It's my understanding that warp capable voidships need navigators to steer them through the warp safely. These navigators are a special breed of mutant (as portrayed in Rogue Trader) but presumably, just because of demand, they must crop up everywhere. However in the Black Crusade the fact that there is a Navigate (Warp) skill seems to suggest that anyone can potentially learn how to navigate a ship safely through the warp… a skill that can be learned at any time. This runs contrary to what I understood was the case at least, does this mean that there are other ways to navigate a voidship through the warp, such as using technology, without the need of a cyclopic mutant?

DW

SORCERY!

Basically, once you move away from the dogma of the Imperium, alternatives to Navigators become available. That said, having the skill not, necessarily, mean having the means.

However, yes, there exists technology that allows you to do safe warp jumps, though it's often less safe or simply less capable than navigators. That exists even in Rogue Trader, though the Navigator houses do their outmost to keep it out of people's hands.

  Well Navigators may the only sanctioned means of warp travel, there are alternatives if you don't mind dabbling in the heretical. In Hostile Acquisitions (Pg 66), there's a device known as a Prognosticator which allows for non-navigators to steer a ship through the immaterium. However, these devices are forbidden and the Nobilite would certainly take quick action against any captains foolish enough to flaunt their use of this maltek. Black Crusade's Navigate (warp) skill doesn't represent conventional warp travel, which uses the holy light of Terra, but rather a series of blasphemous rituals and incantations sure to drive any loyal servant of the Emperor mad. So yes, there are other means of warp navigation, but they are all incredibly rare, undeniably heretical, or both.

Edit: Oops, looks like I just double answered. Sorry 

Thanks for steering this former Imperial slave down the dark path of Chaotic righteousness ;) clearly living under the tyrannical Imperial regime kept certain truths hidden from me!

DW

 There are a few books in which Chaos Marines steer the ships but only the most advanced (dedicated to a specific god can). The former Night Lord in the new series, the Sorcerer in 'Blood Gorgons'. But were they can they have their own Navigator bloodlines or steal them if possible. But were as Rogue Trader is about all of that, Black Crusade is more concerned with the path to ultimate power!

Hehe, ultimate power is good, I just tend to think that the path to power would be easier to tread with the ability to scourge entire continents in a single broadside, or at least raid enemy outposts and have somewhere to 'stash your swag' as it were. But maybe (and I think this is what your driving at) the intricacies such as who navigates etc aren't as important to BC characters, just so long as they get where their going and its assumed they have the crew they need if they're using a voidship. I could work with that. Though for my own games I'd still be very tempted to combine RT's rules with BC to give the game a more piratical twist. Though that said the players I'm going to DM for are more interested in setting up a cult in the Calixis sector, heh typical, wonder if its worth getting some more DH books instead, Radicals Handbook maybe (I always fancied running a Radical Inquisitor but they preferred Puritan.. yawn).

DW

There are heretic navigators. Read Soul Hunter for an example. Just as there is a Dark Mechanicus there are Navigators that serve heretic causes, in this case navigate the Night Lord voidships through the warp. I think FFG missed a trick by not including them in the book. Maybe they will in Tome of Fate (if and when that ever gets released).

 More piratical leanings? Hostile Acquisitions?

Chaos Pirates, slavers, raiders. Infinitely more horrible than anything a mere Rogue Trader could come up with.

DW

TheHeavenlyLily said:

signoftheserpent said:

I'd hardly call it "choosing not to bother"… Work on Black Crusade hadn't even begun when Hostile Acquisitions was in development. We couldn't choose to tie the book into Black Crusade because Black Crusade didn't exist at that point.

 Yes the Sorcerer's in Black Crusade took over the Navigators spot since they have already looked upon the eye of terror.

Other xenos creature have adapted or evolved to see the edies and tides of warp space.  In thexenod manual of dark heresy and rogue trader talk of these warp entities.

So do some digging you find some really cool stuff about this subject.  Of course there are the exterminatus ships that are unmanned kill sats made in the dark age of 40 k by the mechanicus so what navigates them through the Warp.

I would assume that these devices are only "heretical" becouse the navigator houses don't want to be labeled useless, and thus a mere mutants, and thus the enemies of the imperium. :)

I just find it cool that Navigating is something that can be learned and doesn't solely rely on mutant birthrates, as those damned Imperials might have me believe  It does seem right that Chaos worshippers and psykers/sorcerers should find this a potential ability. I wonder though, is there any danger of them losing their eyes?

DW

From THE NAVIGATOR HOUSES section on page 313.

"Renegades dedicated to the Ruinous Powers utilise both rogue
Navigators and sorcerers with analogous powers to steer their
vessels through the shifting tides of the Empyrean, steering not
by the sickly illumination cast by the Astronomican, but by other,
more powerful beacons only they can look upon."


As for why rogue navigators aren't included in the book, it may be because of their powers, which are very much unique, and BC is a system where everyone can become anything (not really true but close).
When people decide that a little diversity and special archeotype traits/talents won't destroy any balance, meaby we'll see a navigator.

Thanks ShadowRay!

DW