1. STAGE 1: DIVINING THE AUGURIES
Before a captain orders his ship to enter the Warp, his Navigator must perform a complex ritual, which includes perusing any existing navigation charts, to determine whether the auguries
are favourable for a safe translation into the Warp.
The Navigator attempts a Challenging (+0) Psyniscience Test to interpret the ritual’s results.
He can also use any maps that he may possess at this stage, to help with his plan for traversing the Immaterium. Basic charts grant a +10 bonus to this Test, Detailed charts provide a +20 bonus, and he gains an additional +10 bonus in either case if the Navigator created the charts himself. Falsified charts or an interrupted ritual, in contrast, may inflict a penalty on the Test. The Navigator only ever benefits from the best set of charts that he has.
If he passes the Test, the auguries are good and the Navigator can confidently tell the captain to give the order for translation.
The GM tells the Navigator the stability of the route, the clarity of the Astronomican, and the approximate duration from Table 2–2: GM’s Calculation of Duration (see page 27).
If the Navigator fails this Test, the GM secretly rolls on Table 2–3: Navigator’s Estimate of Duration and provides the Navigator with one of the following answers. A Navigator can try to divine the auguries at a later date to get a more favourable reading, but cannot do so for another 1d5 days as he must re-prepare for the ritual.
Rite of Appeasement
If any of the dice the Navigator rolls for his Psyniscience Test result in a 9, the Navigator senses a Warp storm brewing nearby. The captain can decide to purify the vessel with sigils and alchemical incense to prepare it against the wrath of the Sea of Souls, which this takes 1d5 days. If the captain insists on translation without these precautions, the vessel translates in the fury of a Warp storm (see page 29). After any purification rites, the Navigator must again read the auspices.
STAGE 2: TRANSLATION
Once the captain has issued the order to translate into the Warp, the ship’s void-masters relay the command to those work-crews responsible for bringing the Warp engines to life.
Translation is more or less instantaneous. However, a wise captain should dedicate a few hours beforehand, taking extra precautions to preserve his vessel and crew against the Warp.
WARDING ILL-TIDINGS
Any wise captain harbours deep-seated superstitions concerning travel into the Warp. There are many tales of vessels that foundered in the æther because the captain failed to ward away bad luck. If a captain does not devote at least one hour to warding off bad luck before translation, then for the duration of the journey through the Warp, any Navigation (Warp) Test the Navigator makes counts as a failure if he scores a 9 on any die he rolls for the Test.
Each captain has his own superstitious practices. For example, some might insist on booming out hymns through the ship’s vox-casters and require their crew to stand alert and sing fervently in praise of the God-Emperor. Others demand the flogging of the crew by their taskmasters, so that their mingled blood might strengthen the vessel’s machine-spirit. Lots may be drawn throughout the ship and a single crewman selected to be jettisoned into space, so that his drifting soul might distract any Daemons lurking to ambush the ship as it translates. Some captains may consider it unlucky for the crewmen to have tokens representing chance, such as cards or dice, which might jeopardise Warp travel, and make a thorough search among the crew to locate and destroy such items.
OMENS
The collective psyche of the crew also has an effect on how well the vessel fares in the Warp. Weak morale can bring danger to a Warp-bound ship, for the denizens of the Immaterium
are attracted to the collective fear of a ship’s crew, like sharks to blood. A captain who fails to curb rumours of bad omens spreading among the crew risks his ship in the Warp.
Bad omens frequently appear just as a ship translates. When a ship translates, roll 1d100; if the roll is greater than the Crew’s total Morale, dark susurrations of an ill omen echo throughout.
A captain can attempt to negate the effects of an omen by passing a Challenging (+0) Command Test, representing him castigating his crew for their weak minds or soothing their fears.
If the vessel includes a missionary aboard, he can hearten the souls of the crew by passing a Challenging (+0) Charm Test, which also negates an omen’s effect. The preacher’s sermons reassure the crew that the God-Emperor protects them. Other characters may attempt to assist in their own ways, with the GM’s permission. If nobody negates the omen, it has a detrimental effect when the GM has to roll on Table 2–6: Warp Travel Encounters (see page 31).
TRANSLATING INTO A WARP STORM
If the ship has translates into a Warp storm, it immediately suffers the effects of a Warp Storm encounter from Table 2–6: Warp Travel Encounters upon entering the Warp (see page 31).
EFFECTS OF TRANSLATION
All characters must make a Willpower Test as soon as their ship translates to the Warp. The GM decides the Test’s difficulty depending on how often the character has experienced translation.
Experienced NPC crew and, at the GM’s discretion, experienced Explorers may sometimes automatically pass this Test.
