I was reading the Unbalanced Mind power, and thought it was really good, until someone I knew pointed out that it's hard to pull off, as psykers can use their Psy Rating to resist. I know this was part of Rogue Trader, but thought that had been replaced by Bastion of Iron Will in Black Crusade.

I read the paragraph in Focus Power Tests, which reads very weirdly to me. If I'm reading it right, when a Psyker is required to make an Opposed Willpower test against a psychic power, they can use Fettered, Unfettered and Push ratings and then use that Psy Rating x 5 as a bonus to their roll?

In regards to resisting psychic powers I as well am reading that, in conjunction with Bastion of Iron Will, a Psyker with Psy Rating 3 can choose a power level (up to +3 Psy Rating for Push, for a max total of PR 6) times 5, for a +30 bonus to resist the power's effects, but only if the Opposed Test to resist is based on Willpower. If the Opposed Test to resist were based on Corruption (such as with Abhorrent Ward, Black Crusade, pg. 213) the Psyker may not choose a power level and uses only the benefits of Bastion of Iron Will (so only +15 to the Opposed Test to resist). For further clarification that Corruption is not a Characteristic, see 'Corruption', Black Crusade Core Rules, pg. 209.

Unbalance Mind (The Tome of Fate, pg. 56)

The text of this power reads like a sentence written by a fifth grader- it's enough to unbalance my mind.

Re-write:

As a Reaction to Psyker 1 manifesting a power, Psyker 2 makes an Opposed Focus Power Test (vs Willpower). Should Psyker 2 win the Opposed Focus Power Test, he may either a) choose new targets for the power that Psyker 1 manifested, or b) entirely cancel the power manifested by Psyker 1.

Psyker 1 then must immediately make a roll on the Perils of the Warp Table (Black Crusade Core Rules), adding +5 to this roll for each DoS Psyker 2 achieved on his Opposed Focus Power Test to manifest Unbalanced Mind.

Psyker 1 will also be Stunned until the end of his next Turn.

So, some questions:

1. When redirecting a psychic power toward new targets, is the range of that psychic power measured from Psyker 1 or Psyker 2? I say Psyker 1, otherwise Psyker 2 could effectively double the range by using himself as a link in the daisy chain (if he were the original target).
2. Which is better, a) simply resisting a psychic power that is manifested by making a Opposed Focus Power Test (whether vs Willpower or other), thus putting an end to the madness of Psy Rating calculations and furious dice rolling, or b) starting the process all over again for a Reaction manifestation (with a sprinkle of possible extra Phenomena/Perils)? I say a- there's only one chance for a Phenomena/Perils during the Turn Psyker 1 manifests his original power, rather than three.

I suppose it's worth noting that Psyker 1 cannot retaliate with his own Unbalanced Mind as an immediate follow-up to Psyker 2's Reaction manifestation of Unbalanced Mind, for the simple fact that Reactions may only be used when it is not the reacting PC's Turn, and this (thankfully) prevents yet more furious dice rolling.

Does this bonus stack? So, if I have Psy Rating 3 and Bastion of Iron Will, do I get to use Fettered to give +15% to my Willpower test and then add 15% from Bastion of Iron Will? Or does that count as a buff from psychic powers, and therefore, the Willpower bonuses don't stack?

Yes, stacks. One is a "power" and the other is a talent. Only the same bonus from two different powers doesn't stack.

Sorry for raising of the dead thread...

Could someone clarify this further?

Say a Psyker with Psy Rating 6 resists a Power with no Bastion of Iron Will... Fettered = Less chance of resisting? Unfettered = Normal chance? Push = Higher chance, up to +15 for Bound? Would there be potential phenomenons if Pushing a resist?

So far I've mostly ignored this bit of the rules since it made little sense to me...

//Adding in Bastion of Iron Will is pretty self-explanatory though so, that is the easy bit.

I don't think you actually Fettered/Unfettered/Push when resisting psychic powers; you just use your base psy rating.

