Chapter VII: Psychic Powers “I Have No Need for Toys, Inquisitor
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Chapter VII: Psychic Powers “I have no need for toys, Inquisitor. Even the greatest of your devices cannot compare to the power of the Warp.” – Jonah Maerre, Savant Militant, 49th Spectoris Infantry (MIA) Certain humans are born with the innate ability er rounds in mid-air. This power does not come to access the chaotic energies of the Warp, draw- without a price, however. The Warp is unpredict- ing on them to achieve an array of impossible able, and home to malign intelligences and beings feats. These individuals, gifted or cursed, might be drawn to the soul-light of a psyker, like ravenous called witches, shamans, necromancers, wyrds, or moths to a luminous morsel. any number of terms according to local custom, The rules for psykers and psychic powers in Dark but are most commonly known as psykers. Heresy are based upon the magic rules detailed on Psykers evince a bewildering array of abilities, pages 210-219 of the Genesys Core Rulebook, with for the source of their power is bound to no law or some modifications made to the system to better rule. Indeed, the Warp-spawned powers of psykers represent the unique nature of psychic powers. The can break the very laws of physics: defying gravi- rules for psychic powers are detailed in full in this ty, creating flame from nothing, and halting bolt- chapter, with any necessary changes applied. Chapter VII - Psychic Powers 177 Psykers and Psychic Pyromancy (Agility) Disciplines The most destructive discipline, pyromancy allows a psyker Psykers have access to five additional skills beyond to control and create those available in Chapter II - Skills. These skills flame using his mind. are the five sanctioned disciplines which psychic These powers typically abilities fall within; Biomancy, Divination, Pyro- focus on combat, from mancy, Telekinesis and Telepathy. incinerating foes from A psyker is any character with at least one within to summoning rank in any of these skills. Outside of character walls of flame to shield creation, purchasing ranks in psychic disciplines allies. Pyromancers are should only be done with GM approval; nascent greatly feared, for their psykers do exist, but their emergence should be a powers are often difficult to matter of narrative significance, not simply spend- control once released, and can in- ing a few XP. flict great collateral damage. The Discipline skill is also relevant to many Telekinesis (Intellect) psychic powers, and is the skill psykers will use to Through the power of the Warp, telekines trans- resist the lure of Chaos. To that end, most psykers late mental impulses into physical force. Powers should seriously consider investing into a couple from the telekinesis discipline can defy gravity, ranks of Discipline. blast opponents with invisible bolts of force, and The five psychic disciplines are detailed below. even tear holes in the very fabric of reality. Such powers offer great utility in a variety of situations, Biomancy (Brawn) for they allow a psyker to affect the world around Artists of living flesh, Biomancers can push their him without the constraints of his physical body. own bodies beyond human limits, and even con- trol the biological processes of others. These pow- Telepathy (Presence) ers allow a psyker to enhance his own abilities and Perhaps due to Astropaths being amongst the aid his allies, but can also be used stop a foe’s heart more common types of psyker, many individuals with but a thought. equate all psychic ability with telepathy. In fact, only certain psykers possess the talent to enter the Divination (Cunning) minds of others, and even fewer the strength of Perhaps the most ancient of psychic disciplines, will to maintain their own sanity in the face of divination foretells the future. Though diviners constant exposure to others’ thoughts. These pow- may seek answers by scattering animal entrails or ers may not inspire awe in the same way as other, studying the movement of stars, it is in fact the less subtle disciplines, but a skilled telepath can timeless realm of the Warp to which they turn. end a battle before a single shot is fired. The powers of divination are of inestimable use to an Inquisitor and his Acolytes in the pursuit of their duties, both in the frenzied arena of combat and while undertaking investigative pursuits. 