Ships sail on aether, the magic current that fills open space. Trade lanes follow the strongest and safest currents. A ship can reach another world in days.
Every ship has a helm, a chair-shaped engine near the stern. The creature in the helm moves the ship.
Mage Helm. A creature that can cast spells of level 1 or higher can run a mage helm. The mage must sit in the helm for 8 hours each travel day to set the course. The rest of the day the ship sails on that course while anyone keeps watch. At the end of each travel day after the third in a row, the mage makes a Constitution saving throw. The DC is 10, plus 1 for each travel day after the third. On a failure, the mage gains 1 Exhaustion level. A Long Rest off the helm resets the count.
Rune Helm. A rune engine sits in a rune helm and burns aether crystals. Anyone can run it. It needs fuel, as shown below. A rune helm with no crystal stops.
Small ship (skiff). Rune Helm Fuel: 1 small aether crystal every 3 days.
Medium ship (hauler, raider, lantern ship). Rune Helm Fuel: 1 small aether crystal each day.
Large ship (warship). Rune Helm Fuel: 5 small aether crystals each day.
A small aether crystal costs about 5 Crowns.
Helm Key. A locked helm can't be started or steered. Picking the lock takes a DC 18 Dexterity check with thieves' tools.
Helm Licence. In Dominion space, patrols stop ships and ask for a helm licence. A ship with no licence can be fined 500 Crowns or seized. A fake licence passes a check with a DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check.
When steering a ship is hard, the pilot makes a Dexterity check. The pilot adds their Proficiency Bonus if they have proficiency with ships. Use Intelligence with navigator's tools to plan a course.
Dock at a calm port, sail on a lane. DC: No check.
Dock in a hurry or in a storm, fly low over a city. DC: 12.
Fly through a rock field, wreck field or aether storm. DC: 15.
Fly through a narrow gap in a ruin or station at full speed. DC: 20.
On a failure, the ship takes damage. Use 2d10 bludgeoning damage for a scrape and 4d10 for a hard hit, and the GM can add other trouble.
The table shows travel time on the lanes. Each world counts as part of its region. For an unclaimed world, use the nearest region.
A world to its orbital dock, or the dock to the ground. Fast Ship: 30 minutes. Normal Ship: 1 hour. Slow Ship: 2 hours.
Between worlds or stations in the same region. Fast Ship: 1 day. Normal Ship: 2 days. Slow Ship: 3 days.
Bright Core to any outer region. Fast Ship: 3 days. Normal Ship: 4 days. Slow Ship: 6 days.
Between two outer regions that are neighbours. Fast Ship: 4 days. Normal Ship: 6 days. Slow Ship: 9 days.
Across the galaxy. Fast Ship: 6 days. Normal Ship: 8 days. Slow Ship: 12 days.
Neighbours. Forge Arm and Outer Drift are neighbours. So are Forge Arm and Dark Rim, Low Spiral and Outer Drift, and Low Spiral and Dark Rim. Forge Arm and Low Spiral are across the galaxy from each other. So are Outer Drift and Dark Rim.
Ship Speeds. Skiffs, raiders and lantern ships are fast. Most other ships are normal. Haulers and warships are slow. A ship with less than its smallest crew travels as a slow ship.
Off the Lanes. A ship that leaves the lanes takes twice as long. Each day, the navigator makes a DC 15 Intelligence check with navigator's tools. Star charts for that region give Advantage. On a failure, the ship loses half a day.
The Dark Rim. Stars there are going dark, so charts are often wrong. Navigation checks near the Dark Rim are DC 20, and charts older than a month give no Advantage.
Weak Currents. Near Vhal signs or some open space creatures, the current is weak. A ship there moves at half speed.
Use a chase when one ship runs and another follows. Track the distance as Close, Near or Far.
Close. What It Means: Within 300 feet. Ship guns hit well. Ships can close to boarding range.
Near. What It Means: Up to 1,200 feet. Ship guns can fire at long range.
Far. What It Means: In sight, out of gun range.
Each round, the two pilots make contested Dexterity checks with ship proficiency. A pilot whose ship is faster than the other adds 2 to the roll. A slow ship against a fast one subtracts 2.
If the chaser wins, the distance closes one step.
If the runner wins by 5 or more, the distance opens one step.
If the runner wins by 5 or more at Far, the runner escapes.
Any other result keeps the distance the same.
For a long chase, each round can stand for 10 minutes instead of 6 seconds.