A character who fails the Test must roll on Table 2–5: Warp Travel Hallucinations, adding +10 to his roll on the table for each Degree of Failure on the Willpower Test.
Unless stated otherwise, the effect lasts until the vessel re-enters realspace, even if it is an apparently physical effect such as a Malignancy. However, every time the GM rolls on Table 2–6: Warp Travel Encounters and receives an All’s Well result, any characters suffering from a Warp travel hallucination can shake off the effects if they pass another Challenging (+0) Willpower Test.
STAGE 3: LOCATING THE ASTRONOMICAN
After translation occurs, the Navigator’s first task is to locate the Astronomican (see the ROGUE TRADER Core Rulebook, page 184). Most Navigators witness it as an ethereal, scintillating white light flickering on the horizon of their senses, accompanied by the distant threnody of a choir of thousands. The clearer the Astronomican, the brighter the light and the louder the choir.
The Navigator must make an Routine (+20) Psyniscience Test. If the route is not a Stable Route, the Test is a Challenging (+0) Psyniscience Test. If the Astronomican is shrouded for any reason, the Test is instead a Hard (–20) Psyniscience Test.
If the Navigator succeeds on the Test, he gains a +10 bonus to any Navigation (Warp) Tests he makes during the trip. If he fails, he cannot find the Astronomican and suffers a –20 penalty to
any Navigation (Warp) Test he makes during the journey.
A Navigator can continue to try to locate the Astronomican during the journey or improve his perception of it. Whenever the GM rolls an All’s Well result on Table 2–6: Warp Travel Encounters, the Navigator can make this Psyniscience Test to locate the Astronomican again. If the result is worse than his original score, this represents the beacon becoming fainter due to adverse conditions within the Warp.
As with every stage of navigating through the Warp, the Navigator must perform various rituals to help ease the passage. Because he is communing with the very essence of the God-Emperor himself, the Navigator usually mutters holy incantations.
A Navigator who cannot pray or perform an equivalent rite suffers a –20 penalty to his Awareness Test to locate the Astronomican.
STAGE 4: STEERING THE VESSEL
Whether or not he has located the Astronomican, the Navigator must now steer the ship through the Warp. He does this by peering into the Warp using the power of his third eye, scouting
ahead into the æther to perceive the dangers lurking to ambush the vessel. Navigators are genetically bred to withstand the horrors of the æther. Their third eye allows them to construct
a path through the Immaterium that their consciousness can rationalise. If a Navigator traverses these dangers during this reconnaissance, he “steers” the ship safely past the threats. If he does not avoid the challenges that he perceives, the Warp may manifest as a physical reality aboard ship. In one of many worst-case scenarios, the ship’s Warp drive might even be destroyed,
leaving it to drift aimlessly through the Immaterium, only to re-enter reality at the whim of fate (or the GM).
NAVIGATION
The number of possible encounters the Navigator must face is determined by the actual duration of passage. To determine this duration, the Navigator makes a Challenging (+0) Navigation
(Warp) Test, including any modifiers previously incurred, and refers to Table 2–4: Voyage Duration. He gains a +10 bonus to this Test for Basic charts, a +20 bonus for Detailed Charts,
and an additional +10 bonus if he drew them himself. The GM modifies the approximation of the length of the voyage in GM’s Voyage Calculation (see page 27). The Navigator modifies the duration he estimated in Divining the Auguries (see page 28).
HAZARDS OF WARP TRAVEL
The GM uses the actual duration of passage to determine the number of encounters the vessel might potentially face. For every five days of travel, the GM rolls on the Table 2–6:
Warp Travel Encounters (for a journey of less than 5 days, he rolls once on this table). If the ship has an operational Warpsbane hull (see page 199 of the ROGUE TRADER Core Rulebook) or other, similar warding, he rolls twice and allows the Navigator to choose the result. If the captain has failed to dampen any omens spread by the crew, a result of doubles on any roll on Table 2–6: Warp Travel Encounters counts as a Psychic Predators result instead of its normal result.
WARP TRAVEL ENCOUNTERS
As the vessel passes through the Immaterium, the Navigator psychically roves the æther, seeking and (ideally) avoiding each hazard before it ensnares the ship. If he fails to evade an encounter, it manifests aboard the vessel. The strength of the vessel’s Gellar Field affects the deadliness of the encounter.
There are two types of encounter the Navigator might face. A physical encounter is one which affects the fabric of the vessel itself, such as a Warp storm, reef, or shoal. The Navigator must use his enhanced senses to locate the perils and instruct the helmsman (via his navigation station) on how to evade the threats. More dangerous are psychic encounters, where the Warp attempts to trick or beguile the Navigator’s consciousness, or overcome it in order to manifest aboard ship. This is a battle of wills between the Navigator and the Warp itself, and the strain can prove detrimental to the Navigator’s psyche and body.
