I just don't like the navigation rules. The ones in the core aren't enough. They're vague, so I have to wing it all the time. And there's no objectivity in winging it, and the players know it, and don't feel it's fair when bad stuff comes their way. Navis Primer went the extreme in the other direction. A few voyages under your belt and WHAM!, your ship is crippled and half your crew is down. I wanted something that results in common setbacks with a miniscule chance of catastrophe, given that proper precautions are taken. And I wanted a system that made it plain that these precautions were an absolute necessity or you'd run into the Navis Primer problem. I loved the way the Navis Primer expanded Warp encounter, but I don't think they were all play-tested or the authors would have run into the same problem.

So here you go...

Navigation

1. Determining the distance (as a function of successes needed in Step 3)

a. Determine the number of steering checks needed as follows – Travel within a sub-sector requires 1d5 successes. Travel to an adjacent sub-sector requires 1d10 successes. Travel across a sub-sector requires 1d10+2 successes per sub-sector crossed. Multiply the successes needed by the conditions at the target destination (see multipliers below). Resolve this as an extended action. Each check takes 1d10 days of “ship time” while 1d100+20 days pass in real space. Example: The explorers are travelling from one system within the Accursed Demense to another system within the Accursed Demense. They would need 1d5 x 2 successes to reach their destination.

i. Stable 1.0

ii. Unstable 2.0

iii. Surly 4.0

iv. Haunted 8.0

b. Other temporal modifiers

i. Markov Drives reduce time passing in real space as normal to a minimum of 1 day

ii. Starcharts reduce time passing in real space as normal to a minimum of 1 day

2. Divining the Auguries

a. Navigators can use their Psyniscience skill (with House rituals) to perform this check. Missionaries can use Common Lore (Ecclesiarchy). Anyone can use Deceive at -20 (be sure to give the crew their opposed scrutiny check at Crew Rating level). Good portents (passing the check) means you can continue to the next step. Bad portents (failing the check) requires someone of proper authority (usually the Captain or a Missionary) to calm the crew. Perform a Charm (-10 for each degree of difficulty the previous check failed by) check. Failure means the ship must wait 1d10 days while proper rituals and prayers are performed, or the crew immediately suffers morale damage -10 (-10 for each additional degree of failure), AND EVERYONE is -10 (-10 for each additional degree of failure) with ALL checks until the Warp is exited. This means the crew rating is also affected.

3. Locating the Astronomicon

a. Navigator tests Psyniscience

i. Obscured -10

ii. Shrouded -20

iii. Lightless -40

iv. Warp Antennae +20

Success means continue to step 4 (+10 to steering checks for additional degrees of success), while failure means -10 to steering checks for each degree of failure.

4. Steering the Vessel

a. Modifiers

i. Quality Charts -20/0/+10/+20 (poor,common, good, best)

ii. Uncharted -60

iii. Warpsbane Hull +10

iv. Bellecane Geller Field +10

v. Fleet Flag Bridge +5

vi. Runecaster +20

vii. Warp Sextant +20

viii. Stable Route +10

ix. Unstable +0

x. Surly -10

xi. Haunted -20

Successes accrue toward the required distance. Runecasters double the number of successes (so do Miloslav drives if you haven't nerfed them). Failure means there is an encounter. Bellecane Fields add 2 degrees of failure. Warp Antennae and Miloslav Engines add 1 degree of failure. Warpsbane Hulls reduce 1 degree of failure.

Failure Aetheric current

Failure by 1 degree Aetheric Breakers

Failure by 2 degrees Warp Sickness

Failure by 3 degrees Warp Storm

Failure by 4 degrees Warp Monster

Failure by 5 degrees Daemonic Incursion

5. Leaving the Warp – Make a Navigation (Stellar) check. Roll 1d100 + 20 to determine the number of days travel to the target destination (-1d10 additional per degree of success, +1d10 per degree of failure).

Warp Encounters

Aetheric Current – The voyage might seem short or long but accurate time is lost and cannot be corrected until the ship leaves the Warp and the Astropath re-establishes contact. Increase or shorten the voyage by 1d100 days. When rolling a 01 or 100 treat as Righteous Fury (or negative Righteous Fury), roll again, and add (or subtract) the additional number of days.

Aetheric Breakers – The Navigator makes an awareness check. The Pilot then makes a Piloting check (+10 for each additional degree of success made by the Navigator, or -10 for each degree of failure) to avoid or the ship takes 1d10+2 damage (this assumes Mathhammer, otherwise 1d10+14), ignoring shields. On a roll of 10, take a critical hit in addition to the hull damage (only exterior components can be affected by this critical).

Warp Sickness – There are 3 types of Warp Sickness (roll 1d10), the one that causes actual illness (1-5), the one that causes insanity (6-8), and the one that causes corruption (9-10). Test Toughness or Willpower, as appropriate. If the Warp is exited for any of these maladies the voyage has to start over, albeit from deep space.

