I read through the W&G talents and say a thing or two about them

Note: This article is about the initial (v1) Core rules and not about current Revised Rules (v1.5) from Cubicle7.

Every other day, I talk a little about talents. Mostly with my GM. The general census is, we like that the talents tend to be to expensive, so that you need to invest to get a cool unique ability. Also, there are some talents that are very good. Also some are not worth the penny (imperial throne). And there is a bunch that are... ok I guess.

So I went through the talent section and checked the price and effects. Below is a list of the talents including my unprofessional thoughts. Sometimes a little short, but well...

Let's see this as a basis for further discussions.

The Talents

Ok let's get them one by one, while I give my (short) unqualified assessment and occasionally praise Trademark Weapon.

When you see this: 1/2/3/4/5... it's the real numbers for Rank 1/2/.../5

Acts of Faith

For a hefty price tag of 40 BP you gain 2 Faith Points and may select 2 special usages for those:

1. Recover 1d3 Wounds

2. Make a free Move (e.g. 6 meter for a Human)

3. Add 1/2/3/4/5 to Shooting for 1 Round

4. Add 1/2/3/4/5 to Melee for 1 Round

Drawback is: it also cost 1 Shock and an Actions, making (3) and (4) a little strange, you gain bonus dice but suffer +2 DN (due to multi-action).

Also, for 40 points, you could increase the respective skills (or Toughness) quite high.

(1) is interesting because it allows to regain Wounds, which is very rare.

(2) is... well, I can't really see a use that is worth those points.

Augmetics

Ok, I guess. Depending on what you acquire it might be worth. If you play a Mechanicus Character it might be needed (fluff wise). So you can acquire augments for different effects:

1. to boost stats, e.g. like the bionic eyes,

2. to mimic an item, e.g. an auspex, or prysense googles

3. to gaining something unique ability, ... like ... hm... legs that give +2m jumping distance

Regarding (1), those become worth the money when the plain increment is more expensive than the augment. Example, the Autodogmatic Cortex (5, Very Rare) increases Willpower by 1 for 25 BP. Increasing an Attribute to 7 cost 21 BP. So it's worth once you increased your Willpower up to 7.

Cybernetic Reconstruction

For 30 BP, this gives 1/1/2/2/3 dice to soaking tests and a +2 DN Persuasion Test penalty. Increasing Toughness from 4 to 6 cost (15+18=33 BP) and gives you +2 to Resilience, Soaking and Wounds. So unless, your Toughness is really high, it's almost always cheaper to just increase Toughness.

Bombardment

Once per game, you deal (roughly) 21/22/23/24/25 damage in an area of 5/10/15/20/25 meters. It doesn't state if this cost an action. Assuming it don't, it's quite a big badaboom.

15+ meters is a considerable area and would allow you to clear many troops, and probably some elites. I think it's quite expensive but it gives you a unique weapon. You should also consider its Role-playing Value, having the authority to call in an immediate airstrike might give some leverage in negotiations.

Chaos Familiar

I really don't know what to make out of this.

Counterstrike

This grants a maximum of 1/2/3/4/5 free melee attacks when subject of melee attacks. Cost your movement thou. Assuming you are piled in and can take some pain, this seems to be worth the price.

Dedicant <X>

This depends very much on the respective ability, you increase that bonus by 0/1/1/2/2. The Influence is a nice bonus, but if the +1 to 2 dice are not worth it, the additional influence isn't either probably.

Devotees

Strange one. So you gain 3/4/5/6/7 meat-shield that swallow a complete attack. This might be quite powerful in high Tier /Rank games. They also have a a dicepool of 2/3/4/5/6 dice for fitting tasks. This is quite low. Get them for deflecting attacks and roleplaying opportunities.

Dual Wielder

The rules are complicated. I assume it's strong. I meet not many games that handled dual wielding good. (I think Legends of the Five Rings did a good job).

