So this was originally going to be a quick thing, saying something dumb like maybe a warp charge limit or something. But then I came up with a crazy awesome version in my head that will never be in the game, but is totally awesome in my own head.
So the psychic phase stays.
- Generation. You still generate warp charges at the beginning just like now, with only one caveat. You only count the Psykers you bought as a part of your detachments, this is to curve away from the run-away effect of summoning things to summon things.
- Casting. We go back to casting on Ld value, with each power costing one and only one warp charge to cast. Pass okay, fail not okay, and snake eyes/box cars perils just like days of yesteryear. We keep the 7th edition perils table and types of powers.
The first power a caster casts is always as above, but each additional casting a single caster does after that applies a -1 modifier to their Ld for their test. Call it psychic fatigue or something.
A Librarian Casts Psychic Scream, first test costs one charge and passes on Ld 10, he then goes to cast Force which then costs one warp charge and passes on Ld10-1=9. A power after that would cost one warp charge and be at Ld10-2=8, and so on.
Now to mitigate this a psyker can choose to overcharge and add more warp dice to remove the modifiers.
If applied to the above example, the Librarian could choose use two dice to cast Force and test on normal Ld. The third power would require 3. And so on.
The last change to getting a power off is you can make stronger powers have a base negative modifier built in, so invisibility could say “-2” somewhere near the top instead of warp charge 2.
So, if the earlier Librarian tries to cast it as his first power, he would cast it at Ld 8 if he spent 1 dice. Or cast it at Ld 10 if he spent 3 warp dice.
Now a psyker can add more dice then needed to cast but it never raises the check past their base Ld, that last part will only factor in to counter denying.
- Denying. Will work by the opponent putting their dice towards a negative modifier to the casters roll. This is done after the controlling player declares how many charges he plans to burn. So, one person must decide how much they really want a power to go off and the other then has to decide if it’s worth trying to stop. Blessings will be limited to only One dice, and witchfires and maledictions will be limited one + one if there is a psyker in the unit being attacked.
Final Big Example to put everything together in one place.
So, let’s take Example Librarian from earlier to sum everything up.
He’s the only psyker you have on the table, and he is a mastery level 2 psyker, so you generate 2 + d6 (let’s say you roll a three here) totaling 5 warp charges. His opponent has a single Farseer (mastery level 3) on the table, so he will get 6 warp charges for this phase to deny.
First, Example Librarian wants to cast Force, since it’s his first power he will spend 1 warp charge and not add any additional. The Farseer thinks that could hurt so he will choose to spend 1 warp charge to apply a negative to the test. Example Librarian then rolls trying to pass a LD 10 -1 from Asshole Farseer = Ld 9 test. Let’s say he passes with no issue.
Second, Example Librarian wants to cast Psychic Scream. It’s his second casting so he has a -1 already working against him, this will be his last power so he uses 4 dice all he has left. Asshole Farseer will have none of this shit, so he will use his 5 remaining to try and stop it. Example Librarian, will now cast with at LD 10 – 1 for second casting + 3 for overcharging -1 for Asshole Farseer being present – 5 from Asshole Farseer using charges = Ld 6 test. He rolls two 6s, as you do, perils and we did all that math for no reason.
No more dice, end of phase. Initiate Tau…. I mean shooting phase.
So, these changes allow every one of your psykers to have a chance to cast the amount of powers they have, with their leadership being the real determining factor on how successful they are. Shitty psykers have a higher chance of failing, and better Ld casters matter more. Warp charges still end up being a resource, and will make you choose what you want to focus on. Summoned units will still be able to cast, but they end up being just new powers and locations to cast them from, not free batteries.
There would have to be a few changes to psychic wargear and special rules. Things that make you cast on 3+ or 2+ will change to ignore some of negatives, and others like adamantium will would be changed to apply negative. And there can be newer rules that give bonus amounts of warp charges.
Part 4 in like 2 hours...