Warp Travel

Warp Travel Quick-Use Guide

  1. GM determines Route Stability and Travel Time.
  2. Navigator may Divine the Auguries : Challenging (+0) Psyniscience test. Success subtracts 1 from Route Stability per two DoS. Failure adds 1 per DoF.
    1. Performing your Clan Ritual beforehand provides a +10 bonus.
    2. Poor, Common, Good, and Best-Craftsmanship Warp Charts of the route provide a +5/10/15/20 bonus.
    3. A Navigator to have charted this route previously gain a +10 bonus.
  3. Navigator must Enter the Warp.
  4. Navigator must Locate the Astronomicon : Challenging (+0) Psyniscience test. Success applies +10 to Navigate (Warp). Failure applies -10 per DoF.
    1. A stable route provides a +20 bonus, while a shrouded route inflicts a -20 penalty.
    2. Another attempt to locate the Astronomicon can be made whenever the All's Well Warp Encounter occurs.
  5. Navigator must Steer the Vessel : Challenging (+0) Navigate (Warp) test. Modify the Travel Time based on the result, using the Voyage Duration table.
    1. Poor, Common, Good, and Best-Craftsmanship Warp Charts of the route provide a +5/10/15/20 bonus.
    2. A Navigator to have charted this route previously gain a +10 bonus.
  6. Every 5 days, roll for a Warp Encounter.
    1. Navigator must make an Ordinary (+10) Psyniscience test. Success gives +20 to Navigate (Warp) to avoid encounter. Failure by 2+ DoF makes it unavoidable.
    2. Navigator must make a Challenging (+0) Navigate (Warp). Success means the encounter is avoided. Failure means the encounter manifests immediately.
  7. Navigator must Leave the Warp : Challenging (+0) Navigate (Warp) test. Success subtracts -10 per DoS to Inaccurate Re-Entry. Failure adds +10 per DoF.
    1. If the Navigator can perceive the Astronomicon at this point, skip the test and emerge at the destination.


Divining the Auguries

Before entering the Warp, the Navigator performs a complex ritual — which includes perusal of any extant navigation charts — to determine whether the auguries are favorable for a safe translation into the Warp. The exact form of this ritual varies widely between individual Navigator houses and even individual Navigators at times.

The Navigator attempts a Challenging (+0) Psyniscience test to interpret the ritual's results. Warp Charts provide a bonus based on Craftsmanship. The Navigator gains a +10 bonus if they've charted the route before.

If the test is successful, the auguries are favorable and the Navigator can feel confident in giving the order to begin Warp translation. They learn the stability of the intended route, the clarity of the Astronomicon, and the projected duration of the voyage. Additionally, the stability level is improved by one for every two degrees of success.

If the test is a failure, the Navigator instead receives a murky reading of the auguries that gives uncertain and unreliable information. While they can opt to divine the auguries again, the Navigator must wait 1d5 days before retrying the ritual. Additionally, the stability level is worsened by one for every degree of failure if they choose to depart immediately.

Navigator's Estimate of Duration

d5 Navigator's Duration Estimate
1 1 × GM's Calculation of Duration
2 1/2 × GM's Calculation of Duration
3 2 × GM's Calculation of Duration
4 1/4 × GM's Calculation of Duration
5 4 × GM's Calculation of Duration

Entering the Wap

Once the captain has issued the order and the ship's crew activates the Warp engines, translation is almost instantaneous. However, wise captains typically dedicate a few hours' advance warning to ensure that the crew has sufficient time to prepare both the ship and any additional precautions they choose to take.

If the captain does not devote at least an hour to warding off bad luck before translation, the Navigator(s) automatically fail all Navigate (Warp) tests during the journey if they roll a 9 for either digit.