So it reduced the multi-attack penalty by 2 when attacking multiple foes. And it... makes big damage against a single target? Maybe?

Favoured by the Warp

Expensive, but allows for a unique reroll on the Perils of the Warp. This can be quite worth it when casting unbound regularly. Might also worth for Psykers that can't risk drawing to much anger from the other players and/or authorities due to devastating Peril results.

Fearless

Prerequisite is a Willpower of 5. You could pump the 30 points into Willpower directly, boosting Shock, Resolve, Conviction and some skills. Still, might be worth when the enemy (GM) is using Intimidation quite often and or fear invoking enemies.

Hammer Blow

Sadly, almost everything that grants additional ED is (most of the time) dwarfed by Trademark Weapon. But lets take a look. Hammer Blow grants +1/1/2/2/3 ED on all out attacks. The price tag is low. For Brutal weapons the effect is better. Maybe valid for repenting, evisceratoring, All-outing Sister of Battles, as the weapon is Brutal and itself grants +2 ED.

Hardy

As an action, roll Toughness and recover 1/2/3/4/5 shock, plus one additional for each shift. For 30 BP? Maybe worth it. But Inspired Blessing is significantly better. But we will check this later.

The effect on this scales good with pushing Toughness as this increases soak, allowing to convert more wounds into shock. I think this talent is solid for a Tank characters.

Hatred (X)

Add 1/2/3/4/5 dice against a single Keyword for 30 BP. Comes to live around Rank 3+, before that, I would rather just increase Weapon Skill by ~2 depending on your Skill.

Well maybe worth is when Rank and dice pool reaches a certain level.

Heroic Charge

Add 1/1/2/2/3 dice during a charge. 20 BP. A little situational and this might not be able to be triggered. Still, for the pricetag, it is... almost OK.

Inspired Blessing

Yea, that is to good to not pick for any Adeptus Ministorum Character. It's also fitting fluff wise most of the time.

As a free action you replenish 1d3 + 1/2/3/4/5 Shock for all allies within 16/17/18/19/20 meters. It is free action, it is solid on low ranks, it's affordable, it's fluffy. You are a fool not to take it. Giving struggling allies some shock can bring them beck from exhaustion and allow them to soak some additional wounds. This is probably my favorite talent.

Legacy of Sorrow

I... don't know... maybe... but not for the defiance test. For 20 BP I would push Willpower to overcome the +1 DN to Resolve tests.

Let the Galaxy Burn

Fluffy, affordable. Worth it? Depends on the encounter building of the GM.

Loremaster

I think this can work quite well but depends a little on how bread/strict the GM handles this talent. As it can affect multiple skills, it can be quite potent depending on the campaign.

Mark of Chaos

Let's make this quick...

• Nugle: Increase Toughness instead

• Khorne: +2 dice on all out? why not take Hammer Blow, for 20 BP and an similar effect.

• Slaanesh: hm... +2 for 2 different skills? Ok I guess

• Tzeench: Flavorful, and access to a little magic if psychic awakening is not an option

Marksman

Take Trademark Weapon... :D

Ok I think this is okish for 20 points. It is approx. worth 1-3 ED. For 20 BP it can be considered.

Mastered Path

Might be worth it to gain, lets see, your options are:

• +3 Shock (good)

• +1 Wound (meh, increase Toughness)

• +2 Wealth (ok, probably)

• +1 Influence (meh, increase Fellowship)

• Keyword (a cool background IMO, and worth it, depending on the GM)

• Glory (yea.... no)

Mob Rule

So, the small orks commissar ability. Depends I assume. Depends how often you roll Resolve tests.

Peer

Flavorful, maybe a little expensive. Still adding 1/2/3/4/5 dice to Influence and Interaction Tests might be worth for the right Campaign, where noble status is of value.

Primaris Perspective

Wow, hefty price tag of 40 BP. It boosts Corruption and Resolve by 1/1/2/2/3 dice and historic scholar tests. Consider just increasing Willpower.

