IT'S ALL IN THE MIND
BY ANDY CHAMBERS Greetings citizens of our war-torn Imperium, and welcome to Chapter
Approved, a column dedicated to expanding the Warhammer 40,000 game
for your viewing pleasure. This joyous month heralds not only experimental,
expanded rules for psykers in Warhammer 40,000, but also an image of
an artifact of a hitherto unknown alien race for your delectation.
It's sad really - once upon a time (back in the days of Rogue Trader
and the second edition of Warhammer 40,000) psykers were the supreme
nasties of the 41st millennium - their warp-spawned powers were capable
of laying waste to entire armies and sub-continents. Such rampant overkill
couldn't last of course; in the third edition of the game sanity prevailed
and we deliberately toned down the abilities of psykers to far more
mortal levels. This worked fine, and now you can have battles between
armies who don't have to fear instant vapourisation by some ravening,
extra-planar megadeath power unleashed at the end of turn one.
Unfortunately when you wield the knife you sometimes cut a little too
deep, and now most peoples' Space Marine Librarians and Chaos Sorcerers
have been relegated to the reserves bench in favour of less costly Chaplains
and other chainsword wielding lunatics. In retrospect, bringing the
psychic powers under control actually made psykers too staid and predictable
to be really interesting any more. Some time ago this nagging feeling
led me to start pulling together some ideas for additional psychic powers
that could be added in order to give the psykers back some zest. Three
very wise men in the shape of Jonathan Westmoreland, Doug Foley and
Marshall Jansen were good enough to scribe down some ideas for me and,
with some judicious cribbing from other sources, I've prepared a selection
of extra minor abilities for the warp-inclined.
PSYKER MINOR POWERS
Most psykers manifest a broad range of capabilities from psychometry
(object reading), telekinesis and precognition through to weather summoning,
temporal distortion and mind control. Training and willpower hugely
influence the ability of a particular psyker, but their most heavily
practised, highly destructive capabilities will be strictly focused
in a battlefield environment. To attempt the most potent sorceries in
the mayhem of combat is to invite predation by warp entities and a horrible
death (if you're lucky). However, many psykers are capable of using
their weaker abilities in combat to enhance themselves, distract the
enemy and help allies nearby in a minor way. It is these powers which
will be covered by these rules.
The powers shown below may be chosen by psykers in addition to the
major power (or powers) listed in the relevant army list. Many of these
powers substitute for items of wargear by producing equivalent effects
and the points for minor psychic powers count against the psyker character's
wargear allowance. There is no maximum number of powers that can be
chosen, but as they count towards a character's wargear allowance this
will tend to limit the number a psyker can choose. As they add a fair
bit of complexity to the game and are largely untested at the current
time these rules should be considered optional (ie, use with both players'
prior consent) and are not recommended for tournaments unless the organisers
specify otherwise.
The following characters can choose psyker minor powers: Space Marine
Librarians, Chaos Sorcerers and Sorcerer Lords, Daemon Princes and Greater
Daemons (if they do not have the Mark of Khorne), Inquisitors with psychic
abilities and Ork Weirdboyz. Eldar Farseers and Warlocks may not use
minor powers as such unfocused use of their abilities would be extremely
dangerous.
The minor psychic powers are split into five disciplines. The exact
power gained is rolled randomly but the table rolled on is selected
by the purchasing player and rolled in front of his opponent before
the game starts. Each roll on a minor psychic power table costs 15 points
regardless of its outcome (yes, there are some duff ones on there).
If the same power is rolled twice, a different discipline must be selected
and the power rolled for again.
USING PSYKER MINOR POWERS
A psyker can use up to one psychic power per phase, either a major
one or a minor one. If a psyker is employing a power which has an ongoing
effect, he must cease it before using another power. To summarise how
the powers work, the following characteristics are used:
Phase
Psychic Test?
Effect
Range
The explanations of each characteristic are as follows:
Phase: Which phase the power can be used in. Unless specifically
stated, the power can only be employed in the player's own turn, not
his opponent's. Some powers are used before the start of the game, representing
psykers scanning the enemy at long range, casting auguries before the
battle and so forth, and using these powers does not prevent the psyker
using other powers in the first turn of the game (or whenever he turns
up from reserve, Deep Strike etc).