Illness - The crew makes a Toughness check. Success indicates the crew has resisted the effects of the illness so far (and will continue to do so for additional checks for each additional degree of success). Failure means 1d10+2 Crew Pop fall sick (+1 for each degree of failure). All but 1 point of this is counted as temporary crew population loss. The one point is permanent. As long as the ship stays in Warp OR any crew are still affected, roll again each steering check (or each day if the Warp is exited). Medicae skill can be used to alleviate the sickness (while still in the Warp), or cure the sickness (after the Warp is exited). Success with the Medicae skills alleviates (or cures) 1 point of crew population (+1 per additional degree of success), to a maximum of the healer's Int bonus. Once the Warp is exited AND all surviving crew is cured the illness ends.

Insanity - The crew makes a Willpower check. Success indicates the crew has resisted the maddening effects of the Warp so far (and will continue to do so for additional checks for each additional degree of success). Failure results in 1d5+2 Crew Pop becoming mad. The cure for this malady follow the same routine as above. The differences are that 1) additional checks grow, so 1d5+3 with the second check, 1d5+4 with the third, etc., and 2) the +2, +3, etc. loss is permanent.

Corruption - The crew makes a Willpower check. Success indicates the crew has resisted the corrupting influence of the Warp so far (and will continue to do so for additional checks for each additional degree of success). Failure results in 1d5+2 Crew Pop falling to the Dark Powers. These need to be "cured" as above, but all are permanent losses. The ship's population of mutants and hullghasts is increasing. Additional effects might include the ship becoming Haunted (Rogue Trader p.198) or the crew forming a Death Cult (as they hunt down the survivors).

Warp Storm – The Navigator makes an Awareness check. If successful, the ship may exit the Warp (though having to start the voyage over). If unsuccessful (or if the person in charge is unwilling to exit the Warp), the Pilot has to make a pilot check. Failure results in the vessel taking 1d10 damage (once again, assuming Mathhammer, otherwise 1d10+12) to hull integrity, ignoring shields. Following this, check to see if the storm has abated. Roll 1d5. On a roll of1 the storm is over. On any other roll, it continues. Once again, the ship may exit the Warp or continue to fight the storm. Steering the Vessel still continues (1 steering check for each round of fighting the storm) and it is entirely possible for a ship to complete its voyage and exit at the destination all while fighting a Warp Storm.

Warp Horror – A monstrous Warp creature attacks the vessel. The Navigator makes an Awareness check. If successful, the pilot makes a piloting check (+10 for each additional degree of success made by the Navigator's check). If the Navigator fails the ship is taken by surprise for a number of rounds equal to the degrees of failure. If the Pilot fails, treat as a Stern Chase (Rogue Trader p. 216). The creature's pertinent characteristics are S3, WS 50, 1d10+2 (assuming Mathhammer, otherwise 1d10+14), Crit 5, Armor 0, Hull 50. It might try to ram if wounded. Evading this monster results in fleet formations becoming separated. This can be your "battle in the Warp."

Daemonic Incursion – Increasing incursion begins as swarms of demonic bugs begin attacking the crew and machinery in an attempt to disable the Geller Field. The Navigator can dispel this attempt with a Test of the Soul (Navis Primer p.32). If the Navigator fails the Test of the Soul, the ships and crew will be attacked by the swarms. Inflict 1d5 on Hull Integrity, Crew Population, and Crew Morale, AND each player takes 1 damage (no armor, no toughness bonus, no force shields, no nothing). The Navigator must continue testing until successful.

Routes of the Koronus Expanse

The Maw – the Maw, from Port Wander to Footfall, requires a single success to navigate. If any navigation test fails, the Navigator can avoid the encounter by dropping out of the Warp to any of the Stations of Passage. This can be done 4 times in a single passage, but no station can be visited more than once.

Location Routes Astronomicon

Winterscale’s Realm Stable Visible

Ragged Worlds Unstable Obscured

Heathen Stars Stable Visible

Accursed Demense Unstable Obscured

Cinerius Maleficum Unstable Obscured

Cauldron Surly Shrouded

Rifts of Hecaton Haunted Lightless

Foundling Worlds Surly Obscured

Unbeholden Reaches Haunted Shrouded

Charting Routes

Charting new routes requires successful use of the Astrography skill.

Stable routes are +10 to chart

Obscured routes are -20 to chart

Shrouded routes are -50 to chart

Lightless routes cannot be charted

And for those of you with a penchant for navigation, apply penalties to this check if the Astropath can't reliably fix the exact time. I use -20 for indirect timing (Class 3-5) and -40 for non-referenced timing (Class 6-8).

A big thank you to Errant for having me look this up. It was stuffed in the files of my last campaign (which only recently ended), and I'd have lost it for sure by the time I got around to running another.

