FORBIDDEN LORE

Forbidden Lore is what the Adeptus Astra Telepathica terms as "those psychic powers far too dangerous to use, at least for Humans". Forbidden Lore is dangerous because it no rules and the powers are very easy to learn. Many a young psyker has lusted for power and chosen the quick route to glory only to fall into eternal damnation. For this reason alone the Imperium has outlawed its use, or so they hope...

Renegade Psykers care not for the laws of the Imperium and seek to learn whatever they can to make themselves powerful. Any use of a power from the books of Forbidden Lore quickly earns an individual the attention from the Imperium in the form of first, the Astra Telepathica, and second, the Inquisition. Such massively destructive powers bring the risk of daemons or daemonic possession. A few psykers of the Imperium, notably the Adeptus Astartes and Ordo Malleus, know one or two powers of Forbidden Lore but never, ever fall into temptation and use them.

WHO CAN USE FORBIDDEN LORE?

There are no mastery levels associated with Forbidden Lore. The reason why they are so dangerous is because even the lowliest rogue psyker can cast Chain Lightning but at the same time greatly risks something going wrong when controlling the force because their minds are not properly trained.

Learning Powers of Forbidden Lore

The psychic powers of Forbidden Lore each cost 200 experience points, but are otherwise learnt in exactly the same way as for normal psychic powers except that should the Force test be failed to learn a power the psyker must pass a Will Power test or lose D6 points of Will Power permanently (along with the experience points).

Using Powers of Forbidden Lore

Even though there are no power levels associated with Forbidden Lore using them can be very risky. A psyker can use a Forbidden Lore power any times a day but with a penalty of minus D3x10 to the Force roll each time. Daemons and Possesses do not receive this penalty although all Daemons can use any psychic power without the need to control the Force for they are creatures of the Ether.

Dark Psykers

Dark Psyker is the term given to Human psykers that make constant use of Forbidden Lore and this ultimately changes and transforms them, physically and mentally. Such dangerous energies are too much for Humans to contain and their bodies begin to warp and twist as a result; their skin might become very wrinkly and old, their eyes might turn a different colour, their hands might extend into claws. The GM should feel free to bestow any physical change he deems necessary on any renegade psyker that makes constant use of Forbidden Lore. Any changes could be subtle to begin with, lasting only a day or two, and then if this hint isn't enough the changes could be permanent.

POWERS OF FORBIDDEN LORE

Many powers of Forbidden Lore take the form of psychic missiles, powerful blasts that are hurled at a foe. These blasts are so powerful that they automatically penetrate all armour and the usual damage reduction modifiers do not apply too, making psychic missiles very deadly indeed. Only Eldar Rune Armour provides any kind of normal protection, in which case all the armour rules apply.

However, if the target of a psychic missile has the Dodge Shot skill then the target may attempt to avoid being fried by passing a standard Initiative test. If this test is successful, the character uses his lightning reflexes to leap out of the way just in time and sustaining no damage as a result.

ANIMATE CORPSE

Range: touch
Duration: 24 hours

This allows the psyker to literally animate a dead body by using warp energy. Animate Corpse can be used on anything from a body that has just died to a skeleton. Once the psyker has passed his Force test, the target body begins to slowly come back to life as it arches upright. The animated corpses obeys the casting psyker's every command as it is nothing but a puppet. The corpse will have the profile that is standard for its species. Only human-sized creatures may be animated by this power. It will not work on Genestealers or Tyranids, for example.

CHAIN LIGHTNING

Range: 50 metres
Duration: instant

To cast Chain Lightning the psyker must have at least one hand free to channel the power from the warp. Once the psyker controls the unpredictable energy, forked lightning is unleashed from his fingers. The psyker nominates a single target within 50 metres. The target is automatically hit and anyone within a 3 metre radius of him is also hit as the lightning leaps from one target to another. There is no Will Power test to avoid the effects of Chain Lightning or no Initiative tests to dodge out the way. Force Fields have a 50% chance of overloading and being destroyed as vital components are ripped to shreds. All damage from Chain Lightning is resolved on Damage Chart 4.

