This is a relatively minor gripe, but a few folks chattered about it.

The Adeptus Astra Telepathica background grants the Sanctioning trait as their Background Bonus, removing the Corruption gain from being a Psyker and granting the character fluff status as a legal Psyker. Anyone without this is considered to be a Rogue Psyker.

This is a funny little thing because one would assume the Mystic role would include Sanctioning, as the vast majority of Mystics (for Roles are supposed to encompass the "average" archetype of such a thing) would be Sanctioned. The Psyker elite advance is right there for anyone who wishes to be a Wyrd, Witch, or other such rogue.

The lack of ability to purchase the Sanctioning trait with xp means all Psykers who do not choose the Adeptus Astra Telepathica background are rogue. This gets in the way of one of my much-beloved characters, who was a Psyker attached to the Guard. The skills, talents, and gear granted by the Imperial Guard background suit him much better than the Adeptus Astra Telepathica background, but he's certainly no rogue!

The same goes for a character belonging to one of my friends, who was a Psyker employed with the Adeptus Arbites. While he could go Adeptus Astra Telepathica - Seeker, and then purchase the Psyker trait, this seems a bit counter-intuitive.

Meanwhile, another old character of mine - a former psyker-handler who specialized in dealing with witches - would certainly have the Adeptus Astra Telepathica background, but gains nothing from the Sanctioning trait. As it is, the AAT background bonus offers nothing to non-psykers while enforcing a limit on them that restricts character concepts.

While all Sanctioned Psyker do endure the AAT, some are better defined as characters by their later work. The best solution to this is to offer Sanctioning as either a trait of the Mystic role, or allow it as an Elite Advance. To make the AAT more appealing to non-psykers, a new bonus should be considered.

Fluff wise, the Adeptus Astra Telepathica is responsible for training all Imperial psykers and granting Sanctioning. Therefore any psykers attached to the IG would have first been trained by the Adeptus and get that background. This seems to be a flaw not with character background design not the AAT trait specifically.

Fluff wise, the Adeptus Astra Telepathica is responsible for training all Imperial psykers and granting Sanctioning. Therefore any psykers attached to the IG would have first been trained by the Adeptus and get that background. This seems to be a flaw not with character background design not the AAT trait specifically.

I'm aware of this. However, Background helps define what your character does. The above examples would have gone through the AAT, certainly, but their time spent with the Guard and Arbites defines them much more.

I don't think sanctioning belongs with the mystic role. It fits much better with AAT.

However, sanctioning could be offered as an elite advancement for 300 xp, so if the background fits with the GM he can allow the player to buy this.

If you want a non-psyker AAT you also need to handle the fact that psyscience is not open to rank 2 or above for non-psykers.

I don't think sanctioning belongs with the mystic role. It fits much better with AAT.

However, sanctioning could be offered as an elite advancement for 300 xp, so if the background fits with the GM he can allow the player to buy this.

If you want a non-psyker AAT you also need to handle the fact that psyscience is not open to rank 2 or above for non-psykers.

It's odd that for such an open-ended CharGen design concept, there is essentially one way and one way only to make a Sanctioned Psyker. Soul-Binding was an Elite Advance in Rogue Trader, yet the less drastic version isn't in here?

I agree with this at 100%, being a "witch" should not be the only option at character creation- it should be something that evolves naturally as acolytes progress.

Sanctioning should come hand in hand with the "Sanctionned Psyker" Role, as a Sanctioned psyker can come from any of the above mentioned worlds and is going to be vastly different depending on where he came from [more shamanistic for a feral world, more self-hating from a shrine world] these are only examples.

The mystic class, I find, should not be a starting background. Playing an Unsanctioned rogue psyker or a Sorcerer enters the Elite advance category- as its rare and unusual and allows for more liberty in the fluff, and not the "Role" category. That "role" in the imperium is filled by Sanctioned psykers.

I agree with this at 100%, being a "witch" should not be the only option at character creation- it should be something that evolves naturally as acolytes progress.

Sanctioning should come hand in hand with the "Sanctionned Psyker" Role, as a Sanctioned psyker can come from any of the above mentioned worlds and is going to be vastly different depending on where he came from [more shamanistic for a feral world, more self-hating from a shrine world] these are only examples.

The mystic class, I find, should not be a starting background. Playing an Unsanctioned rogue psyker or a Sorcerer enters the Elite advance category- as its rare and unusual and allows for more liberty in the fluff, and not the "Role" category. That "role" in the imperium is filled by Sanctioned psykers.