I'm sure there was somewhere in BC corerules quite similat text from OW corerules but could not find it. Might be wrong but have put it to work and it haven't broken the game.

"When making an Opposed Focus Power Test to resist a psychic attack, a psyker may select a power level (Fettered, Unfettered or Push), and add his resultant Psy Rating to the Willpower Test to resist the enemy power. However, if resisting at Unfettered or Push level and his roll is a double, this generates Psychic Phenomena, in just the same way as the attacker."

It "could" make Psykers basically immune to other Psykers, and make powers like Unbalanced Mind redundant or just ineffective, and gear like Psychic Hoods almost redundant as well...

For instance... Take a sorc with a WP of 71 and Psy Rating 8, add in Bastion of Iron Will... Resists Willpower based powers with a chance of 151%... Even vs someone with the exact same stats the opposing psyker could never affect that sorcs mind with anything... Factor in Strong Minded - re-rolls, Hexagramatically Warded gear and Unnatural Willpower...

Kinda wish they provided an example of this in action and not just a sentence at the end of the Focus Power Test paragraph... :/

I don't think you actually Fettered/Unfettered/Push when resisting psychic powers; you just use your base psy rating.

You do. When resisting powers that target your Willpower (opposed and unopposed tests) you have the option of applying a Focus Test bonus (you don't actually roll Focus Power, you only get the bonus — in the case of PR 5 and Fettered, you get +15 on the Test) based on what Psychic Strength level you choose (Fettered/Unfettered/Push) with the normal consequences (the Test to resist is technically the "Focus Power Test"). So a Fettered application would be safe, but would net you the least bonus to the test, and Push would incur a normal chance of Perils.

Mind that it only applies to resisting with your Willpower characteristic. Psychic Powers targeting your Toughness and so on can't use this special rule.

It's a rule many miss, seeing as how it's kind of hidden in the rules text, but it's there. And yes, with the applicable talents and so on, you can get a pretty good psychic defense. But it doesn't make you invincible. You can still make bad rolls. And in most cases you only get +10-20 to a safe Fettered test. That's less than what Bastion gives. Not to mention caps to Tests.

Take the psyker with WP 71, PR 8 and Bastion in the example in the above post. Such a strong psyker should probably have an easier time resisting powers targeting his Willpower, right? Yeah. Hit him with stuff that's not targeting his Willpower if you want to be more comfortable.

In the end, don't forget you only get +60 max to a test. All those bonuses together will reach much higher, and get capped out at +60.

Sorry BrotherTearer but noticed this little line in Bastion of Iron Will

"The character adds 5 x his Psy Rating on any Opposed Test involving defending against the Psyniscience Skill or Psychic Powers ."

So for example with Bastion of Iron Will you get your PRx5 to Opposed Perception Test when some uses "VILE REVELATION" againts you. (Only Opposed (Characteristic) test I could find with quick glance)

I don't understand what your point is. I've not talked about the mechanics of Bastion. Bastion has only been used in this topic as another way to increase your psychic defenses. The topic subject is adding a bonus to resisting Willpower Tests, which is what I was talking about.

Take also into account that by the time playes gains Bastion of Iron Will , he has to have taken Strong Minded that gives him re-roll to any Willpower tests he failed to resist that affect his mind.

@BrotherTearer

Might be my bad reading or not fully understanding your point also.

Hit him with stuff that's not targeting his Willpower if you want to be more comfortable.

Was your point that using Psychic Power with Opposed Toughness/Perception/etc test might work better. Hitting someone who has Bastion of Iron Will, it is not so.

My Point was that when Psyker has Bastion of Iron Will -talent, then by the rules he gains 5xPR to any Opposed Test. Not just to those utilising Willpower.

And my point was that you only apply the special rule (Fettered/Unfettered/Push) when resisting psychic powers that target your Willpower. By utilizing powers that does not allow for resisting with Willpower you avoid that bonus (and that particular special rule bonus is the subject of the topic). There's plenty of other psychic resistances you can apply, not just Bastion. Your point is moot.