The Tantumirean Heresy:Psychic Powers

The many powers available to Psykers, which fall under five main "schools." In order to gain new powers, a Psyker must already have knowledge of the required powers, and either find tomes detailing the power or pay an expert to teach them. Psychic powers mentally drain and exhaust the Psyker, with more powerful abilities requiring more energy. Psychic powers also have varying degrees of danger, as does anything involving the warp.

Danger levels - The risk of bad shit happening when used:

• 0 - Safe
• 1 - Low risk.
• 2 - Possibly hazardous.
• 3 - Hazardous to the untrained
• 4 - Hazardous.
• 5 - High risk.
• 6 - Catastrophic.

Exhaustion levels - How much the power saps the Psykers energy and mind:

• 0 - Simple.
• 1 - Requires concentration.
• 2 - High level of concentration required.
• 3 - Difficult.
• 4 - Tiring.
• 5 - Exhausting.
• 6 - Lethal.

Biomancy

Artists of living flesh, Biomancers can push their own bodies beyond human limits, and even control the biological processes of others. These powers allow a psyker to enhance his own abilities and aid his allies, but can also be used stop a foe’s heart with but a thought.

Invigorate

• The psyker draws upon the energies of the Warp to galvanise the flesh, a possibly hazardous endeavour but one that can be essential to continue the warband’s efforts. Newly empowered, the Acolytes can continue afresh.
• Prerequisites - Basic Knowledge of Biomancy.
• Danger - 1
• Energy - 3

Smite

• Drawing on the electric field of his own body, the psyker projects crackling bolts of bio-lightning, transforming his very life force into destructive energy. Diviners often claim that one can tell much about the state of a biomancer’s soul from the colour and appearance of this power.
• Prerequisites - Invigorate
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 1

Shape Flesh

• Powerful biomancers are able to bend the living body to their will with great finesse. At the heights of ability, a psyker can mould flesh with an expertise any sculptor would envy. Lasts 1 day, unless reversed earlier.
• Prerequisites - Smite
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 3

Enfeeble

• The psyker lashes at his target with tendrils of Warp energy. The vile power quickly strips the victim of vitality, draining its spirit with every caress.
• Prerequisites - Smite
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 2

Iron Arm

• The psyker’s flesh transforms, hardening into a slick, living metal, weighing him down but also rendering him incredibly resistant. His new form allows him to shrug off small arms fire and crush his enemies with his bare hands. Lasts ~10 (in-game) minutes. The fatigue from using this power is not felt by the Psyker until the effect wears off.
• Prerequisites - Shape Flesh
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 5

Endurance

• Focussing his mind on the injured bodies of his allies, the psyker energises their biology, initiating rapid cell growth. In moments, shattered bones re-knit, gaping wounds close and heal, and the effects of combat damage disappear.
• Prerequisites - Shape Flesh
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 4

Life Leech

• The psyker latches on to his target’s life force and tears it from the hapless victim’s body. The psyker absorbs this stolen essence, using it to reinvigourate and bolster his own flesh.
• Prerequisites - Enfeeble
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 0

Warp Speed

• Tapping into the power of the Empyrean, the psyker suffuses his body with energy, pushing himself beyond physical limits. While under the effects of this power, the psyker moves with unbelievable speed, ensuring that no heretic is swift enough to escape justice. Lasts ~5 (in-game) minutes. The fatigue from using this power are not felt until after the effect wears off.
• Prerequisites - Iron Arm, Endurance.
• Danger - 5
• Energy - 5

Haemorrhage

• Drawing on his mastery of the living body, the biomancer accelerates his victim’s heart rate beyond the bounds of biological possibility. Betrayed by his own body, the target’s blood boils over, flooding his brain and bursting his over-taxed veins. Those nearby have their own hearts caught in the unnatural rhythm, suffering the same fate.
• Prerequisites - Life Leech
• Danger - 5
• Energy - 4

Divination

Perhaps the most ancient of psychic disciplines, divination foretells the future. Though diviners may seek answers by scattering animal entrails or studying the movement of stars, it is in fact the timeless realm of the Warp to which they turn. 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.

Warp Perception

• The psyker opens his senses to the Warp, allowing unnatural tendrils of energy to augment his own perceptions. His flesh no longer limited, he casts his gaze wider and hungrily scents prey from farther afield. Allows the Psyker to detect warp-based phenomena far more easily.
• Prerequisites - Basic knowledge of Divination
• Danger - 1
• Energy - 1

Prescience The psyker sees brief, fuzzy flashes into his immediate future, which he can use to guide the warband’s aim against their enemies. Though the glimpses are short, such foretelling can mean the difference between life and death when in combat.

