There is a distinct lack of phrasing in the book with regards to how a psyker can target something. It seems to fall purely under the normal attack rules, which is fair.

But then I realized something odd.

Unlike the previous systems, there is no limitation saying a character with Mechanicus Implants can't get the psyker talents. In the previous systems, there had been fairly strict control over the gaining of psy rating, and it most often prevented the character from having ad. mech. implants (or vice versa). Without this limitation here, we run into something interesting:

Psykers can now have optical mechadendrites.

Which begs the question, can a psyker target a foe with a psychic power (assuming they are in range) through just the optical mechadendrite. For example, if I'm in one room, and there is an airvent into an adjacent room, can a psyker poke the mechadendrite through the grating, and, because they are still in range of the listed power, cast assail on them?

I'm not sure what the cleanest solution to this would be. On one hand, it could just be allowed. Its not much worse than the other crazy crap that can be caused. Of course, realize, you can't dodge psychic powers with agility anymore, its WP based all the way (of course you still add in evade, which is kinda crazy).

On the other hand, references to ideas like "line of effect" could be useful for psychic powers. Or maybe optical mechadendrites themselves should be written to disallow this.

In other news, and in the same line, you can become a tech-priest without really being a tech-priest. All of the upgrades and talents are there in the technology talent tree which anyone can access.

Introducing the Tech-Psyker.

On the other hand, tech-priest are not nearly as overpowered this time around- so who knows.

In terms of targeting, I do agree that Psychic powers and Tech should either be separated, or high ranked and heretical [Tech-sorcery].

I suppose this is one of the parts where it's up to the GM to place restrictions on some of the implants that have been handled as "mechanicus only" in DH 1. Strictly RAW, the only ones to even have any kind of restriction on them currently are the mechadendrites, and even those you could theoretically get as a non-mechanicus person, just with some drawbacks.

As for the original question, I believe if you could still use psychic powers if you have bionic eyes, you should also be able to use them with an optical mechadendrite.

Has there ever been any fluff basis to prevent someone with heavy implants from being a Psyker? Obviously it's not common because I highly doubt any Mechanicus sect takes on psykers at all, but I don't think there's any actual fluff reason to restrict it from being a possibility.

Pretty sure there is some fluff regarding the Rite of Pure thought actually cutting out portions of the brain that is tied to psyker activity. I don't think its on purpose mind you, just a side effect of the whole "remove emotions" thing. I recall some sort of story of an entry grade tech priest trying to leave the order because he didn't want to lose his his recently revealed to him psychic powers.

I think that at least accounts for why Mechanicus Implants almost always 100% negated any chance of getting Psy Rating in DH1.

Yes, its even a plot point in the Dark Heresy Calixis sector books by Sandy Mitchell.

But the Rite of Pure Thought wasn't part of the actual Mechanicus implants, was it? It was acquired later in the career.

But the Rite of Pure Thought wasn't part of the actual Mechanicus implants, was it? It was acquired later in the career.

This is true. Still I think part of it was supposed to be covered by the crainial circutry, which was included.

Part of this is coming from my recent reading of the new SR5 rules, which covers a similar matter by saying that Magicians who have paid for a visual implant with Essence (that system's method of tracking hollistic goodness with regards to ones agreement of body and soul) could use that sense to target spells. Otherwise, magic in that system requires good old visual targetting (opitical magnification is acceptable, but not electronic magnification).

To be honest, I'm not sure how it should be handled here. All I know is that from a gaming perspective, It could allow for some particularly interesting things. I know as a player I would be miffed to find out that a psyker hiding in an air duct was able to just snake a mechadendrite around a corner and manifest Assail all day long.

In my oppinion we need the "Tech Priest Implant" Package back in some way (from the Ad Mech Background possibly) and make cybernetics impose a -5 or even -10 per cybernetic on psykers. With less human flesh ("Soul"), it is harder to manipulate the warp.

I don't like that much honestly. I don't see a balance or fluff reason to add the restriction. It seems too much like people are just seeing cybernetics and magical powers as mutually exclusive concepts because other systems make it so.

Just look at Space Marine Librarians, they're heavily modified (albeit mostly not with robot bits), and they're some of the best psykers out there.

As far as I know, most implants of Space Marines are of biological origin.

Also you could trce back the psychic stability and power to the geneseed from the emperor - the mightiest psyker alive.

Has there ever been any fluff basis to prevent someone with heavy implants from being a Psyker? Obviously it's not common because I highly doubt any Mechanicus sect takes on psykers at all, but I don't think there's any actual fluff reason to restrict it from being a possibility.

I don't think there is, except that the Ad-Mech don't like it.

One important thing to note about making a psyker with the Ad-Mech background is that it makes an unsanctioned psyker. Which means that most of the Imperium will have serious issues with the characters existence.

Has there ever been any fluff basis to prevent someone with heavy implants from being a Psyker? Obviously it's not common because I highly doubt any Mechanicus sect takes on psykers at all, but I don't think there's any actual fluff reason to restrict it from being a possibility.

I don't think there is, except that the Ad-Mech don't like it.

One important thing to note about making a psyker with the Ad-Mech background is that it makes an unsanctioned psyker. Which means that most of the Imperium will have serious issues with the characters existence.

-Illegal implantation

-Or one of the few cases where the Mechanicus allows it

In other words, the notion the pysker is unsanctioned is still secondary to the issue here. What level of perception does a psyker need to manifest a psychic power against a target?

Its clear that weapons need line of effect. Its implicit by how we understand weapons to work. But can a psyker look at a security monitor readout and target someone with an assail? They may be in range, but there is no clear path from the psyker to the target.

Same goes with an optical mechadendrite.

I think it is not only to be connected to sight of eyes.

What about "blind" astropaths ?

What about cybernetic senses ?

Wait...IIRC, wasn't there a scene in Eisenhorn (which still is kind of fluff reference for me regarding DH), where they assaulted a nobles manson with a very powerful psyker inside ?

Wasnt he able to target others even through means of cameras as long as they were in his range ?

Or was that some supernatural sense ?

The core questions are, if psykers need to:

A.) See the target and the way from themselves to the target or the target only

B.) See the target with biological eyes (incl. The astropaths supernatural sense) or not