The exact nature of a captain's superstitions is typically unique to the individual in question, combining practices observed to work while serving under others and those developed during their own command. Pious captains may demand booming vox-casts of hymns accompanied by the voices of their crew. Brooding officers might operate a lottery among the ratings, selecting a single crewman to jettison from the airlock as a sacrifice the God Emperor or to distract denizens of the Warp. One common superstition is that tokens of chance, such as cards or dice, are magnets for poor fortune in the Warp and make a thorough effort to confiscate and destroy any found among the crew, not that it stops such items from quickly recirculating.


Locating the Astronomicon

A Navigator's immediate task following successful Warp translation is to locate the Astronomicon. Most witness it as an ethereal, scintillating white light flickering on the edge of their senses, accompanied by distant threnody of a choir numbering in the thousands. Amidst the the swirling chaos of the Empyrean, the Astronomicon is a beautiful beacon of hope which grows brighter and louder when perceived with increasing clarity.

The Navigator must make a Routine (+20) Psyniscience test, which becomes Challenging (+0) if the route is not stable or Hard (-20) if the Astronomicon is shrouded.

If the test is successful, the Navigator gains a +10 bonus on all Navigate (Warp) tests for the duration of the journey.

If the test is a failure, the Navigator instead suffers a -10 penalty per degree of failure on all Navigate (Warp) tests for the duration of the journey.

Every result of the All's Well Warp Encounter during travel allows the Navigator to once again attempt the Psyniscience test to locate the Astronomicon.

Rite of Witnessing

As with every stage of navigating the Warp, a Navigator must perform various rituals and incantations when attempting to locate the Emperor's light.

A Navigator who cannot pray or perform an equivalent rite while searching for the Astronomicon suffers a -20 penalty on the associated Psyniscience test.


Steering the Vessel

Even if the Astronomicon is not visible, the Navigator must still attempt to steer the vessel through the Immaterium aided by the power of their third eye.

Navigating the Warp

Maneuvering a vessel along Empyrean tides is a continuous and trying task for the Navigator, broken only by the change of shift.

The Navigator must make a Challenging (+0) Navigate (Warp) test, including any modifiers. Warp Charts provide a bonus based on Craftsmanship. The Navigator gains a +10 bonus if they've charted the route before.

The results of this test are used to determine the actual duration of passage on the table below.

Voyage Duration

Results Warp Conditions
4+ DoS 1/4 × GM's Calculation of Duration
3 DoS 1/2 × GM's Calculation of Duration
2 DoS 3/4 × GM's Calculation of Duration
Success 1 × GM's Calculation of Duration
Failure 2 × GM's Calculation of Duration
2 DoF 3 × GM's Calculation of Duration
3 DoF 4 × GM's Calculation of Duration

Hazards of Travel

Every moment a vessel spends engaged in Warp travel is another moment where catastrophe might strike. Fortunately, a well-maintained Gellar Field is usually sufficient to ensure the relative safety of a voidship's passengers.

For every five days of travel, the GM rolls for Warp Encounters.

Detecting Encounters

A Navigator can detect an oncoming encounter by making an Ordinary (+10) Psyniscience test.

If the test is successful, the Navigator receives a somatic warning — a fever, bleeding eyes, a mental scratching, or some other effect — but has time to prepare, giving them a +20 bonus on Navigate (Warp) tests for the encounter.

If the test is a failure, the Navigator still detects the encounter, but too late to prepare.

Failure by more than one degree causes the Navigator to be caught completely unaware until the danger is upon the vessel; the encounter manifests immediately and without warning.

Avoiding Warp Encounters

The Navigator must make a Challenging (+0) Navigate (Warp) test. Success means the necessary course adjustments are made to avoid the encounter.

If the test is a failure, the voidship becomes embroiled in the encounter and must overcome it to continue travelling.

