Hi fellow brothers,

after experiencing a Psyker in my last game I wonder a bit about the Focus Power Test. At first I must say, that I like the idea that you can invoke the power in three different levels: Fettered, Unfettered and Pushed.

Now I wonder if there are possibilities to manipulate the Focus Power Test. Compared to WS and BS there are plenty of combat actions, talents and special abilities which increase the according characteristics. Thus if you make a ranged attack, after applying e.g. size, ranged modifieres, aiming, etc. you end up with a bonus of +30 or more, which makes it very likely to hit.

But a psyker has none of these options. Thus I ask myself how the game would change if you modify fettered, unfettered and Pushed in the way to give additionally a +10, +0 and -10 bonus / penalty to the test.

Furthermore you could extend the Talented Talent to Psychic Powers, e.g. saying if you take the Talented Talent, you choose a Psychic Power and gain a +10 bonus every time to make a Focus Power Test.

Cheers,

-- TechVoid.

My understanding of the Focus Power Test rules indicates the Librarian gets a bonus to his FP Test equal to 5xPsy Rating to which he's attempting to manifest the Power. So if a Librarian with a Psy Rating of 3 manifests at Fettered his bonus is +10%, and if he Pushes he gets a total bonus to the FP Test of +30%. If this is the case I haven't thought it to be a good mechanic. 2 or 3xPR seems sufficient, 5 just seems excessive. I know multiples of five are intended to make the math "easy", but it's a multiple result that is then added, so the logic fails. Even were the multiplier 2 or 3 it would still generate a number that needs added to the base, and simple math is just that; simple. Psy Rating 3, multiplied by 5, equals 15, add to base WP score of 47 is no harder or easier than Psy Rating 3 times 3 for a total of 9 added to 47. The logic of choosing 5 as a multiplier just fits within the standard 5/10 mechanic presented throughout the game, but otherwise flops. Additionally, Fettering a Power shouldn't make it easier to manifest, in my opinion. Increasing the Target Number increases the chance of successfully manifesting a Power, yes, but also increases the chances for Psychic Phenomena, which penalizes a Librarian just for manifesting Unfettered Powers. Again, an odd consequence, not that PP happen often with Librarians manifesting Powers. I think the rule is meant to act as the FP Test's version of Range/Size/Skill modifier, but it just seems counter-intuitive.

In the end, even though it bothers me, I've come up with no alternative I'm entirely pleased with, so have changed the multiplier to 3xPR rather than 5. So a Librarian with PR 3 that Fetters a manifestation gets a bonus to his FP Test of 6, which is insignificant enough for me as to be nothing, but the Librarian Player still gets something rather than nothing, and Pushing he would get +18 to his FP Test, instead of +30. Four advances in WS only gives you +20, and that's after the expenditure of a significant amount of XP, whereas the +30 from Pushing comes from…uuuhh…making a choice? No. Just no. Sure PP/Perils…but I think all Players, as much as they say they rue PP/Perils, will tell you with all honesty they look forward (with relish) to hearing the results rolled on those tables. They're Space Marines; what's withered plant life to them? Summoned a Daemon? Just another challenge to be faced and bested.

I suggest 3 multiplied by the target Psy Rating as a bonus to the Focus Power Test.

Alekzanter said:

Initially we played it that way too. But from my understanding the rules say (not so clearly) that is bonus only applies for Opposed Rolls. This makes more sense, since the guy with the higher Psy Rating will more likely succeed.

Regarding the other Rules, for which I take Black Crusade as the 'revised rules' it is common that you get a bonus if you act with caution, like making a single melee strike or a single shot gives you a +10, otherwise you receive a malus of -10 like making a full auto burst. or coming up with lightning attack. Thus for me, it would simply fit to modify a fettered, unfettered and pushed Power like a single shot, semi- and full auto burst with a +10, 0 and -10 modifier.

Furthermore I agree that some powers should receive the ranged modifiers. For me, Smite is a classical ranged attack, regarding the range and size of the enemy. Also this would maybe imply that the enemy can dodge, e.g. saying that for each DoS the damage is reduced by 1d10.

In addition to that, I think about a further use of Invocation, maybe right from the start or possible through a Talent. A successful invocation Test gives the Psyker a +10 WP bonus to the next Focus Power Test. The next Talent could be, that an addition +10 is granted for each 2 DoS.

Cheers,

-- TechVoid.