Roles are generic enough to be expected in the average cell/warband. Most Inquisitors would hire a tough guy with a big gun, a sneaky criminal sort, a smart fella, so on and so forth. The average, generic fit for the Mystic role is a Sanctioned Psyker. Every world has a handful, and most Inquisitors (barring a few hard-line Puritans) will see the merit in having one.

Wyrds and Unsanctioned Psykers should be outside the norm. These are best represented by someone not using a Mystic as their role, and buying the Psyker advance. Having both the Psyker advance and the Mystic role is redundant unless the Mystic is the go-to psyker, which would be a Sanctionite.

It stands to reason that the average Psyker is a Sanctioned one, and the average psyker in a cell would be Sanctioned. A wyrd fits better as someone else who has purchased the psyker trait.

However, without Sanctioning tied to the Mystic (or at the very least, availible), then 6/7 Backgrounds make your Mystic a dirty heretic.

You more or else said exactly what I wanted too- I realized I made a mistake in my post and called Mystic a background But I agree with the above 100%

Lorewise, I do not think there are many sanctioned psykers that are not part of the AAT. It is pretty hard (but possible) to get sanctioning outside of the normal procedure. After years of training in AAT, a psyker can be sent to another institution to serve as a psyker there. I don't think they ever loose their affiliation to AAT, but one could argue that after many years of service in that instuation it could be open as a background for them.

All in all though, it is pretty logical to have sanctioning as an elite advancement, which the player can take if the GM permits it.

Lorewise, I do not think there are many sanctioned psykers that are not part of the AAT. It is pretty hard (but possible) to get sanctioning outside of the normal procedure. After years of training in AAT, a psyker can be sent to another institution to serve as a psyker there. I don't think they ever loose their affiliation to AAT, but one could argue that after many years of service in that instuation it could be open as a background for them.

All in all though, it is pretty logical to have sanctioning as an elite advancement, which the player can take if the GM permits it.

You would be correct; the AAT sanctions 99% of psykers.

However, I will argue that what they did afterward is more important in defining who they are as a character.

Lorewise, I do not think there are many sanctioned psykers that are not part of the AAT. It is pretty hard (but possible) to get sanctioning outside of the normal procedure. After years of training in AAT, a psyker can be sent to another institution to serve as a psyker there. I don't think they ever loose their affiliation to AAT, but one could argue that after many years of service in that instuation it could be open as a background for them.

All in all though, it is pretty logical to have sanctioning as an elite advancement, which the player can take if the GM permits it.

You would be correct; the AAT sanctions 99% of psykers.

However, I will argue that what they did afterward is more important in defining who they are as a character.

A valid outlook. A more Rogue Trader like background system, with multiple backgrounds, would solve this issue nicely.

On the topic, I have a question to those that are in the know - I have unfortunately not gotten my hands on the Beta yet:

How does Dark Heresy 2nd Ed. handle the difference between, for example, Witches, Sanctioned Psykers and Astropaths - especially Psykers and Astropaths, since they fluff-wise have radically different sanctioning processes and origins?

Non-Sanctioned Psykers start with 1d10+10 Corruption.

Thats it.

There are no wyrds. [or Astropaths for that matter]

Were currently discussing this over in the mechanics section of the forums.

Non-Sanctioned Psykers start with 1d10+10 Corruption.

Thats it.

There are no wyrds. [or Astropaths for that matter]

Were currently discussing this over in the mechanics section of the forums.

That's.. just.. daft.

Why would a Non-Sanctioned Psyker be more corrupted (massively so, assuming we're still using 0-100 Corruption) than a Sanctioned one, from the get-go? I can see Sanctioned Psykers being better at using their powers, or more capable of resisting the warp post-Sanctioning (doubly so if they're an Astropath, or anyone Soulbound to a massively powerful being such as the Emperor, a Lord of Change or similar).

What's your definition of a "Wyrd"? The way you write says that there are Non-Sanctioned Psykers, but then you say that there's no Wyrds. I was under the impression that a Wyrd was simple an unsanctioned psyker or witch, or one that developed psyker potential through mutation (which is more or less what all psykers did, but.. whatever).

Either way, thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated. Sad to see that there's nothing for Astropaths, nor anything to differentiate them from Sanctioned Psykers on average.

A wyrd would be someone with one minor power that he has been able to use his entire life without really knowing about it, just thinks he's overly lucky. Basically a proto-psyker.

