Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Whether it's Warlord Traits, Psychic powers or codex specific tables, GW likes making us roll random stuff.

Overall I think this is fine, but it would be nice to have some choice to build strategy around.
Including Primaris powers and Daemon "default magic items" is a nice step in that direction, but I think we can do one better.
What if these tables had 1 of the 6 options as a "you choose"

So Warlord traits could look something like this:

Primaris Trait (cuz honestly this should already be a thing)

1 - trait 1
2 - trait 2
3 - trait 3
4 - trait 4
5 - trait 5
6 - chose form the above

Have the Psychic powers follow the same formula.
it would mean that for WL traits, there is always an option to pick (the Primaris) and a 1-in-3 chance to roll the trait you want (either by naturally rolling it or rolling a 6)
For Psychic powers, this would do 2 things.
---1) reduce the total powers each discipline has from 7 to 6, meaning we could take out a "useless" power from the options
---2) ML2-3 Psykers would have a much better chance of rolling the powers they want.

Would this be a good compromise between the "always random" and "we should be able to pick" ?

-

That or a optional re roll on the table if you want to and can pick the favorite of the two choices?

So you're saying that the command benefit for having a Battleforged list should be to roll twice and pick the WL trait you want? Instead of a re-roll?
I can see that working, although I don't see how to apply that to psychic powers

 Galef wrote:
So you're saying that the command benefit for having a Battleforged list should be to roll twice and pick the WL trait you want? Instead of a re-roll?
I can see that working, although I don't see how to apply that to psychic powers

I was thinking as a roll, if you like it good.
You now can keep or make a second roll and choose the best trait of the pair

But rolling twice is simpler.
Well it's a bonus for your warlord trait.

Powers.. yeah not helping that.

Ideally, I'd prefer to simply purchase warlord traits and psychic powers.

A primaris warlord trait would be interesting, but I feel it's unlikely to work terribly well on the generic rulebook tables. A trait that is perfectly reasonable for marines might become horribly broken in the hands of eldar, or what have you. You could, perhaps, limit this to faction-specific warlord trait tables as this would make it possible to keep a tighter grasp on the balance of these "primaris traits."

The "roll 2 and take your pick" option has some precedent in the Wraith Seer from forgeworld. It's... better than the current system, but it doesn't really solve the existing problems. Sure, you're more likely to get a trait you want, but you'll still have plenty of games where your warlord that you've fluffed and modeled as being excellent at fighting in cities rolls -1 to enemy reserves instead of Conqueror of Cities.

Wyldhunt wrote:
Ideally, I'd prefer to simply purchase warlord traits and psychic powers.

In both approaches, the psyker gets set powers to use for a whole game. Whether it's bought or rolled for, the power and the charger get plugged in to a point and click "strat." Gate of infinity makes your character a one hundred point rhino for the game, invisibility is whatever buffed super unit. It's something that is supposed to be magical, but is just an exercise in list building.

No, I don't think it matters which of the two you do.

For me, you just get the whole discipline at the start of the game. You just have to double the warp charge if you cast a power more than once, other than the primaris. That's magic. Yeah, it does mess up most net lists.