In Rogue Trader, how does Navigation through the Warp get done? Is the Navigator Outlaw Star's Melfina, floating in a tank, looking out at the Warp, or huddled over a great table, covered with ancient parchment maps, and datapads? Are they wired into the ship, guiding it themselves, or forwarding information to the Void-Master/Lord Captain, at the helm of the bridge? Are they alone in a room, or being aided by numerous other extras?

Is there material that describes, in detail, the how the Navigator moves the ship? I feel that a lot was borrowed from Frank Herbert's Dune, and that was a good choice, but the Guild Navigators are true psykers, more so than RT Navigators get to be (I see them more as a combo of both Astropath Ascendants and Navigators), and they use their vaunted power, coupled with the effects of Spice, to fold space, so that the ship doesn't move. There is little risk, and almost no downtime; Rogue Trader certainly doesn't do that, with month-long trips, numerous Warp phenomena, ships disappearing, etc. So what is the visual mechanic that 40k uses. I have a Navigator I wrote up, mostly for a fictional literary work, at the moment, and she would have no problem playing Melfina, mostly nude in a tank (and no one would see her, so no big problem there), but I don't know how "immersive", pardon the pun, the process is for her. For long flights, I want to imagine someone else might come in, and relieve her, but it wouldn't work if they had to drop out again, and let him get his bearings. Anyway, some description, assuming this ever got covered in a book/novel would be much appreciated. Thanks much.

Actually its described on the Career Path section for Navigator, paragraph 3. It starts with "Each Navigator perceives the warp..."

I looked at the description and kind of enjoy the storm-wracked sea idea... Im building a fairly maritime navigator (hopefully picking up an elite advance pilot space craft) and I imagine him in his tower with a wheel, staring into the void and guiding the vessel through the treacherous currents of the immatirium.

There is an excelent explanation about how each navigator sees Warp travel in a different way in Lure of the Expanse, p. 31, since each one has a different way to see the Astronomican and the Warp during a journey.

How long is a Navigator's work day when the ship is in the warp?

Zarkov N said:

Full time. They are connected to a life support system to keep them alive and working continously without breaks nor interruptions (the Inmaterium is too dangerous and unpredictable to be even a couple minutes without a navigator to guide the ship). If the journey is too long, another Navigator takes his place to allow the other one to rest.

Maese Mateo said:

You can still make short warpjumps without a navigator, so I'd take this story with a half a metric ton of salt.

Rift said:

How i tend to play it is to assume there are calm patches in the warp where the ship can figuratively 'weigh anchor' either in the warp or in the void so the navigator can rest and take sightings to ensure the ship in on course. Further i assume this is factored into the time spent in the warp.

Ofc this assumes normal warp travel (if it can ever be considered normal). For instance my groups Navigator is currently spending 72 hours on full life support racing the edge of a warp storm, in situations like that taking a break isnt really possible.

FFG have also played up the presence of other Navigators/Astropaths on the Rogue Trader's ship, principally as a way of justifying the PC's characters joining in with off-ship adventures planetside. One imagines that if there are a bunch of navigators aborard, they could probably navigate in shifts?

Lightbringer said:

Yes, most ships generally have more than one Navigator/Astropath. For instance, take a look at the Astropathic Choir rules in ItS, saying every ship starts with 1d10 Astropaths, plus any player character. I imagine there must be something similar for Navigators, which are, a lot more important than Astropaths when you are traveling in non-Imperial space. A while back it was suggested by one of the writers of the line (I don't remember who, sorry) that every ship has at the very least two navigators: the main navigator (most likely a PC) and his apprentice. Wealthy and influencial Dynasties will have a lot more than that probably, specially on their flagship.

In my book-fluff (she's still predominantly only in literary work, though I do have a nice Rank 3 writeup made; it inspired the novel work), the ship that Asteira is on has three, at least. She does most of the navigating, for training/practice purposes, and her father, Novator Daedalus Volaris oversees her exercises, as she is part of a "secret" experiment he is conducting, called Project Radiant (this helps expalin what such an affluent individual as he is doing about). Of course, a Navigator as advanced as himself (he looks like GN Edric from Sci-fi Channel's remake of Children of Dune) can also guide, and he does from time to time. There is also at least one nameless backup of House Volaris, and he can cover if something is up.

I think I will run with the "floating in a tank" plan, and say that apparatus connect to the occupant, linking them to whatever, and allowing them to navigate the ship. She CANNOT have ports in her (no Matrix look, or 40k tubes), since much of Project Radiant depends on her unmarred appearance, so it will work a bit like Melfina, in the tank, and since the tank is a Warp Sextant (BFK, p.42), and thus archaeotech, I don't really need too much explanation for how it works; even the Mechanicus are still sort of scratching their heads. It's expensive, but the Silver Ravens are a very well-to-do, and popular Dynasty, so getting some AT for their ships, many of which are also old and cool (can carry AT) isn't really too hard. When your dad is the Novator of your House, and the House is the primary contract for navigators the Silver Ravens uses, you get some say as to where you are posted, and what tech is standing by.