While bolters and power armor may be the iconic images in Warhammer 40K, Rogue Trader also has plenty of room for budding Psykers. When you start you’ll need to choose from five Psyker Schools, all of which are explained below.
Complete Guide to Psyker Schools - Warhammer 40K Rogue Trader
To become a Psyker in Rogue Trader you’ll need to choose Custom Character when you create a new character. Once you’ve settled on your Appearance and Homeworld, choose the Sanctioned Psyker from the Origin list. Now comes the tricky part of choosing which Psyker School to choose. Each has its strengths, which you’ll find detailed below.
Biomancer Psyker School Abilities and Talents - Rogue Trader
The Biomancer Psyker School is largely concerned with offering a defensive role, supporting the rest of the team with strong heals and buffs. But they can also weaken enemies and deal out some reasonable damage when called upon.
Starting Ability
- Iron Arm: Gives a Strength and Toughness boost to an ally for the rest of the battle.
Available Abilities
- Enfeeble: AOE Strength and Agility debuff.
- Invigorate: Single target heal that also removes most status effects.
- Metabolic Overcharge: gives an ally an extra turn but they get debuffs later.
- Regeneration: Single target HOT that can also remove damaging effects.
- Warp Speed: Increase an ally’s AP, MP, and Agility.
Top Talents
- Sanguine Siphon: Builds a reserve of health that’s used to dave you if you take lethal damage.
- Biophysical Distortion: All your attacks now also cause a Poison DOT.
- Confer Immunity: When you heal or get healed, if at full health, you gain the healed amount in temporary Wounds.
Related: Idira Build Guide – Rogue Trader
Diviner Psyker School Abilities and Talents - Rogue Trader
The Diviner Psyker School is best used to keep your allies alive and fighting without the need to heal them. This is done through timely buffs and interventions, while still boasting some strong offensive moves.
Starting Ability
- Forewarning: Strongly increases an ally’s Dodge and Parry until the end of the round.
Available Abilities
- Foreboding: Creates an area in which all allies gain a strong Dodge bonus for a turn.
- Perfect Timing: All allies currently affected by a buff from you also gain a (if legal) counterattack if they Dodge or Parry.
- Prescience: Single target Intelligence, Perception, Fellowship, and Willpower buff for an ally that lasts the rest of the battle.
- Precognition: Can move up the initiative order two places one per round, which can allow you to have two turns on the same round.
- Prophetic Intervention: An interrupt skill that can save an ally from death, but you lose 1 Psy Rating for the rest of the battle each time you use it.
Top Talents
- Edge of Fate: All allies start battles with a +15 percent Critical Hit chance, which is removed after their first crit.
- Flawless Plan
- Unnatural Luck: Allies who receive a buff from you gain Unnatural Luck, reducing the next Critical hit on them to a normal hit.
- Fatebringer: Allies currently affected by one of your psychic powers gain an Armor Penetration buff.
Pyromancer Psyker School Abilities and Talents - Rogue Trader
It will come as no surprise that the Pyromancer Psyker School is all about dealing out masses of fire and warp burn damage. It has a few ways to lessen the effect of burns on allies but is largely about causing chaos on the battlefield.
Starting Ability
- Ignite: A single target attack that causes Burning and can also deal DOT damage.
Available Abilities
- Firestorm: Hits all units around a warp-burning creature with Ignite (above).
- Orchestrate Flames: Intensifies (on enemies) or weaponises (on allies) burn damage.
- Molten Beam: Strong AOE burning damage attack.
- Inflame: Increases the effect of burn damage for the rest of the battle.
- Incinerate: A strong Burn attack that relies on other burn victims being nearby.
Top Talents
- Melting Armour: Enemies suffering damage from you also have their Armor reduced.
- Backdraft: A random enemy near your Psychic attack victims also take damage.
- Sparks of the Greater Flame: Improved Critical Hut chance for all your DOT attacks.
Sanctic Psyker School Abilities and Talents - Rogue Trader
The Sanctic Psyker School is built around its Word of the Emperor ability, which offers an AOE buff to allies. This can be augmented through more buffs, while you’ll also have some very strong attacks in your own right.
Starting Ability
- Word of the Emperor: All allies in a five-square radius gain a Resolve bonus for the rest of the battle.
Available Abilities
- Purge Soul: Deals unblockable, unreducable damage to anything with a soul, with bonuses against Xenos, Drukhari, Daemons, and Chaos Worshippers.
- Light of the Emperor: Heals all allies currently affected by Word of the Emperor (above).
- Hammer of the Emperor: Next attack damage buff for allies currently affected by Word of the Emperor (above).
- Shield of the Emperor: Deflection and Armor buff for allies currently affected by Word of the Emperor (above).
- Sword of Faith: Gives your melee attacks the same power as Prge Soul (above).
Top Talents
- Destined: Your Armor increases every round throughout the battle.
- Edge of Dawn: Enemies adjacent to you take extra damage.
- Sanctified Slayer: Personal Critical Hit chance buff.
Telepath Psyker School Abilities and Talents - Rogue Trader
The Telepath Psyker School is all about getting into your opponents’ heads. Attacks require Willpower saves to avoid and are more subtle than those of the Pyromancer but can be just as deadly, causing blindness, stuns, and ability debuffs.
Starting Ability
- Psychic Shriek: A strong single-target attack with a range of 12 cells.
Available Abilities
- Dominate: Forces an enemy to move towards you.
- Psychic Assault: AOE attack that can also Stun victims in the area.
- Sensory Deprivation: Single target attack causing blindness and potentially stat debuffs.
- Mind Bond: Gives an ally a better chance to make saving throws, as they can alternatively use your stats if they’re better.
- Mind Rupture: Forces an opponent to attack its allies, as well as damage them.
Top Talents
- Mind Siege: Extra damage to those who fail Willpower tests.
- Pain Channelling: Excess psychic damage leftover moves to a nearby enemy.
- Weak Hearts: Blinded, Stunned, Immobile, and Prone victims of yours suffer extra damage.
For more on Rogue Trader here at Pro Game Guides, check out Operative Build Guide – Rogue Trader and 11 Worst Talents to use in Rogue Trader!
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Rogue Trader – All Psyker Schools, explained
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