Occultists and boarding actions

[locarno24]

Recently, we've been messing around quite a bit with Psychics, Theurgists and Runecasters.

I'm particularly quite taken with them from a Kurgan perspective as El-Din Occultists cover at least one big flaw in the Caliphate's fleet - the lack of a Scout trait in a fleet laden with Inaccurate weaponry. To make matters better, a Psychic with Truth can be stationed, not on some weedy sneeze-and-it's-dead explorer, but safe and protected on a Juhanghiz or Kublai in the middle of my lines.

Anyway, the question which came up (due to my galliot obsession) was this: What happens when a ship with a Psychic, Theurgist or Runecaster is captured? I can see several possibilities....


1) The Psychic, Theurgist or Runecaster is killed and is no longer available to either side.

2) The Psychic, Theurgist or Runecaster is captured and held for his (not inconsiderable) ransom value. He will not aid the enemy but will be released if the ship is recaptured.

3) The Psychic, Theurgist or Runecaster is captured and, much like the rest of the crew, forced to serve the enemy at blade-point. The enemy may continue to use his abilities.

Equally, different results seem appropriate for different parties. Any psychic on a Decados ship is either a mercenary with little to no loyalty to the house, or else an actual member of house Decados with little to no loyalty to anyone. By comparison, I just can't see a Li Halan Eskatonic Father Superior betraying his church and his house.

 

[Nerroth]

Where are the rules for psychics and theurgists previewed?

(And based on what's in Star Crusade, shouldn't it be El-Diin?)


EDIT: Found them; though rather than keep them buried in the issue, I might request they be spliced out and offered as a separate playtest download on the ACtA:NA page (the way the Kurgan fleet was split out of the subsequent issue and offered separately).

Although, I wonder; based on the background data in Star Crusade, most Kurgans generally don't make a formal distinction between psychic and theurgic powers, but whether the user directs their powers for good or ill. That said, there are those who do; while some of those who pursue psionics would already be covered by the "Occult School" overheading, others are said to use many of the same kind of theurgic rites seen in the Universal Church... albeit with more of a local twist in terminology.

Given the presence of these practices in Kurga space, should the Kurgan fleet not be allowed access to theurgic crews, as well as psychic ones?

(Given the distinct space-faravahar used as the symbol of the Caliphate, it would be somehat ironic if they weren't able to make use of the Angel Wings power...)

 

[locarno24]

I might request they be spliced out and offered as a separate playtest download on the ACtA:NA page (the way the Kurgan fleet was split out of the subsequent issue and offered separately).

Yeah, they're nice rules. The main thing is they give something to spend 'spare' points on other than fighters (only possible if you have a carrier) and troop upgrades (only relevant if you expect boarding actions)

Some of the abilities are quite tasty - more than anything else, I think the Runecaster powers are really scary (admittedly a runecaster costs more per level than a Psychic or Theurgist and there are no freebies like Hazat, Al-Malik and Li Halan get).

The Shielding Rune and the Rune of Unmaking strike me as the scariest two.

The former because I genuinely don't think it's possible for a lot of fleets to hurt an armour 5 dreadnought significantly with gunfire (needs 6 damage, so realistically you will need a dreadnought's primary broadside or a heavy turret on Maximum Firepower!* to punch through)

The latter because of the double burn thing. -1 hull on a target is bad enough, but anyone in range to tag with the thing must also be in range to splat with EM slugs - which will clear the shields very, very fast with Accurate, -1 hull and Double Burn, and a ship with compromised shields is in for a very bad day against the Vuldrok.


* Nice to see the order actually get some use!

 

[MongooseMatt]

As things stand, 3.

 

[locarno24]

As things stand, 3.

Thank you.