Much like in regular SWN,
charting a course requires use of the Pilot skill. Within the Tau Elpis trisystem only, here is where the homebrew rules differ :
Plotting a Course
Piloting a course through realspace only : The pilot simply makes a DC7 Pilot check; dangerous conditions increase the DC by an amount decided by the GM up to 3.
Piloting a diving course through Tau Elpis interplanetary space: The pilot must make a DC7 Pilot check and takes 10 minutes to input all the data. This DC is reduced by 2 if a recent rutter (less than a year old) is available and by a further 1 if arrival conditions are known, but increased by 2 if no rutter is available and the space is reasonably difficult to chart (a pirate base, an asteroid thicket out of the way, a space rock coming from the direction of the sun).
Attempting a course to a dangerous sector of the system increases the DC by 6.
Attempting a course through an activated gateway increases the DC by 6. (Currently, there are no known activated gateways in Tau Elpis)
Failing the check simply means the pilot must retry. It is impossible to change course once in hyperspace, though a pilot can drop out, adjust, and dive back in.
Within Elpis, regions as defined by SWN are not relevant. You must refer to the "Travel Time" table below instead.
Piloting a course beyond the Elpis trisystem, or in interplanetary space outside of the Elpis trisystem is not feasibly possible (the secrets of FTL having been long lost)
Dangers of Travel
Hyperspace is inherently safe; in fact, a ship must be pulled out of hyperspace before it can even be attacked. However, as the days go by, risks start to accumulate.
Refer to the SWN Spike Drill mishap once per week of travel.
Travel Time
Lore article :
Dive Drive
Within the well-charted and particular space of Tau Elpis, as a rule of thumb (if you must forget everything else!)
A ship at Dive Factor 1 will take one sideral day to cross one Astronomical Unit.
A ship at Dive Factor 0.5 will take twice longer.
A ship at Dive Factor 2, were they readily available, would take twice faster.
SWN spike-drives are irrelevant, as the ships in Tau Elpis are far too slow for even a Spike-Drive rating of 1.
.
| Type of Ship |
Dive Factor achievable |
| Skybarge |
0.1 Vf (10x slower) |
| Heavily-laden cargo vessel |
0.25 Vf (4x slower) |
| Frigate or heavier armoured vessel |
0.4 Vf |
| Lightly-laden cargo vessel |
0.5 Vf (2x slower) |
| Cruiser or lighter armoured vessel |
0.75 Vf |
| Fast courier vessel - reference speed |
1 Vf |
.
| Journey |
Distance (AU) |
Travel time at Factor 0.5 |
Travel time at Factor 1.0 |
| Elpis - Nevael |
0.7 |
~ 33 hours |
~ 16 hours |
| Elpis - Nufano |
0.87 |
~ 40 hours |
~ 20 hours |
| Elpis - Hakaria |
0.92 |
~ 2 days |
~ 23 hours |
| Elpis - Embassy |
1 |
~ 2 days |
~ 24 hours |
| Elpis - Aistanar |
1 |
~ 2 days |
~ 24 hours |
| Elpis - Planetfall |
1.32 |
~ 2 days 12 hours |
~ 31 hours |
| Elpis - Hestia |
6.3 |
~ 2 weeks |
~ 6 days |
| Elpis - Zindra |
11.2 |
~ 3 weeks |
~11 days |
| Elpis - Nyx |
31.1 |
~ 2 months |
~1 month |
| Elpis - Hepera |
37.2 |
~ 2 months, 2 weeks |
~1 month, 1 week |
| Embassy - Aistanar |
2 |
~ 4 days |
~2 days |
| Hakaria - Aistanar |
0.1 to 1.92* |
~ 4 hours to 4 days |
~2 hours to 2 days |
| Nufano - Aistanar |
0.13 to 1.87* |
~ 4 hours to 4 days |
~2 hours to 2 days |
| Aistanar - Hestia |
5.3 to 7.3* |
~ 10 days to 2 weeks |
~5 to 8 days |
| Aistanar - Zindra |
10.2 to 12.2* |
~ 3 to 4 weeks |
~10 to 13 days |
* - the distance will depend on the stellar objects' relative orbital position to their parent star and each other.
Comments