DETECTING ENCOUNTERS
A Navigator can detect an oncoming encounter by making an Ordinary (+10) Psyniscience Test. If he passes the Test, he can try to avoid the encounter as described below. His perception of the danger ahead might manifest as a sudden fever, bleeding from the eyes, nose, or mouth, a scratching sensation deep within the core of his mind, or any other unpleasant physical or mental effect. The Navigator has time to prepare himself for the encounter, perhaps by chanting
hymns to steel his concentration, or entering a brief state of meditation to clear his mind. He gains a +20 bonus to his Navigation (Warp) Tests when facing this encounter.
If he fails the Test, he detects the hazard, but not in time to prepare for the encounter. If he fails the Test by two or more Degrees of Failure, he is unaware of the danger until it is too late. If he does not manage to steer the ship past the encounter, it immediately manifests aboard the vessel.
AVOIDING PHYSICAL ENCOUNTERS
A Navigator who detects a physical encounter in time can use his navigational skills to help the officers on the bridge to steer clear of the danger. He senses the approaching danger,
rationalising the turbulent force of the Warp as a raging seascape, perhaps, or a desert storm or ice-lashed tundra. His unique ability is to picture the unfathomable force of the Immaterium as something understandable, to bestow order upon his perception of utter chaos.
The Navigator must make a Challenging (+0) Navigation (Warp) Test. If he succeeds, he communicates the necessary adjustments of the ship’s Warp drives to the bridge, linking
his mind with the cogitators of the vessel using the arcane power of the navigation station into which he is plugged.
Once this information is relayed, it is up to the vessel’s helmsman to steer the ship as dictated by the Navigator. The helmsman must make an Ordinary (+10) Pilot (Space Craft) Test. If he passes, the ship avoids the hazard. If either character fails his Test, the ship becomes embroiled in the
encounter and must overcome it before it can continue.
AVOIDING PSYCHIC ENCOUNTERS
When a Navigator faces a psychic encounter, the GM rolls on Table 2–7: Trials of the Soul to find what he must endure. The GM should run a psychic encounter from the perspective
of how the Navigator perceives the Warp. For example, the Navigator’s mind might rationalise the Warp as a dark forest of tall trees. He might have to run through this forest, perhaps searching for a way out, while being hunted by a pack of ravenous, mutated wolves. He can either try to flee or stand and fight, or trick his way to safety. The wolves might represent the Daemonic entities of the Warp, attempting to wear down the Navigator’s psyche, so they can breach the physical reality of the ship.
The GM should keep these encounters short, perhaps with a single obstacle that the Navigator must overcome to achieve his task, otherwise the other players in the group risk becoming observers for an entire session. Alternatively, to get the others involved, the GM can rule that
the Navigator has actualised the presence of his shipmates to help him on his quest. The
other PCs act within this vision world as normal, but are only figments of the Navigator’s imagination. Any injuries, insanities, and other maladies, that anyone sustains during this vision
vanish once the encounter is over unless otherwise noted. When the Navigator acts in this vision-world, his actions are rationalised representations of the way his psyche is manipulating
and evading the Immaterium to make the ship avoid the potential hazard. As such, he uses his Navigation (Warp) Skill for all Skill Tests he makes (even if the other Skill is higher).
Temptation
The Navigator is assailed by whispered temptations offering him all he ever dreamed of. He perceives the Warp as a place of beguiling sights, fragrances, tastes, and music; perhaps an
ivory palace, a fragrant garden, or a golden starship. This alluring paradise beckons with fresh temptations around every corner. If the Navigator succumbs, he opens a door for the horrors of the Warp to flood aboard his vessel.
This encounter should involve plenty of social interaction with the beguiling denizens of the vision-world, who try to lure him from his path. The culmination of the encounter should involve the Navigator making a Skill Test to avoid succumbing to a great temptation, modified according to how he dealt with the denizens.
If he passes the Test, the vision dissolves and the danger is gone. If the Navigator fails, the encounter manifests aboard ship. Failure also means that the Navigator has succumbed, even if only in some small way, and so he suffers 1d5 Corruption Points.
Contest of Strength
The Navigator must test his fighting skills against enemies lusting for his blood. He perceives the Warp as a place of conflict, such as a war-torn city, a gladiatorial arena, or a gargantuan chessboard.
He must survive all opponents who challenge him, and the culmination of the encounter should involve him battling with a terrifying beast or expert blademaster. If he defeats this final foe, the vision dissolves and the vessel avoids the encounter. If the Navigator “perishes,” the encounter spills partially into reality; the encounter manifests aboard ship.
