Or is it just a flavor line in the starting gear for the Sanctioned Pysker. I mean, his OTHER piece of specialist gear is a data-slate. I'm ready to write it off, but psy focus actually DO something in the other games so I'm putting the question to y'all.

As far as I know, its just flavour. With the removal of invocation, and the use of the fettered/unfettered/push system, I'm not sure it needs to do anything.

In Black Crusade, using a Psy Focus grants +10 to Focus Power tests.

I'm using a modified Black Crusade Psy-Focus for my games. So in Black Crusade a Psy-Focus is a flat +10 bonus on Focus Power tets. With my version it allows you to spend half an action to get +10 or a full action to get +20 on the next Focus Power test. Like with the aim action the bonus is lost if you perform a reaction.

 Kinda wondering why Psykers get the middle finger for starting gear. They are the only specialty that has no gear with a function. I mean sure, the priest has a book of scripture; but he also has a flamer and chainsword.

I just don't get why the brainboy got shafted.

The Psy Focus should do something, similar to the BC examples mentioned above. As to why they get shafted on gear…no good answer for that. The image of a guy in robes with a funky walking stick and maybe a laspistol is fairly iconic. I assume the intent was to get you to use your powers more, be more psyker-y, but we all know not many people would be willing to fire anything on full-auto if using FA had a chance of summoning a bloodthirster….

The problem would be what iconic gear could they hand the psyker? All that's actually left is a force weapon. And if the psyker has one of those at char gen, well, straight up, out of the box, they win.

Well they would still have to get into melee and actually hit something, neither of which are easy for a psyker at char-gen, so it would probably just be another way to get yourself killed.

A best quality staff/sword would be pretty sweet, I'll admit.

KommissarK said:

+1

Huh, I saw the staff in the picture and didn't even bother to check if they get one. A best staff wouldn't be to OP at start and would be good and flavorful. Adding that to the suggestion list.

A force weapon at DH-Rank 1 equivalent sounds rather ridiculous. A staff, possibly good quality (there's no character who gets best quality out of the box) would be fine, though.

 Really? When the weapons speciaists can snag melta guns, and the heavy gunners can get lascannons fairly easily off the start, especially if it's a favored weapon and someone has skill in commerce, A measly little force weapon is what you're worried about?

Fenrisnorth said:

Force weapons are actually significant.

This is actually dealing with a best quality sword/staff, which is significantly easier. Either would be under or equal to scarce availability. I remember in the DH days, a best mono sword was actually a pretty good stepping stone to chain/power weapons, and was only about 350 thrones.

 At Chargen, I disagree that force weapons are going to be a game-breaker; or even unbalancer. Now once a psyker has some XP under his belt; then they start getting good; but if the silly warphead is getting into CC, he's gonna get pwned pretty hard. Heck, a chainsword is better than a force sword in the hands of a PR2 character, and it has tearing. Of course, as I said before, they are both inferior to a meltagun at PB range.

my question would be when you get access to a vast array of pwerful aabilities which noone else can get, why do you need gear? D&D wizards dont complain about their lack of heavy weaponry, and the sanctioned psyker actually gets armour. 

definitely get the rules for the psy focus in (i thought thats what the staff was), but after that you only really need standard kit to get by. (also, with hardened fighters its not hard to give EVERYONE best quality swords)