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I have a few fluff questions.  Ignore the fact that the rules for IG psykers stink...

1.  How powerful can sanctioned psykers be?  Could they be as powerful as a marine librarian or an inquisitor?  In theory, I don't see why not, but in practice would they be pulled for more "important" duty?  Things like being apprenticed to (e.g. "being meat-shields for") an inquisitor or becoming food for the Emperor come to mind.

2.  Does Imperial doctrine say anything one way or another about letting a psyker lead troops?  Or, is that something left to the individual regiments to decide?  Again, ignore the actual rules.

3.  Are psykers required to dress in any certain way to show their status?

1) They shouldn't be as powerful as marine librarians. Supposedly, young psychics can be roughly identified as to what kind of psychic potential they will have in their lifetime, and then based on this fact their fate is determined. The least talented psykers get eaten by the Emperor for food, the next level become Astropaths (after getting soul-bound to the Emperor), next up would be the Sanctioned Psykers, with only the most talented becoming Space Marine Librarians, potential Inquisitorial, or special assignment psykers.


2) A sanctioned psyker would absolutely never be allowed to lead troops unless it was part of a really unorthodox regiment that had very, very lax commissars (highly unlikely). Sanctioned Pyskers in the guard are more like "caged animals" pushed around the battlefield and used where necessary. The fact that some commissars execute a sanctioned psykers at the first sign of weakness probably means their life expectancy isn't very good.

I'm sure there are some regiments that prize their sanctioned psykers; The army commander appreciates their abilities and their commissars are more on the lenient side. . .


3) Absolutely. Sanctioned pyskers must be identified as such. I don't know if they have a specific uniform, but I know that they should be wearing a badge denoting their status.

How powerfulcan they be? Well for 12 points (2 guardsmen) what do you expect. They will make their points back and then some or not at all. I'd say just try one and hope for the best. Its not like you are sinking 50 points into it. They make the game more fun and unpredictable. I saw one help take out a couple crisis suits once. I think thats the only time I have seen them fielded. Once again, 12 points...potential worth and ablative wound to your HQ squad.

Thanks for the replies.

So, sanctioned psykers sound a lot like the damane from the Wheel of Time series. That kind of kills a modelling/fluff idea that I had. I am slowly modelling some IG shock troops in "Aliens" style powerloader-esque contraptions and have decided to use them as Deathwing (because the lack of unit types makes the "counts as" rule a lot simpler). I was trying to figure out a fluffy way to justify a guardsman with Librarian-like powers leading the force.

I guess a sanctioned psyker is out... Maybe I could remodel them as an Ordo Xenos unit with the Librarian as the Inquisitor. Aren't they the Ordo with the most high-tech goodies?

A follow-up question:
Yakface, you mentioned special assignment psykers. Could something like that lead a crack commando-in-high-tech-gear force?

I heard members of the Ordos Xenos have new experimental weapons and have access to Xeno weaponry. A red shirt told me this so I don't know how true it is. The forge world sentinel power loaders are great. Just get a tonne of those man. I doubt they are effective but the models are crazy.

The thing about 40k is that you can always come up with an explanation if you think long and hard enough.

If you want a guardsman who is a psyker leading your army (in the fluff), you could say that some guy's psychic abilities were a very powerful dampening effect that has kept his psychic powers hidden. In short, he has psychic powers, but has kept it quiet for most of his life. Now that he's leading troops and they've come to respect him, perhaps he starts finally revealing his abilities to them?

If you want a more traditional approach, then yes, an Inquisitor leading your force would definitely be the most appropriate choice.


As for "special assignment" psykers, I just included that concept because in the 40k universe, there are always little secret black bag projects running around (especially in an Inquisitor's retinue). Although there are no rules in 40k for a "secret psyker", that is exactly the kind of thing that could show up in a 40k novel.

As they always say, the 40k universe is a big place and pretty much anything can happen there if you have enough imagination.

1. Sanctioned psykers (I assume) CAN be as powerful as a Librarian. Per Abnett's Inquisitor series (Eisenhorn & Ravenor), although it doesn't deal specifically deal with sanctioned psykers, it does allude to "levels" of psykers (Alpha, Beta, etc.). Because of that, one would assume that the Imperium could use VERY powerful psykers if they felt a pressing need for them. A properly trained Alpha could be VERY powerful....

2. I don't think SPs can but, again, this could be bent. After all, Inquisitors can be psykers (yes, yes, I know they are somewhat different) and they can lead troops. So, while it may be rare, I don't think it would be unheard of.

3. SPs and Astropaths must wear some form of ID to show their "status" (creepy allusions to the Third Reich aside). I know that Astropaths prefer to wear large robes to hide their other physical deformities. One would assume that, in certain Imperial cultures, a standard uniform is "the norm".

Psykers are generally treated with suspicion and fear. In the Uplifting Primer it tells you to attack a Psyker if you do not see him/her with their armed escort. As a conduit into the warp psykers can be very dangerous and for the most part they are used to help with the logistics of the battleplan, although they can use very powerful psychic attacks from time to time. The random psyker power table actually has an attack that is like the old smite ability for the librarian or the scourging that inquistors have.