Rite of Fear

Cone Fear attack. Targets must resist fear against 3/4/5/6/7. Maybe, in a melee heavy group, maybe not of good use. Otherwise, flavorful and solid effect. Stronger on lower Tiers I think.

Rite of Magnometrics

Flavorful Utility Talent. Cheaper talent (20 BP). Gives you quite some 2/3/4/5/6 Strength to magnetize thinks. If the GM allows, use it to disarm enemy henchmen by pulling their metal weapons with some strength from 4/5/6/7/8 meters away. If the GM allows, reach and hide in unexpected placed due to magnetizing yourself on metal ceilings and walls. A bit situational, and very depending on what the GM allows. But I think it has creative uses.

Rite of Pure Thought

Ok i guess as it adds 1/1/2/2/3 dice to various tests to resist Fear, Persuasion and Intimidation Attacks. Increase Willpower first until it's getting to costly.

Shootier

Costly but also orky. Are you attacking multiple targets all the time? Are the DN is increasing for no reason? I consider this OK, due to the relatively high price.

Sidestep

Good when dueling single strong combatants (or a very large Mob) where losing the move is not a great loss. This baby boosts Resilience and defence by 1/2/3/4/5 for 30 BP. This is solid.

Special Weapons Trooper

I don't know how anyone can think that was a good idea. Ok, the no-brainer is to take the Plasma gun, thank you very much. So yes this is a very potent talent.

Steel and Doom

Why not Trademark Weapon? Still, ok. would be solid for 20 Points I guess and would allow for Marines to get some extra punch out of their basic wargear (Bolter and Sword).

Storm of Death

Somewhat marksman for melee. Solid bonus. Take it when pushing for that juice melee damage Astartes builds. (it can be taken by non Astartes? heresy!)

Superhuman <Attribute>

Hahahah, 60 BP! Anyways, I really do not like talents that just straight out boost stats like attributes or skills. You want to be "really strong or smart"? Why not just increase the respective Attributes and Skills...

Despite that, did anyone think this is worth 60 BP?

Supreme Presence <Interaction Attack>

I Love the interaction attack mechanic. And I looooooove this talent. 30 Points allow you to address a complete mob (sweet) or multiple elites. More precisely 2/3/4/5/6 targets. This is fantastic. If YOU like interaction attacks, you should take it.

The Emperor’s Light

Well... the poor mans area resisting. If the GM allows you to trigger this in reaction and not in advance (read guessing) than maybe worth it. Area effects are usually cool and strong.

Touched by Fate

Wow, this .... might be really strong or weak, depending a little how often Wrath is refreshed in your group. AFAIK its usually on a regroup (long rest). In our group, we replenish at the start of the session.

Trademark Weapon: <Weapon>

Yes!

Ok, well it's a good pick once you reach Rank 3+ to boost your damage power should you not be able to obtain a plasma gun :D

True Grit

This is an interesting one. As always, do the calculation and increase Toughness to a certain level before considering this talent. For 40 BP it still gives some solid Wounds. Ignoring the wound penalty is solid (as in almost any game...).

Uncanny <Trait>

Might be worth to push Defence or Resilience over the top. Check to increase Initiative or Toughness before. And or take the Sidestep Talent.

Unnatural <Skill>

Why..... why? See my comment on Superhuman Attribute. Also think of all the skills you could buy for 60 points...

Unquestioning Faith

The poor mans Sororitas Aura... Cheap, 20 BP. Still, as Touched by Fate buffing the group is cool. And it depends a little on the enemies. Against rogue Psykers and Deamons.. yes might be worth it ( IF you can't afford a Sororitas).

Final thoughts

So, in the end. I think a lot of talents are priced OK (not cheap) and worth it in the right condition and/or gaming group. Some are very good (Inspired Blessing, Trademark Weapon, ...) and some are... well I wonder... (Superhuman Strength anyone)?

I could start applying a rank or rating in a next step. But this is it for today.