Okay noobish question, I have the Calixis sector map - but just how close are the planets in terms of travel either warp or plasma-drives. Is there any information about how long it takes?
I know that warp is not supposed to be used in system is that correct? So theorically does this mean that all of the calixis sector can only be traversed by slow plasma drives? That doesn't sound right?
Cheers, Hal
I think you are getting sector and system muddled up. A system is like our own solar system, so the Scintilla system will have the planet Scintilla, its star and probably several other planets. If you wanted to travel from Scintilla to Iocanthus you would travel to the edge of the Scintilla solar system using plasma engines (taking maybe two weeks), then jump into warp and head to the edge of the Iocanthus system. Once you've dropped out of warp you would then use plasma drives to go to planet Iocanthus (which would again be one of many planets in the Iocanthus system).
How long the warp travel takes is up to you as a GM - there doesn't seem to be a scale on the Sector map so I guess it takes as long as you the GM want it to. It will be much longer for a ship that doesn't have a Navigator as it will have to make a series of short jumps to get there, whereas a Navigator pilotted vessel could do it in one. Lets assume somewhere between a few weeks and maybe a year or more depending on whether it is Navigator pilotted or not.
As far as I know, and I have certainly not read all there is to read about the 40K world, nothing can be certain when considering the warp.
There are many instances of ships or even fleets (or planets!) disappearing completely and any given journey can be prolonged for weeks or months if the unseen currents of the warp are unfavourable. However, logic would dictate that the more frequent runs can be somewhat relied upon. Otherwise the Imperium would fall apart.
So, to echo Theodoret: nothing has really been said except that the warp and thereby traveling times, are precarious. In general I would say that it takes quite a while even for shorter trips. There are numerous references to ships spending many weeks or months in warptravel. Indeed, one of the things I like about the warp and 40K is that the scale is so ponderous. No FTL drives here.
In the RT-Rulebook, there`s a table with warptravel times. Normally, you can say a trip will take between a few days and several months, when you travel in the sector. But note, that in the warp, times flows quiet different, so it´s in the hands of the GM.
As mentioned above,m it's very much up in the air with how long a warp journey will take. As a general rule of thumb, I usually go by the fallowing:
Warp Travel With a Navigator in Favorable Warp Conditions
Warp Travel Without a Navigator in Favorable Warp Conditions
Traveling in unfavorable conditions (turbulent warp, poor navigational aids, outdated carts, etc) will increase the time by one step for each unfavorable condition. A trip that would normally take 5-10 days warpside will take 15-20 if the ship is sailing by outdated charts, 30-60 if there's also been a lot of turbulence or disturbances in the warp, and 100+ days if if the ship has also been damaged, etc.
bladerunner_35 said:
Warp travel is still faster than light. Remember that star systems are usually light years apart.
Bilateralrope said:
bladerunner_35 said:
Warp travel is still faster than light. Remember that star systems are usually light years apart.
Right you are. What I meant was that there is no instantaneous travel a la Star Wars or the like.
Graver said:
As mentioned above,m it's very much up in the air with how long a warp journey will take. As a general rule of thumb, I usually go by the fallowing:
Graver said:
As mentioned above,m it's very much up in the air with how long a warp journey will take. As a general rule of thumb, I usually go by the fallowing:
Warp Travel With a Navigator in Favorable Warp Conditions
Warp Travel Without a Navigator in Favorable Warp Conditions
Traveling in unfavorable conditions (turbulent warp, poor navigational aids, outdated carts, etc) will increase the time by one step for each unfavorable condition. A trip that would normally take 5-10 days warpside will take 15-20 if the ship is sailing by outdated charts, 30-60 if there's also been a lot of turbulence or disturbances in the warp, and 100+ days if if the ship has also been damaged, etc.
To make matters more interesting. Time in the warp mostly flow slower then outside the warp. This is a factor 12 (though in the warp nothing is sure). So a voidship who would take 30 days in the warp to reach its destiny would take a year of real space travel time give or take a few months.
So, plan accordingly. It does not mnake much sense sending accolytes across the sector for a bit of cow tipping last week. Now if that cow tipping is something that is going on for more then a year then yes, perhaps it is time to investigate.
Howdy, Keeper.
I must agree with most of the above. As I understand it, travel in the warp is notoriously ... well, unpredictable. So, based on the literature, you just never know. Well-traveled routes that have been laboriously mapped and maintained tend to be more predictable. Which is why some Chartists can do their thing without Navigators onboard. However, even then there is a chance that some disruption of the local warp can cause very, very strange results ... like arriving at your destination before you left, or taking hundreds (if not thousands) of years to reach your destination, or even becoming lost in the warp pretty much forever. Hope this helps.
I totally missed that section when I skimmed the RT book - thats really useful!
Cheers, Hal
Nope, as well I know, travelling through a solar system is very fast in the 40k universe (like some books mention it. Like in First and Only, Gaunt has only 1 hour from when the ships of Chaos appear outside of the Tanith's system to reach the planet.)
Nagash said:
Nope, as well I know, travelling through a solar system is very fast in the 40k universe (like some books mention it. Like in First and Only, Gaunt has only 1 hour from when the ships of Chaos appear outside of the Tanith's system to reach the planet.)
Actually, it's flexible. If they come out of warp near to the planet, then yea, it'll only take an hour or so. Otherwise, multiple sources have stated it can take up to a week, maybe more, to reach a safe point far enough out of the system to jump to warp.
Also I'd guess it would depend on the speed of the craft concerned. Some ships (cobra destroyers for example) are very fast. Others (transports) crawl along in comparison.
Thats right, in some sources you find the Capital ships very slow, but lighter ships like escorts are very fast. Also, private Merchant ships are slower than most ships under Navy or Rouge Traders. So it`s up to the circumstances of the system and the ship, how fast it will be.
I've always played it that travel occurs at the speed of plot, with the pseudo-science being around to justify whatever length of time you choose to take.
The underlying things I try to bear in mind are:
1. Warp travel is inherently unpredictable and prone to horrific accidents, more so if you travel without a Navigator.
2. Really icky warp nastiness is less likely on frequently-travelled and well-plotted routes (if this were not the case the Imperium would pretty much fall apart as someone has pointed out) but the longer distances you travel the more likely something unpleasant will happen.
3. Nothing should be fast or easy in 40K unless you're cutting corners, doing deals with the devil or otherwise taking huge risks. This is just inherent in the ethos of the setting. So think weeks, months and years, not hours and days.