• Prerequisites - Warp Perception
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 2

Foreboding

• The psyker gains an unnatural sixth sense. With this inexplicable insight, he knows how and where his enemies will attack, dodging blows and lasblasts with contemptuous and frightening ease. Lasts ~10 (in-game) minutes.
• Prerequisites - Warp Perception
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 2

Misfortune

• Twisting fate, the psyker focuses his inner eye to ensure that his foe suffers every possible calamity that ill-fortune could provide. From embarrassing mishaps to life-and-death struggles, chance itself betrays the target at every turn.
• Prerequisites - Foreboding
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 3

Scrier's Gaze

• The most accomplished diviners are not only able to see into the future, but also the present. Unbound by the limits of mere physical vision, his mind peers far and wide, with little able to hide from his sight. To begin the ritual, the psyker must spend at least thirty minutes using assorted psychic foci to concentrate his vision— drawing Tarot cards, casting runes, gazing deep into fire, or other methods as varied as the stars of the Imperium.
• Prerequisites - Prescience
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 4

Forewarning

• Foreseeing his foes’ intentions, the psyker taps into the Warp and, like dropping a small pebble into a pool, sends ripples to slightly shift the course of events. Without moving a muscle, the psyker saves his ally from certain injury and leaves his enemy baffled. Lasts ~10 (in-game) minutes.
• Prerequisites - Foreboding
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 3

Precognition

• In one of the most viscerally intense applications of the Divination discipline, the psyker witnesses solid and perfectly lifelike visions of his own future. Peering into moments yet to come, he can use this information to ensure or avoid future fates. The stress on the mind from using this power will instantly knock the Psyker unconscious.
• Prerequisites - Scrier's Gaze
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 5

Winding Fate

• By touching a character or item, the psyker sees visions into that subject’s future and past. Though ghostly and laced with tendrils of Warp-smoke, these images reveal not only what was, but what is yet to be.
• Prerequisites - Scrier's Gaze
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 5

Perfect Timing

• So accurate are the diviner’s premonitions, that he can predict the exact moment his foe will expose himself as a target. Further, the psyker can forge a link with his allies, momentarily intertwining their fortunes, so that they might fire in perfect unison, already squeezing their weapons’ triggers before the foe is aware. Lasts ~10 (in-game) minutes, The fatigue from using this power is not felt until after the effect wears off.
• Prerequisites - Forewarning
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 5

• Winds of Change
• Casting their very soul into the currents of the warp, the Psyker is able to see a great calamity that will affect the warband in the near future, or one that has already passed, and change the very fabric of time to prevent it. The toss into the warp is a one-way trip; however, and averting one calamity does not mean that the warband's safety is guaranteed.
• Prerequisites - Precognition
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 6

Pyromancy

The most destructive discipline, pyromancy allows a psyker to control and create flame using his mind. These powers focus on combat, from incinerating foes from within to summoning walls of flame to shield allies. Pyromancers are greatly feared, for their powers are often difficult to control once released, and can inflict great collateral damage. Manipulate Flame

• Reaching out with his mind, the psyker grasps nearby flame and moulds it to his desire. The flames dance to his tune, moving to untouched areas or falling quiet at their master’s command.
• Prerequisites - Basic Knowledge of Pyromancy
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 1

Fire Shield

• With but a gesture, the psyker summons a wall of shimmering, unnatural fire in the air before him. Any who would strike the pyromancer must contend with fiery retribution, as flames leap outward, travelling in reverse down the path of the bullet or lasbolt to strike the psyker’s assailant.
• Prerequisites - Manipulate Flame
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 1

Spontaneous Combustion

• In one of the purest displays of his power, the psyker ignites his enemies, burning them alive. The target’s blood boils and flesh smoulders, and as the psyker’s rage reaches its pinnacle, the target’s body begins to explode in blasts of ash and flame.
• Prerequisites - Manipulate Flame
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 3

Fiery Form

• Unnatural flame engulfs the psyker’s entire body. He is cloaked in sheets of fire that somehow do not harm him, but burns any nearby with horrifying results.
• Prerequisites - Fire Shield
• Danger - 5
• Energy - 3

Cauterize

• With careful application of his powers, the psyker applies intense heat to a wound on his own flesh or to the flesh of an ally, quenching the flow of blood. The effect is quite painful, but certainly preferable to bleeding to death. The use of this power generates a focused and intense heat that rivals advanced medicae equipment, and certainly far exceeds the effects of ordinary battlefield cauterisations.
• Prerequisites - Fire Shield
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 3