The Navigator’s experience in the Warp also materialises as physical injury and he suffers 1d10+2 Damage, ignoring armour and his Toughness Bonus.
Trial of Endurance
The Warp constructs itself in the Navigator’s perception as a bleak, inhospitable wasteland, perhaps a marshland with foetid pools and swarming flies, an ancient ruin with crumbling
walls, or a gloomy fungus forest crawling with oversized worms and insects. The Navigator must journey through this wasteland, surviving poisonous plant life or hiding from the slithering beasts that are hunting him down The culmination of the encounter should involve the
Navigator testing the extremes of his endurance, such as climbing a crumbling skytower or crossing a turgid, toxic river. If he passes the Test, the vision dissolves and the vessel
is safe. If he fails, the encounter manifests aboard ship. Failure also means that the Navigator’s very being has been ravaged by his experiences, and he gains 1d5 Insanity Points.
Conundrum
The Navigator finds himself lost in a place of confusion and deception, such as the never-ending corridors of a labyrinthine library, the dark alleyways of a vast, unmappable city, or a
bewildering maze of mirrors. He must find a way out, solve a series of puzzles to avoid traps and locate a hidden artefact, or perhaps find clues to help him answer an impenetrable riddle.
Once the Navigator has the answer to the conundrum, the vision dissolves and the ship evades the encounter. If the Navigator fails, the encounter manifests aboard ship. Failure also means that the Navigator’s soul has been wracked by his experiences and he temporarily loses one of his unspent Fate Points. He recovers this Fate Point immediately upon re-entering reality, but cannot regain it or “burn” it before then. If he does not have an unspent Fate Point, he
gains 1d5 Insanity Points.
STAGE 5: LEAVING THE WARP
The unwritten law of the void is that a captain is not supposed to give the order to re-enter realspace until signalled by the Navigator. It is the Navigator’s duty to ensure that the vessel
arrives at its intended destination and as close to the intended time as possible. However, sometimes a captain may demand an emergency re-entry, perhaps because of a damaged or destroyed Gellar Field, or to evade a particularly dangerous encounter.
Doing this virtually guarantees that the ship is catapulted into reality far from the intended destination and perhaps years, decades, or even centuries away from the intended time.
ACCURACY OF RE-ENTRY
To determine how accurate re-entry into realspace is, the GM compares the Navigator’s estimated duration of passage from Stage 1 (and modified in Stage 4) with the actual duration of passage determined during Stage 4 (see page 30). If the ship exited the Warp early for any reason, it is always Severely Off-Course.
On Target If the Navigator’s estimate is equal to the actual duration of passage, then the Navigator has maintained a steady and accurate course. If he can perceive the Astronomican, it acts as a beacon to guide him to safety and the vessel re-enters realspace in the desired location. The number of days that has elapsed in reality is equal to the actual duration of passage.
If he cannot perceive the Astronomican, he can attempt to do so one final time (see page 30) but if it still eludes him, he must make a Hard (–20) Navigation (Warp) Test to bring the ship safely to the correct destination. If he fails this Test, the Navigator has veered slightly off-course (see below).
Slightly Off-Course
If the Navigator’s estimate is more than half and less than double the actual duration of passage, the Navigator has veered slightly off course. If he can perceive the Astronomican, it can guide him to his desired destination; he needs to make a Hard (–20) Navigation (Warp) Test and, if he passes, he counts as being on target, arriving as described above.
If he fails the Test, or cannot perceive the Astronomican, the GM should roll on Table 2–9: Inaccurate Re-entry to determine the exact location and time of arrival of the vessel.
Severely Off-Course
If the Navigator’s estimate is less than half or more than double the actual duration of passage, the Navigator has veered severely off-course. If he can perceive the Astronomican, he can make
a Hard (–20) Navigation (Warp) Test, and if he passes, he counts as being slightly off-course, arriving as described above. (he may then attempt to correct his course further, provided that
he has time, as determined by the Game Master).
If he fails the Test, or cannot perceive the Astronomican, the GM should roll on Table 2–9: Inaccurate Re-entry, adding +40 to the result, to determine the exact location and time of arrival of the vessel upon re-entry.
RITUALS UPON RE-ENTRY
A wary captain performs further rituals just before the ship attempts to re-enter realspace in order to ward away misfortune (see Omens on page 29). Upon safe re-entry, it is also customary for the officers and crew to offer prayers to the God-Emperor for surviving the journey. Individual crew members might also promise offerings to the next shrine or temple of the God-Emperor they visit, or vow to perform a pilgrimage on their next available leave.
Ignis Aeternus WH 40K campaign notes 