Psychic Test? Yes or no; if yes the psyker must pass a Leadership
test to make the power work and is subject to the Perils of the Warp
if he rolls a 2 or 12. Note that models with the Chaos Gift Mark of
Tzeentch still have to roll a Psychic test in order to use minor powers
(the Weaver of Fates can still be capricious at times), but do not suffer
from the Perils of the Warp if they get a 2 or 12.
Effect: A summary of the power's effect. Powers which improve
or lower characteristics cannot take them over 10 or under 1.
Range: Where applicable, this gives the maximum range of the
power. A psyker must have a line of sight to his target in order to
use a power on it. Powers with a range may be used by the psyker on
himself, if applicable. Powers which are noted as having a range of
'battlefield' can be used even if the psyker is not deployed on the
tabletop for any reason, such as being in reserve.
On with the show...
| TELEKINETIC
PSYCHIC POWERS |
|
1. NO USABLE POWER
The psyker can move coins and light candles with his meagre power
but that's about all.
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2. THUNDERCLAP
Phase: Own shooting. Psychic Test? Yes. Range:
12".
Effect: If successful, one enemy unit is forced to take
a Pinning test immediately. This power may not be used on enemy
units in close combat.
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3. FORCE BUBBLE
Phase: Enemy shooting. Psychic Test? Yes. Range:
Self.
Effect: If successful, the psyker's armour save is increased
to 2+ for that phase.
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4. PROTECT
Phase: Enemy shooting.
Psychic Test? Yes. Range: 12".
Effect: If successful, one squad (not vehicle) in range
gains a 6+ invulnerable save for that phase. Note that models
which already have an j invulnerable save use that one instead.
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5. HOLOCAUST
Phase: Own assault. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: If successful, place the small blast marker over
the psyker. Any models, friend or foe, including the psyker, under
or touching the marker suffer a Strength 4 hit, normal armour
saves apply. The psyker may not attack in close combat that phase.
If unsuccessful, the psyker suffers one wound with no save possible
and may not attack.
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6. FLAMEWALL
Phase: Own movement. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: 12".
Effect: If successful, place a 1" wide, 4" long
(or shorter), 3" tall piece of scenery within range. The
wall may not be placed on enemy models or between units in an
assault. Any line of fire drawn through the wall counts targets
on the other side as being in cover. Any models crossing it suffer
a S4 hit, normal armour saves apply. The wall lasts until the
end of the opponent's next turn (but remember that it will disappear
if the psyker uses another psychic power before then). If the
Psychic test is unsuccessful, the wall is placed on the psyker
and he suffers one wound with no save possible.
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| MOVEMENT
PSYCHIC POWERS |
|
1.SUPERNATURALLY QUICK
Phase: Any. Psychic
Test? Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: Psyker gains +1 Initiative (to a max of 10), for
that one phase.
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2. TANGLE
Phase: Enemy movement.
Psychic Test? Yes. Range: 12".
Effect: If successful, one enemy squad on foot (not vehicles,
jump packs, bikes or cavalry) which is moving in the open counts
as moving in difficult terrain for that one phase.
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3. FLEETFOOT
Phase: Own shooting.
Psychic Test? Yes. Range: 12".
Effect: One friendly squad or an independent character
on foot (not vehicles, jump packs, bikes or cavalry) may move
up to D6" ignoring difficult terrain penalties if it does
not shoot. If employed on units with the fleet of foot ability
or equivalent, they may re-roll the dice to see how far they move.
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4. LEAP
Phase: Own movement.
Psychic Test? Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: If the Psychic test is successful, the psyker may
move up to 12" as if he were equipped with a jump pack in
that Movement phase. An unsuccessful test means that the psyker
cannot move in that phase.
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5. READ MINDS
Phase: Not applicable.
Psychic Test? Yes. Range: Battlefield.
Effect: If the psyker passes a psychic test during deployment,
one unit may be held back and deployed after all others, including
infiltrators, have been placed on the battlefield.
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6. RELENTLESS
Phase: Own shooting.
Psychic Test? Yes. Range: 6".
Effect: If successful, any one squad within range counts
as stationary for using rapid fire and pistol weapons even if
they moved. If unsuccessful the psyker may not shoot in that phase.
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| TEMPORAL PSYCHIC POWERS |
|
1. NO USABLE POWER
The psyker's effects on the timestream are mostly coincidental and inconvenient, lengthening times in waiting rooms and during dull social events for example.