1d100 Event
01-20 All's Well: The Navigator can once more attempt to locate the Astronomicon. Those suffering from a temporary, Warp travel-induced Mental Disorder can try to shake it off.
21-30 Whispers and Dreams: Everyone on board suffers from strange dreams and even hears hushed whispers when awake, resulting in a loss of 1 Morale.
31-40 Visitations: One or more of the crew find themselves visited by Warp shades of lost friends or family. These lost souls might offer helpful advice and comfort or have darker motives.
41-50 Delusions: Every player character and relevant NPC must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower test or suffer a Mental Disorder until they leave the Warp. An active Gellar Field provides a +30 bonus.
51-60 Incursion: Due to a fluctuation of the Gellar Field, a Daemonic presence has made its aboard the vessel. Roll for a Warp Incursion, reduced by -30 if the Gellar Field is online (minimum 1).
61-70 Misfortune: A random non-crucial Component breaks down with deadly consequences, resulting in a loss of 1d5 Crew Pop. The component can be repaired as normal
71-80 Warp Hazard: The vessel runs into an environmental encounter in the Warp. Roll for a Warp Hazard. The Navigator knows the nature of this encounter before rolling to avoid.
81-90 Warp Storm: Gellar Field Online: Roll 1d10 twice for Critical Hit, drop high. Gellar Field Damaged: Roll 1d10 for Critical Hit. Gellar Field Offline: Roll 1d10+2 for Critical Hit.
91-00 Catastrophe: The Gellar Field and 1d5 other Components go offline, resulting in a loss of 1d10+5 Crew Pop. Roll for an immediate Warp Incursion, adding +30 to the result.
1d100 Hazard
01-20 Doldrums: The Navigator cannot attempt to avoid this hazard unless they succeed the Navigate (Warp) test. A temporary "dead zone" in the Warp delays the ship's passage by 1d5 days.
21-40 Dark Shroud: An occlusive shadow passes over the ship, obscuring the way forward. The ship is delayed 1d5 days and the Navigator loses sight of the Astronomicon if it was located.
41-60 Ghost Ships: Phantom pings and spotty augury readings reveal vessel(s) stranded in the Warp. Though they are not directly hazardous, a lost ship has the potential for valuable cargo.
61-70 Aether Reef: Gellar Field Online: Take 1d10+2 damage, ignoring void shields. Gellar Field Damaged: Take 2d10+3 damage. Gellar Field Offline: Take 4d10+5 damage.
71-80 Fractal Maze: A non-linear labyrinth of cyclical passages traps the the ship until escaped. The Navigator can attempt an Arduous (-40) Navigate (Warp) test each day to try and resume travel.
81-90 Warp Rift: The vessel slides into a nexus of unreality for 1d10 days, unable to escape and beset by Daemonic forces. Every day the ship remains in the rift, roll for a Warp Incursion.
91-00 Temporal Hole: A tear between dimensions sucks the ship out of the Warp and back into reality. Roll on the Inaccurate Re-Entry table, adding a +40 to the result.
1d100 Incursion
01-20 Swarming Malice: A horde of skittering, vicious Warp manifestations wreak havoc aboard the ship, interfering with the crew but fleeing when confronted. They infest 1 Component if the Gellar Field is online, 2 Components if it is damaged, and 1d5+1 Components if it is offline. Each infested Component is inoperable and reduces Morale by 5 while the pests remain. They can be banished with an exorcism, exterminated via prolific use of fire, or other appropriate means.
21-40 Possession: The GM makes a hidden Challenging (+0) Willpower Test for the crew, with a +30 bonus if the Gellar Field is online or a -30 penalty if offline. Failure means 1 crewman is possessed by a Daemon if the Gellar Field is online, 2 crewmen if it is damaged, and 1d5+1 crewmen if it is offline. Possessed crewmen attempt to carry out a mission determined by the GM, usually involving sabotage of the ship or the murder of its crew. Possessed crewmen who are discovered can be exorcised (such as with the Purge the Unclean Talent) or simply slain to expunge the Daemon. At the GM's discretion, the player characters may also be suitable candidates for possession.
41-60 Plague of Madness: Insanity spreads throughout the ship, beginning with the weak-minded but gradually consuming the entire vessel in 1d5 days. Those affected suffer from a Mental Disorder chosen by the GM. Player characters and major NPCs must attempt a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test to avoid the effects of the plague, with failure inflicting the same disorder. The madness lasts 1d10 days, increasing to 2d10 days if the Gellar Field is damaged or 4d10 days if it is offline. During this time, all Interaction tests with the crew suffer a -20 penalty, while failure by 2 or more degrees results in the crew rising up in insane rebellion.
61-80 Daemonic Incursion: Warp predators materialize within the vessel, intent on preying upon the vulnerable crew. The Daemons' numbers and strength grow substantially if the Gellar Field is damaged or offline, but they tend to operate from the shadows, preying on crewmen alone or in small groups. Reduce both Crew Pop and Morale by 1 for each day that the daemons are not completely exterminated.
81-90 Warp Sickness: A bizarre, unnatural disease spreads through the the ship, starting among the worst of the dregs but rapidly spreading to the main decks and even the bridge. Each day, roll a 1d10. On a 1-5, reduce the ship's Crew Pop and Morale by that much. On a 6-10, the disease has no significant effect for that day. This reduction is doubled if the Gellar Field is damaged and quadrupled if it is offline. Player characters can seek a cure for this vicious malady, either at their own hands or via a major NPC, but doing so requires an Arduous (-40) Medicae Test that can only be attempted once per day.
91-00 Warp Leviathan: A monstrous formation of writhing tentacles and gaping maws wraps itself around the ship, threatening to tear it apart. Treat this creature as a voidcraft that has started boarding the player characters' vessel, releasing numerous man-sized, parasitic creatures to engage the crew while automatically damaging the hull every turn.