Flame Breath

• Using his body as a conduit for his Warp-drawn power, the psyker expels a torrent of flame from his mouth and eyes. Even his allies can find the sight terrifying as his foes are burned with his unnatural exhalations.
• Prerequisites - Spontaneous Combustion
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 2

Molten Beam

• The pyrokine projects from his hands a blindingly bright beam of sun-hot energy. At the touch of this blazing ray, plasteel liquefies and flesh bursts into ash.
• Prerequisites - Spontaneous Combustion
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 3

Sunburst

• The psyker releases a nova of fiery energy from his body. As the psyker focuses his power, a blazing aura coalesces around him, growing brighter and hotter before rapidly expanding outward in all directions. As the calm at the eye of the firestorm, the psyker is untouched, while all around him is reduced to ash and cinder.
• Prerequisites - Flame Breath
• Danger - 5
• Energy - 4

Inferno

• Focussing his power, the psyker ignites the very atmosphere surrounding his target, placing his foe in the midst of a sudden and violent conflagration.
• Prerequisites - Molten Beam, Sunburst
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 5

Supernova

• Similar to the Sunburst power, the Psyker builds up a nova of fiery energy, using his flesh as a conduit to increase the power, creating what is essentially a miniature sun that incinerates everything around him, before collapsing on itself and ripping a hole in the fabric of reality. The Psyker, in unleashing this power, is incinerated, and the small warp rift he creates may cause further problems if left untouched.
• Prerequisites - Sunburst
• Danger - 6
• Energy - 6

Telekinesis

Through the power of the Warp, telekines translate mental impulses into physical force. Powers from the telekinesis discipline can defy gravity, blast opponents with invisible bolts of force, and even tear holes in the very fabric of reality. Such powers offer great utility in a variety of situations, for they allow a psyker to affect the world around him without the constraints of his physical body.

Telekinetic Control

• The telekine calls on his powers to reach out farther than his flesh can extend, distorting reality to grasp objects with eldritch hands. With invisible fingers perhaps only betrayed with frosted rime or whispered breezes, few can notice his subtle manipulations.
• Prerequisites - Basic Knowledge of Telekinesis
• Danger - 0
• Energy - 1

Assail

• The psyker reaches out with his mind to pluck up whatever objects are available and hurl them at his target. If there is nothing suitable nearby, the psyker can direct his mental energies directly at his foe, pounding him with bolts of invisible force.
• Prerequisites - Telekinetic Control
• Danger - 1
• Energy - 2

Telekine Shield

• Using the energy of the Warp, the psyker erects a wall of tangible force that moves with him. The shimmering barrier stops bullets and deflects blades, but as more and more kinetic energy is directed at him, the psyker’s mental shield wears down.
• Prerequisites - Assail
• Danger - 1
• Energy - 3

Crush

• Rather than using his abilities to turn inanimate objects into weapons, the telekine focuses directly on his enemy to squeeze him in an invisible fist of power. Unless the target can repel the psychokinetic assault, he is bludgeoned horridly. Even should he survive, the overwhelming psychic force nonetheless pins him in place under a tremendous weight.
• Prerequisites - Assail
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 4

Telekine Dome

• Using the energy of the Warp, the psyker erects a wall of tangible force that moves with him. The shimmering barrier stops bullets and deflects blades, but as more and more kinetic energy is directed at him, the psyker’s mental shield wears down.
• Prerequisites - Telekine Shield
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 5

Objuration Mechanicum

• With this power, the psyker reaches into and disrupts the inner workings of nearby machines, jamming gears, blowing fuses, and severing power couplings. Those who rely on technology find themselves bereft of their support and helpless.
• Prerequisites - Crush
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 3

Gate of Infinity

• The psyker reaches out with his mind to pluck up whatever objects are available and hurl them at his target. If there is nothing suitable nearby, the psyker can direct his mental energies directly at his foe, pounding him with bolts of invisible force.
• Prerequisites - Telekine Dome
• Danger - 6
• Energy - 4

Shockwave

• The psyker uses his unnatural control of the physical world to amplify a sound to impossible levels. From clapping his hands together, stamping on a hab floor, or even shouting, the psyker creates a sound that transforms into a powerful shockwave, bursting eardrums and knocking people off their feet.
• Prerequisites - Crush
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 4

Vortex of Doom

• In perhaps the ultimate display of his mastery of both the physical world and the Warp, the psyker tears open a hole twixt the two. Around the roiling vortex, the laws of physical space are undone as the ravenous predations of Chaos devour all in the vicinity. This power is extraordinarily dangerous, and not only to the psyker’s enemies. The Vortex of Doom feeds on itself and can sustain its power without need of the psyker.
• Prerequisites - Telekine Dome, Shockwave
• Danger - 6
• Energy - 5