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2. SLOW TIME
Phase: Own assault. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: base contact.
Effect: Cast at the beginning of the Assault phase, after
all assault moves have been made. Affects all models in base-to-base
contact with the psyker. Affected models count as having Initiative
1 (before any modifiers for bio-plasma, scorpion stings, power
fists etc are taken into account) for the remainder of the phase.
Does not affect walkers or other vehicles.
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3. HEALING
Phase: Enemy shooting. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: 2".
Effect: This power may only be used on a model (it may
be the psyker) which has been reduced to 0 Wounds. If the test
is passed, place the model on its side and roll a D6 for it at
the start of the controlling player's next turn, if the dice scores
over the model's Toughness, it regains 1 Wound. If the Toughness
roll is failed, the model is removed as a casualty.
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4. STASIS SHELL
Phase: Own movement. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: 6".
Effect: If successful, one friendly unit can neither move,
shoot nor assault, but cannot be shot at or assaulted itself until
the player's next turn. This power may not be used on units engaged
in an assault, and units in a stasis shell do not count towards
victory conditions such as claiming objectives, table quarters
and so forth.
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5. WARP TIME
Phase: Own movement. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: If successful, the psyker adds +2D6" to his
movement in the Movement phase. If unsuccessful the psyker may
not move at all. In either case, using this power means that the
psyker may not shoot or use psychic powers in the Shooting phase.
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6. TEMPORAL DISTORT
Phase: Not applicable. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: Battlefield.
Effect: This power is used before determining who goes
first. If successful, the psyker's force is allowed to re-roll
the dice in determining who gets the first move. If unsuccessful,
the botched attempt causes the psyker's force to automatically
go second. This power can only be used in missions where dice
rolls are used to determine who goes first.
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| ENHANCEMENTS PSYCHIC POWERS |
|
1. NO USABLE POWER
The psyker may have good teeth or neat hair thanks
to his powers but nothing of practical use on the battlefield.
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2. IRON FIST
Phase: Either assault. Psychic Test?
Yes Range: Self
Effect: Psyker gains +1 Strength for that phase (to a maximum
of 10). This is added after all other bonuses and doubling for
power fists and the like.
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3. WARP SHIFTING
Phase: Either assault. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: Enemy close combat attacks against the psyker only
hit on 4+ regardless of relative Weapon Skills or other special
rules (like Black Templars vows, hatred etc) for that phase.
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4. SHIELD
Phase: Either assault. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: The psyker's armour saving throw is improved by
one to a maximum of 2+ for that phase.
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5. BLESSING OF THE MACHINE GOD
Phase: Own shooting. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: The psyker's ranged weapon is counted as master-crafted
for the phase and may re-roll to hit. An unsuccessful test causes
the weapon to not fire. This power only works on weapons, not
psychic artefacts such as a Sorcerer's Staff.
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6. IRON ARM
Phase: Either assault. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: Self.
Effect: If successful, the psyker is considered to be armed
with a power fist and close combat weapon for the phase. An unseccessful
test causes the psyker to fiqht with his normal weapon(s) minus
one Attack (to a minimum of one).
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| WILL PSYCHIC POWERS |
|
1. NO USABLE POWER
The psyker is good at sticking to diet plans and
giving up bad habits but nothing more.
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2. SENSE MINDS
Phase: Any. Psychic Test? No. Range:
Self.
Effect: The psyker counts as being equipped with a scanner.
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3. INSPIRE
Phase: Any. Psychic Test? Yes. Range:
Self.
Effect: If successful, the psyker gains +1 Ld (to a max
of 10), for that phase.
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4. CAUSE FEAR
Phase: Own Assault Psychic Test?
Yes Range: 12"
Effect: If successful, one enemy squad suffers -1 Ld (to
a min of 1) for that phase.
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5. BATTLE FURY
Phase: Any Assault. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: 6".
Effect: If successful, one friendly squad (not walker or
other vehicle) gains +1 WS for that phase. If unsuccessful, the
squad suffers -1 WS for that phase instead.
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6. GLORY
Phase: Own shooting. Psychic Test?
Yes. Range: 6".
Effect: If successful, one unit becomes fearless and ignores
all Morale checks and Pinning tests until the start of its next
turn. If unsuccessful, the unit starts falling back as if it had
failed a Morale check.
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