178 Chapter VII - Psychic Powers difficulty for the check. If the power is basically Using Psychic replicating the effects of a mundane skill, assign Powers the difficulty correspondingly. While Genesys recommends increasing the difficulty once in such Psychic power checks are fundamentally handled circumstances, this is less necessary in Dark Her- like any other skill check, and called for in the esy; the perilous risks of manifesting psychic pow- same circumstances. Unlike the magic rules in ers act as an effective enough deterrent to abusing Genesys, psychic power checks should always be one’s powers, along with the strain cost. called for when manifesting psychic powers, even if the use of powers is trivial at best. Disciplined Resolving a psychic discipline skill check is re- psykers are unlikely to use their powers for trivial ally no different from resolving any other check. reasons; each time a psyker draws upon their well If the check succeeds, the character achieves what of eldritch power, they threaten to tear a bleeding they set out to. How exactly that happens is shown hole in reality; something represented by the Per- by the positive and negative symbols left in the ils of the Warp mechanics detailed on page 180. pool, as interpreted by you and your players. With psychic discipline being so open ended, When your character manifests a psychic pow- judging and resolving psychic power skill checks er that requires a check (whether or not the check may seem challenging, but it really doesn’t need succeeds), they suffer 2 strain after resolving the to present much more complication than using check. In addition, a psychic power check’s diffi- any other skill. Instead of looking at the “how” of culty is always upgraded once, turning the first the power, focus on the end result to decide on a d into a c. This represents the inherently risky Table 7-1: Spending h and h on Psychic Power Checks Cost Result Options The empyrean energies exhaust the character, and they suffer 2 strain or 1 wound (controlling player’s choice). h or d This character and all allied psykers in the encounter add b to any attempts to manifest psychic pow- ers until the end of the controlling player’s next turn. If Perils of the Warp was triggered by this check, add +5 to the result. The power doesn’t take effect until the start of the next round, or after a minute in narrative gameplay. hh or d If the character is using a psychic implement, it becomes damaged one step (see Table I.5–4: Repairing Gear, on page 89 of the Genesys Core Rulebook). Until the end of the encounter, enemy psykers and warp entities add b when casting a spell or making an attack that targets this character. The barrier between realspace and the empyrean frays; triggerPerils of the Warp (see page 180). The power is slightly more powerful than expected. One character of the GM’s choice is targeted or hhh or d otherwise affected by the power as well. All other psykers and warp entities within a day’s travel become aware of the character (and depending on their disposition, may be very interested in finding them and doing them harm). The character overexerts themself or loses their psychic connection and is unable to manifest powers for the rest of the encounter or scene. d The GM picks the target of the character’s power. If the psyker is an NPC, the controlling player picks the target of the power instead. The character suffers 1 point of Corruption. dd If the character is using a psychic implement, it is completely destroyed. Chapter VII - Psychic Powers 179 nature of trying to control the Warp, and means there is a risk of a d result on every single psychic Pushing power check. Psykers can push themselves, drawing deeper from the depths of the Warp to boost their pow- Psychic powers can be exceedingly risky—ev- ers beyond their normal capabilities. This is risky, ery time a psyker taps into the energies of the though, as the psyker strains their ability to con- Warp, reality itself threatens to utterly unravel. trol the roiling energies of the Warp. When choos- Table 7-1: Spending h and d on Psychic Pow- ing to push, a Psyker may upgrade the difficulty er Checks lays out some potential consequences dice of their roll up to three times. For each time and the h and d needed to trigger them. Some they do this, they add either s or aa to the final of these consequences are much more dire than result of the roll (chosen before rolling any dice). typical h or d results; this is intentional, repre- senting the potentially horrific effects of abusing Psyniscience psychic powers. Some of the most horrifying ef- fects are referred to as Perils of the Warp; read on Psyniscience is a psyker’s ability to perceive the for details of this gameplay mechanic, if you dare. currents and eddies of the Warp. Psykers can use it to detect the presence or absence of Daemons The effects of psychic power checks may be and the use of psychic powers. Psyniscience also instantaneous or, rarely, permanent. Generally, allows detection of Warp disturbances, voids, or powers used in structured gameplay either have other areas where the flow of the Immaterium has an immediate effect or a persistent effect for as been unsettled or disrupted.