Teleport

• By sacrificing his ultimate fate to the whims of the Warp, the Psyker rips a hole into the Warp which uses his own life force to remain stable. The teleportation is a perfectly safe journey for any who pass through, though the Psyker will almost certainly be killed in the process, unless the jump is relatively short.
• Prerequisites - Gate of Infinity
• Danger - 0
• Energy - 6

Telepathy

Perhaps due to Astropaths being amongst the more common types of psyker, many individuals equate all psychic ability with telepathy. In fact, only certain psykers possess the talent to enter the minds of others, and even fewer the strength of will to maintain their own sanity in the face of constant exposure to others’ thoughts. These powers may not inspire awe in the same way as other, less subtle, disciplines, but a skilled telepath can end a battle before a single shot is fired.

Telepathic link

• In this, the simplest yet purest expression of his powers, the telepath establishes a mental connection to another, linking their minds and allowing him to receive or transmit thoughts. When stealth is essential, such silent communication is ideal
• Prerequisites - Basic Knowledge of Telepathy
• Danger - 1
• Energy - 1

Erasure

• With a surgeon’s skill, the psyker opens up his target’s mind and slices away a memory, removing it forever. This power is of immense utility to an Inquisitor’s work, particularly one who wishes to operate discreetly, without the usual mess of an execution.
• Prerequisites - Telepathic Link
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 2

Hallucination

• The human mind’s grasp on reality is fragile and easily manipulated with sufficient power. With his own psychic senses, the telepath touches the psyche of his target and severs its connection to normal existence.
• Prerequisites - Telepathic Link
• Danger - 2
• Energy - 2

Psychic Shriek

• Drawing a deep soul-breath, the psyker unleashes a rippling Warp tide that sears the souls and blasts the minds of those in its path. The violent psychic wave is enough to overwhelm and shut down the minds of those it strikes, while those not slain outright are left reeling and dazed.
• Prerequisites - Hallucination
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 4

Dominate

• Demonstrating the superiority of his mutant mind, the telepath subverts his foe’s will and forces him to act against his every inclination. Few psychic abilities are so rightly feared.
• Prerequisites - Erasure
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 4

Terrify

• Turning an eldritch key, the psyker unlocks his target’s deepest and strongest fears, exposing him to the worst recesses of his own psyche. These nightmarish visions are enough to drive even the strongest helplessly mad.
• Prerequisites - Hallucination
• Danger - 4
• Energy - 5

Mental Fortitude

• Drawing from the limitless potential of the Warp, the psyker augments the mental abilities of his targets, providing defence against the stresses of combat and the terrors of the galaxy.
• Prerequisites - Dominate, Terrify
• Danger - 1
• Energy - 3

Invisibility

• Clouding enemy minds, the psyker obscures his allies from their foes’ senses. Though eyes and other senses detect them as normal, their minds do not perceive them, save for a slight distortion in their vision. Lasts ~10 (in-game) minutes.
• Prerequisites - Terrify
• Danger - 1
• Energy - 5

Puppet Master

• In the ultimate expression of telepathic power, the psyker utterly crushes his target’s will, locking him away in a dark corner of his own mind and taking complete control of his body. After recovering their wits, those subjected to this power are often struck with bouts of insecurity, never certain again if their actions are truly their own.
• Prerequisites - Mental Fortitude
• Danger - 3
• Energy - 5

Chaotic Powers

Heretical powers that should only be used in the most dire of circumstances.

Minor Powers

This plethora of lesser abilities is collectively known as Minor Psychic Powers and often forms the standard arsenal of most Imperial psykers. Unlike the more powerful Disciplines, these powers are relatively easy to learn and use. Minor Psychic Powers are tricks and knacks that those with even a shadow of psychic ability can learn. They are nothing compared to the "true" Disciplines, but are useful nonetheless.

All Minor Powers

• All Minor Powers follow this template.
• Prerequisites: None.
• Danger - 0
• Energy - 0

List:

• Call Creatures - A psyker can call a number of simple-minded creatures within range to travel to their location. Creatures called depend on the nature of the environment, though the sorts of creatures called may include rats, ash slugs and other kinds of vermin.

• Call Item - A psyker can summon a specially-prepared item to instantly appear in his hand. To prepare the object, he must spend one solar hour in deep meditation, infusing the object with his psychic imprint, and marking it with glyphs and runes. The object must be small and light enough to be carried in one hand. He may only have one prepared item at a time.