You can only buy the elite advance and become a "full fledged" psyker, gaining 1d10+10 corruption. You could choose never to buy any psychic powers later, though, if you don't want too.

Glad to help!

Feel free to join the discussion in the mechanics board in regards to sanctioning and the adeptus astrapathica origin, we have some pretty good ideas on fixing this over there.

I jsut want to point soemthing out that there is, in fluff, exactly one organisation that sets up sanctioning without AAT. The Inquisition. What are all the PCs associated with again?

Oh, right, the Inquisition....

Lorewise, I do not think there are many sanctioned psykers that are not part of the AAT. It is pretty hard (but possible) to get sanctioning outside of the normal procedure. After years of training in AAT, a psyker can be sent to another institution to serve as a psyker there. I don't think they ever loose their affiliation to AAT, but one could argue that after many years of service in that instuation it could be open as a background for them.

All in all though, it is pretty logical to have sanctioning as an elite advancement, which the player can take if the GM permits it.

You would be correct; the AAT sanctions 99% of psykers.

However, I will argue that what they did afterward is more important in defining who they are as a character.

Sanctioning by the AAT involves a long Circuitous trip to Earth Via the Black ship the Psyker was "entrusted" to. This journey takes at least months and can take years! Further, The vast majority of "candidates" do not survive the complete process! ALL sanctionites have undergone (and obviously survived) this process! This to me strikes me as a background option by definition! I also believe this process would define the character far more than boot camp or a visit to the quartermaster! If you want your character to be attached to the IG and equipped as such I would handle that through role-playing in game. While it is theoretically possible for an individual with the power of an Inquisitor to circumvent the process, that too would be an in-game role-playing event. (It is THAT rare according to the fluff!). As a side note: I really don't like the fact that there is no obvious difference between The working of a Sanctioned Psyker from a Rogue! I much prefer the Idea that Rogues are often more powerful but less Stable while Sanctionites are the reverse (Also true from the fluff!).

Does all Sanctioning go through Terra? I thought that was just Soul-Binding.

Does all Sanctioning go through Terra? I thought that was just Soul-Binding.

All sanctioning is done on Terra, IIRC, however, an Inquisitor can fast track a person through it without going through AAT. This seems to generally take more time to get there and back again than it does to perform.

What about if Adeptus Astra Telepathica was made as a 'homeworld' instead. The act of sanctioning would effectively 'burn away' the psykers previous life, then they could be attached to the guard, or arbites as the player sees fit.

Also, sanctioning could be changed. How about, without being sanctioned, psykers cause perils of the warp whenever they fail a test to manifest a power, and sanctioning prevents this, representing the greater amount of control a sanctioned psyker has.

Thats a good idea- I will suggest it in the other topic! [unless you do it before I do ]

I still don't get why Sanctioning is not tied to Mystic. If you want to be the party Psyker, pick the role for the Psyker, or else pay extra. The average Inquisitor would nit be using Unsanctioned Psykers, and to reflect this rarity, have being a non-Mystic psyker cost xp makes sense.

I've never seen any evidence that Sanctioning must occur on Terra, although the Black Ships do send their cargos full of psykers to Sol so its likely that most of it occurs in system.

It's easy to understand why Sanctioning isn't tied to Mystic. Feral Shamans and half crazy street crazies may have true power, but aren't necessarily Sanctioned. That being said, those guys get sent off in the Black Ships all the time so there should be some kind of process where they can acquire it.

Just to add another angle to this (we have been mostly talking about the problem of non-Sanctioned psykers):

AAT gives Sanctioning, but does not grant any psychic ability. So it's entirely possible for a character to be a Sanctioned non-psyker. For example, Shrine World > AAT > Sage, opts not to purchase elite advance. The player would not have broken any rules with those choices (that I can see) and it's a solid character concept. Raised on a shrine world, taken by the black ships, is more interested in intellectual and academic pursuits rather than psychic power.

What if AAT granted a "Sanctioned Psyker" trait, which could also be available as an elite advance. We could also have a separate "Unsanctioned Psyker" trait. And the Mystic role would give a different, psychic power based, bonus. Spend a fate point to cancel a perils result?

AAT does grant sanctioning and in the fluff is the ONLY organization that does. I like the current system because a feral Mystic is likely not sanctioned but still a psyker. Your above mentioned Sage may may have been found to be too weak to be an actual psyker but his sanctioning has taught him to basically hold his 'latent' talent at bay. (Beats being fed to the Emperor any day!)