Leaving the Warp

It is an unwritten law of Warp travel that the captain does not order translation back into realspace until signalled by the Navigator. As the vessel's designated guide through the churning chaos of the Empyrean, it is aNavigator's duty to see the ship and crew to safety.

However, there are times when a captain may nonetheless demand emergency re-entry, usually in response to a failure of the ship's Gellar Field or a particularly dangerous Warp hazard. Though it may be necessary to ensure the survival of the vessel and its hands, doing so almost guarantees that the craft is catapulted into reality far from the intended destination, both physically and temporally.

Accuracy of Re-Entry

If the Navigator can perceive the Astronomicon, the vessel safely re-enters realspace at the desired location with no further difficulties.

If the Navigator cannot perceive the Astronomicon, they must make a Challenging (+0) Navigate (Warp) test and roll on the Inaccurate Re-Entry table.

If the vessel was forced to leave the Warp early, apply a -40 penalty to the Navigate (Warp) test and add +40 to the Inaccurate Re-Entry roll.

If the test is successful, the Navigator reduces the Inaccurate Re-Entry roll by -10 per degree of success.

If the test is a failure, the Navigator increase the Inaccurate Re-Entry roll by +10 per degree of failure.

Time Dilation

Travel through the Empyrean is neither exact not forgiving, with even the most experienced of Navigators subject to fickle tides of unreality. It is far from unheard of for a vessel's crew to spend months in the Warp, only to find themselves re-entering realspace mere days after — or even before — they left. It is also entirely possible that the opposite occurs, with ships emerging years later when passengers experienced less than a week of travel.

The most oft-utilized routes throughout the Imperium are therefore also the most stable, reducing the frequency and severity of temporal fluctuation.

When a ship exits the Warp, use the table below to determine the magnitude and direction of time dilation it has experienced, based on its re-entry accuracy.

Inaccurate Re-Entry

1d100 Final Point of Arrival
01-25 1d5 days of realspace travel from destination.
25-50 1d10 days of realspace travel from destination.
51-75 Closest adjacent system to the destination.
76-100 Random system within the same subsector.
101-120 Random system in a random adjacent subsector.
121-140 Random system in a random subsector within the same sector, 1d5 years before or after initial departure.
141+ The vessel is lost to the Warp!

Time Dilation

Accuracy Realspace Time Dilation
On-Target 0 days
01-25 1d5-3 days
25-50 2d5-6 days
51-75 2d10-11 days
76-100 4d10-22 days
101+ 10d10-55 days
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