Astrogation (Intellect)

ASTROGATION (INTELLECT)

There are many billions of stars populating the galaxy, all of which are in motion relative to one another. Planets and smaller masses constantly orbit many of these stars. There are also huge numbers of nebulae and other astronomical anomalies throughout the galaxy. Traveling between the worlds of the galaxy requires a rudimentary knowledge of the galaxy’s organization and composition. It also requires an up-to-date navicomputer that is well-informed as to the current time and the relative motion of all of these objects. The Astrogation skill represents a character’s ability to use his knowledge of the galaxy to most effectively program the hyperspace coordinates for any jump.

• Any time that a character wishes to program a navicomputer for a hyperspace jump, he must first use Astrogation to program the navicomputer.
• Astrogation governs a character’s basic knowledge of galactic geography. It may be checked any time a character wonders what other systems are nearby.
• In the event that characters arrive in an unknown system, they may use a navicomputer and their Astrogation skill to identify their location.
• Astrogation also covers familiarity with the galaxy’s hyperspace routes and the types of craft and commerce most common along those routes.

The difficulty of a hyperspace jump is based on the area targeted and the distance traveled. Travel to a nearby system along a well-established route is generally an Easy check. The difficulty increases based on the accuracy of navigational information and other factors.

Additional Success beyond those required to calculate a hyperspace jump may be used to better target the location. While a single net success reaches the target system without incident, extras might place the character’s vessel directly into orbit around the target planet. Alternatively, characters may use additional Success to reduce the time spent calculating, when rushed. Advantage generated as part of an Astrogation check are most commonly used to reduce travel time. On extended journeys, they might be used to identify convenient stopovers en route, where the vessel can resupply or conduct additional business to help defray the cost of the trip. A Triumph could be spent either to complete Astrogation calculations in the minimum amount of time, or to greatly reduce the travel time involved. It could also reveal some highly valuable but previously unknown information, such as safer or quicker alternative route.

Conversely, Threat generated on an Astrogation check could decrease the accuracy or increase the travel time of a hyperspace jump, or it could simply cause a character to miss relevant details when analyzing hyperspace routes or galactic maps. Despair can be spent in the same way but to greater magnitude, or it could trigger some truly disastrous occurrence, such as jumping out of hyperspace into the path of an asteroid.