Types of Warp Projections

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All psychic and daemonic manifestations fall into three categories of warpcraft: Formulaic, Spontaneous, and Ritual. These categories define how a power is prepared, how reliably it functions, and the risks involved.

Formulaic Powers

“Disciplined invocations of the Warp, honed through the Imperial training or daemonic instinct.”

These are predefined psychic or daemonic abilities — consistent, reliable, and commonly used. A psyker learns (or a daemon innately knows) the exact structure of the power: how to shape the Warp, what to affect, and how much energy it costs.

How it works:

  • Advantages: Fast to use, consistent effect, minimal risk.
  • Drawbacks: Fixed outcome; cannot be altered on the fly.
  • Examples:
    • Smite the Unclean (Create Force)
    • Dominate Mind (Control Mind)
    • Banish Daemon (Destroy Warp)

In rules terms, Formulaic Powers are known powers, with set Technique + Form combinations, range, target, and effect.

Spontaneous Powers

“Unscripted bursts of raw Warp energy, guided only by will and desperation.”

A psyker or daemon can attempt to improvise a power, drawing on their connection to the Warp to generate an effect without prior study or practice. This represents raw creativity, desperation, or daemonic whim.

How it works:

  • The psyker invents an effect on the spot and spends half action
  • You roll (Technique + Form + Affinity + WPB + Aura + d10)/2 vs. the power level.
  • Or divided by 5 if projecting without spending Fatigue.
  • Only simple, low-power effects are typically achievable.
  • Range, Duration, and Target must be reasonable.
  • Cannot exceed a final level based on your spontaneous projecting total.
  • Advantages: Extremely flexible; can invent powers on the spot.
  • Drawbacks: Harder to control, weaker than formulaic equivalents, more prone to backfire.
  • Examples:
    • Creating a Warp mist to hide an escape
    • Twisting a machine into a grotesque sculpture
    • Inflicting terror on nearby enemies

Use when the player describes an effect that doesn’t match a known powers. Power level is reduced or cost increased unless special traits apply.

Ritual Powers

“Massive warp workings requiring time, focus, sacrifice… and often blood.”

Rituals are complex, powerful psychic or sorcerous effects that require significant time, preparation, and materials. They may involve circles of psykers, daemon-wrought glyphs, or sacrificial rites. Rituals can reshape battlefields, summon greater daemons, or tear open rifts to the Warp.

How it works:

  • Technique + Form + Affinity + TB + Aura + 1d10 vs. the power level
  • Must be Formulaic (or invented), and marked as a Ritual (usually level 20+).
  • Require Warp Essence (charged raw materials) — 1 pawn per 1 level.??
  • Takes at least 15 minutes per magnitude to project.
  • Always requires fatigue and risk of Perils of Warp
  • Cannot be projected in combat.
  • Advantages: Bypasses normal power limits; enables epic effects.
  • Drawbacks: Time-consuming, vulnerable to interruption, attracts Warp attention, can be detected with psyscience.
  • Examples:
    • Summoning a Bloodthirster into realspace
    • Creating a long-lasting Warp storm
    • Cursing an entire region with madness

Like Ritual Powers these always require time and resources and are typically tied to the Boundary target or Arcane Connection range equivalents.

Power Levels in Warpcraft

Power levels are determined by a combination of:

  • Base effect level (based on Form + desired outcome)
  • Modifiers for Range, Duration, and Target
  • Optional size or complexity increases

Power Level = Base Effect Level (based on Technique + Form) + Range, Duration, and Target Modifiers

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