriously.

For Instance:

Dark Heresy: Every 10th round a psy power is active a character must make a normal power roll. (Dark Heresy Core Rulebook page 164)

Rogue Trader: Doesn't actually mention how to sustain a single power (or how sustaining works for that matter), but the drop off in PR if maintianing more than 1 is identical to Deathwatch (as is the "revised focus power" method in the FAQ) (Rogue Trader Core Rulebook Page: 158)

Deathwatch: Sustaining any number of powers is a Half Action, each additional power decreases the total PR of all the characters psy abilities. (Deathwatch Core Rulebook, Page 186)

Black Crusade: Don't have this book at the moment, If I remember correctly though psy power rules are very similar to Deathwatch rules.

Only War: Is still in Beta so I won't (shouldn't) go into detail, but its not how you describe.

So while Dark Heresy's method of sustaining powers seems to be what you are describing, no other game system uses a similar method. Please be specific to avoid confusion.

sry I post from my work and don't have the books with me. You are alright if I have to complain I need to explain why.

I was remembering DH rules but was afraid to tell big fat mistake for the other systems (BC and RT).

From memory somewhere in RT it is said that a psyker could sustain 3 psy power…

My point was that sustaining has a half action cost with concentration keyword, from memory make impossible to manifest other power while sustaining one because you can't do twice the same keyword type of action in a turn, then as a half action cost all power needing a full one are impossible to make. Not really, if your GM allow you to cast power on two combat turn. first sustain and beginning casting, two sustain finishing casting… but then librarian seems less powerfull than DH psyker when it comes to deal with the warp… That was what I feel wrong in this.