And of course, all of this stuff is modified rules already in existence from Rogue Trader and Navis Primer.

I get that the core rules and even NP rules are kinda broken but what you've proposed there seems just as long winded, even if mechanically it might make more sense...

Not really, there's only about three core rolls that need to be made. Everything else is events. Besides, travelling through the Warp SHOULD be viewed with trepidation. Just not as much of a *********** as it is in the NP rules.

Work your way through it once or twice. I think you'll find there are far fewer rolls to make than in Navis Primer. Your players will find the Warp challenging, but not crippling (unless they take chances). I reduced Navis Primer's pages down to paragraphs. Let me know if there's anything confusing. I've edited several times for clarification but I still might have missed some stuff.

First of all, let me say that I really like this set of alternative navigation rules that you've thought up. I just started using them for my group and have already found them to work much more smoothly than the ones provided in Navis on pretty much all levels. It's not perfect, but definitely an improvement. As my group continues using them I'll experiment with your template a little bit and offer further suggestions...

Just one question, though...

"Travel within a sub-sector requires 1d5 successes. Travel to an adjacent sub-sector requires 1d10 successes. Travel across a sub-sector requires 1d10+2 successes per sub-sector crossed. Multiply the successes needed by the conditions at the target destination (see multipliers below).

Example: The explorers are travelling from one system within the Accursed Demense to another system within the Accursed Demense. They would need 1d5 x 2 successes to reach their destination."

Would you care to elaborate a bit more on this part, please? Assuming you're using grid squares on the map to determine travel times in the first place, I assume the example provided is to a system in the same square as or one square over from the starting system. What about systems multiple squares apart, though? Do you only roll depending on the relative location twice, or for each square?

http://th00.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2010/348/8/1/koronus_expanse_map_by_sketchesofpayne-d34ws3j.jpg

Example 1: The explorers are traveling from Lucin's Breath to Dolorium using the above map. Dolorium is in the Cinerus Maleficum and Lucin's Breath is in Winterscale's Realm. Dolorium is also 3 squares below and 2 squares over from Lucin's Breath. How many dice would be rolled and at what values to determine the Degrees of Success required?

Example 2: The explorers are traveling from Lucin's Breath to Solace Encarmine; both are in Winterscale's Realm. However, Solace Encarmine is also 1 above and 2 squares over from Lucin's Breath. How many d5s would be rolled to determine the Degrees of Success required? Would it be 2d5 (Start and end in the same sub-sector), 3d5 (1 up and 2 over in the same sub-sector), or 4d5 (starting square + 1 up and 2 over)?

Hobo, let me give you my updated version. It's even more streamlined. You're using a map grid for movement. I use the map provided in the book and its sub-sectors for movement. It shouldn't be too hard to do a conversion, but I'd suggest eyeballing it. I've changed it a few times already, each time trying to pare down the number of rolls made. The idea was to 1) reduce die-rolling, 2) keep a high degree of danger, but 3) make the danger scaled and controllable by the characters (i.e. they can figure out which routes are really dangerous and make a somewhat informed decision whether they wish to make the attempt).

I also wanted a larger role for warp charts. By making them more critical for navigation, it made them more valuable. Characters actively seek them out, and there are defined trade routes (e.g. as on your map, ships travelling to Winterscale's Realm, the Ragged Worlds, and the Heathen Stars tend to use Lucien's Breath as a waystation). Ships travel from well-known point to well-known point, and strike out into the unknown from there.

Here's the google link to my updated navigation system.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-MtWrnHF5DK8DwQ2pT9S1LMBlEK7N5FywZT3DarpwPI/edit?usp=sharing

Now, to travel from Footfall to Lucien's Breath is to travel to an adjacent sub-sector. Successes needed is 2. Travelling to Winterscale's Realm (the sub-sector) is along a Stable route. The multiplier is 1.

2 x 1 = 2 successes needed in an extended navigation test

Travelling from Footfall to Damaris is travel to the same sector. Successes needed is 1. Travelling to the Cauldron sub-sector is along Surly routes. The multiplier is 4.

1 x 4 = 4 successes needed in an extended navigation test.

Travelling from Lucien's Breath to Dolorium is an adjacent sub-sector. Successes needed is 2. The Cinerus Maleficum is Unstable. The multiplier is 2.

2 x 2 = 4 successes.

As you see, I don't use the squares at all, and I've reduced the number of successes needed drastically. I don't know if that last was necessary, since I reduced the dangers of a simple run, but I did get tired of of some of these voyages that required 32 successes in an extended test.

I really like these rules. I'm a fan of having sane navigation rules that don't need a horrendous amount of dicerolling and don't offer catastrophe every few days.

I do propose two alternative tweaks for the Miloslav.

That it adds +2 DoS on a success in step 3, but also +2 DoF on a failure.

And / or

That it doubles the DoS or the DoF on the same test.