• Chameleon - A psyker can cause reality to blur around himself, distorting his image and allowing him to blend in with his surroundings

• Déjà vu - A psyker can create a brief memory loop in the mind of the target, causing their thoughts to slip back several solar seconds in time. The psyker must be able to see the target and they must be within the range of the power to be affected.

• Distort Vision - With this power, a psyker disappears and his image reappears in another space no more than 10 metres away.

• Dull Pain - A psyker can nullify the pain of any creature, including himself.

• Fearful Aura - A psyker twists reality in such a way as to make himself appear more sinister and dangerous. The psyker becomes the source of dread for anyone who looks upon him.

• Flash Bang - A psyker can create a bright flash of light and a deafening bang.

• Float - A psyker can focus his concentration and slowly begin to lift off the ground. He can only move up and down while under the effects of this power, and cannot rise higher than 5 metres.

• Forget Me - A psyker becomes instantly forgettable to a single creature within range. They can't seem to recall having met the psyker before that very instant and the psyker can effectively suppress all memories of their previous encounters.

• Healer - A psyker channels his power into a single target to knit flesh and mend bones. He may only use this power on a willing target, including himself.

• Ill Omen - Drawing on Mankind's natural, and often quite justified, superstitious fears, the psyker bleeds just a miniscule drop of the Warp's influence into the real world. The result, while perhaps logically explainable, nonetheless instills a deep unease in those who witness it -- an

unmistakable sense of worse things to come. The exact nature of the omen could take any number of forms, including a raven crying three times, a small plant wilting, a disturbingly familiar patina of rust, animals spooking with no apparent cause, or anything else that might unnerve the target.

• Inflict Pain - A psyker causes a person to be wracked with agony, filling their minds with unspeakable pain.

• Inspiring Aura - A psyker seems to glow with an inner light and all those around him are filled with confidence.

• Knack - A psyker taps into their unconscious to awaken a deeper understanding of his capabilities.

• Lucky - It is said that luck acts strangely around psykers, no doubt in part due to powers like this one, which can alter the probabilities of certain events in realspace.

• Psychic Stench - By momentarily handling an item, a psyker imbues it with an unnatural psychic smell. Anyone coming within five metres of the tainted item will smell it, regardless of barriers or other smells present. What a person smells when around an item affected by psychic stench depends on what they find most distasteful, so the aroma can vary greatly. As the smell only exists in a person's mind, it will also affect creatures that do not have a sense of smell or have had their physical sense of smell impaired.

• Resist Possession - A psyker creates mental wards to shield his mind from the malign denizens of the Warp.

• Suggestion - Although a far cry from the mind-influencing techniques of a trained telepath, many wyrds and nascent psykers possess a preternatural ability to convince others of small falsehoods. As with many of the powers such psykers evince, this is a useful survival mechanism, allowing the psyker to evade detection.

• Sense Presence - Reaching out with his mind, a psyker gets a vague inkling of other life forms within range. He automatically detects all living creatures in the area.

• Spasm - A psyker causes a target's muscles to spasm.

• Spectral Hands - A psyker creates an invisible force that he can use to manipulate any object within 30 metres.

• Staunch Bleeding - A psyker causes himself or another creature within range to halt blood loss.

• Torch - By burning the very stuff of their thoughts, a psyker can create a ball of glowing psy-flame. The light cast by Torch is equivalent to a glow-lamp. The flame may issue from any point on the psyker's body. The flame is roughly the size of his palm, and pulses slightly in time with his heartbeat. It may be coloured according to the psyker's whim. The light produces no heat.

• Touch of Madness - A psyker reaches into the mind of a target within range and forces them to believe something that just isn't true.

• Trick - A psyker subtly influences the fields of probability flowing around him, making them especially good at cheating at games of chance.

• Unnatural Aim - A psyker draws upon the power of the Warp to guide his aim.

• Wall Walk - A psyker bends gravity to his will. They negate all penalties incurred by low- or high-gravity worlds. In addition, he can walk on walls or ceilings for as long as this power is active. The psyker moves across such surfaces at half his normal rate of speed.

• Warp Howl - A psyker sends out a long, keening screech throughout the Warp that tears through into reality in a cacophonous burst.

• Weaken Veil - A psyker weakens the fabric of space within 30 metres by drawing the Immaterium closer.

• Weapon Jinx - A psyker reaches into nearby machines with their mind to scramble their circuitry. All mechanical devices within range cease to function.

• White Noise - A psyker fills the Warp with static, fouling psychic detection and making technological sensors less reliable.

• Wither - A psyker causes a vile wave of invisible pestilence to emerge from his body, extending out to the range of the power. The wave withers all normal plant life in the area in a matter of moments, leaving the area barren and utterly dead.