DAEMONIC PORTAL

Range: Not applicable
Duration: Until task completed

Only a mad man would dare tear the fabric of reality and summon a daemon. As soon as the Force is controlled a portal appears just in front of the psyker, the tear linking unreality with reality. To decide the daemon that is summoned roll a D10: 1-4 Daemonic Servant, 5-7 Lesser Daemon, 8-9 Daemon Prince, 0 Greater Daemon. Once the type of daemon has been determined the psyker must control it and strike a bargain (refer to pages 160-161 of the WFRP rulebook).

EYES OF FIRE

Range: 20 metres
Duration: instant

The psyker's eyes suddenly begin to glow with incandescent energy until they finally unleash a beam of warpfire at his enemy. Any target within line of sight, and within the 20 metre range, will be automatically hit with a Damage Chart 6 hit.

FIRE BALL

Range: 50 metres
Duration: instant

The psyker is able to fashion the warp energy into a single devastating ball of warpfire. Any target within 50 metres will be automatically hit by the Fire Ball. Resolve all damage on Damage Chart 3. The Fire Ball has a 2 metre blast radius. Anyone caught within the blast will be hit.

HELLFIRE

Range: 30 metres
Duration: see below

The psyker commands a pillar of warp fire to burst from the ground to engulf everything in flames. The Hellfire effects everyone within a 4 metre diameter. All those within the area of effect will suffer an immediate Chart 5 hit. An Initiative test may be passed to lower the damage of Hellfire by D3 Damage Charts, i.e. rolling a 3 will reduce Hellfire to a Chart 2 hit thus leaping out the way just in time. Hellfire lasts for as long as the casting psyker can pass Force tests per round. However, whilst Hellfire is in play the psyker cannot use any other powers and becomes prone as a result.

HOLOCAUST

Range: 40 metres
Duration: Until creature is destroyed or psyker is slain

This is a truly horrendous power in which the psyker attempts to psychically age a target until it crumbles to dust. The target must be living, Holocaust will not work on warp entities or creatures that are not truly alive. The target must pass a Will Power test or lose1 point of Strength each round as it ages at an exceptional rate. Should the target's Strength total reach zero the target crumbles to dust.

The only way this accelerated aging process can be stopped is if the casting psyker is slain. If this happens then the target of Holocaust is restored of 1 point of Strength for each day of complete rest. The target might not fully recover from Holocaust physically, it depends on the power of the casting psyker and how mean the GM is feeling!

POSSESSION

Range: Personal
Duration: 1 hour per level

This power only affects the casting psyker. Its effects last for 1 hour per level of the psyker. If slain during this time, the psyker's spirit is released and may try to inhabit the body of any other living creature during the next 2D4 combat rounds. The psyker's spirit has a Move of 6 and must begin from his dead body. The spirit must touch a host creature in order to inhabit it. The host is allowed to make a test against Will Power and, if successful, the spirit may not inhabit that body. If the test is failed then the psyker's spirit inhabits the body of the victim until either it is slain or the psyker's spirit is driven out by other means. The victim's psyche is not destroyed, but is suppressed by the possessing psyker. The psyker does not gain access to the thoughts, memories, and knowledge of the victim.

RAISE THE DEAD

Range: Around the psyker
Duration: 24 hours

In order to learn this power the psyker must first learn Animate Corpse first (see above). This psychic power must be cast where there are plenty of bodies to animate. The psyker cannot animate the dead if there is nothing there! A battlezone, graveyard, or burial site would be perfect. As soon as the psyker has a suitable site he uses warp energy to animate the remains of long dead corpses. Once cast the psyker manages to raise 6D6 Skeletons or Zombies. They only retain part of their knowledge from when they were alive, but it is assumed at least that they are able to use all conventional weapons (weapons that use conventional ammunition).

VORTEX

Range: 3D10 metres
Duration: see below

Only the truly insane would dare to tear apart the seams of reality and in doing so create a sphere of utter darkness approximately 3 metres in diameter. As soon as the Vortex is cast it immediately moves 3D10 metres straight ahead, away from the psyker, destroying absolutely everything within its path. Buildings are suddenly consumed up to the point where the Vortex made contact with them and any people are devoured by utter blackness, unless they can pass an Initiative test. If the Initiative test is passed then a character just manages to leap aside in time. Otherwise anyone gobbled up by the Vortex is instantly annihilated.

Once in play there is a 10% chance that the Vortex will dissipate after its initial 'run' with an additional 10% each round. The Vortex may also be nullified during this time. The Vortex will move 3D10 metres in a random direction after its initial run.