The Nav Computer

Introduction To The Nav Computer

I know it’s been said that you shouldn’t just trust some strange computer, but the nav computer is one that you’ll be relying on to get you and your fellow players from point A to point B in the galaxy as safely as possible. This is the thread to come to if you’re curious about how your ship will be traveling, and you should especially be paying attention if you’re the one doing the astrogation charting roll (as the computer will be making suggestions).

Each course plotting that a player charts using the astrogation skill will pull up a list of choices involving time and difficulty on the nav computer based on distances traveled, trade routes, and hazards (more can be found in the 2nd Edition R&E on these matters on page 118). In addition to the computer’s suggestions, a basic map will be presented indicating where your ship is in relation to the galaxy and where you’re going. The nav computer, if up to date, and provided that the destination/world has been surveyed, the computer may even provide basic information on the destination.

Out of all the D6 books I own (and I’ve got a lot), I haven’t seen a decent map of the galaxy presented. The best map I have to date (that I feel comfortable using) is from the Revised D20 Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Core Rule Book from 2002, pages 208-209. The book came out in 2002, and has a lot of OT and prequel related information in it (up to and including Attack of the Clones). If you have access to it, that’s wonderful, if not, no big deal because I’ll be providing a focused map based off of the map in the book. This will happen each time there is an astrogation calculation before a jump to hyperspace.

Player characters can expect to see an example of this soon enough (Chapter One). This will hopefully provide answers to some of the astrogation related questions ahead of time for a safe trip and give everyone a chance to see what will be going on with the course of travel. Stay tuned.

Galactic Quadrants

Quadrant One - Even though this quadrant is where Coruscant is located, this region of space appears to be pretty desolate. A few trade routes terminate at Coruscant (Corellian Run and Perlemian Trade Route).

Quadrant Two - Two major trade routes run through this quadrant (Hydian Way and Perlemian Trade Route). Notable worlds are Alderaan, Ithor, Yavin, and Kashyyyk.

Quadrant Three- This is a busy quadrant. Four trade routes cross through it (Hydian Way, Corellian Run, Corellian Trade Spine, and Rimma Trade Route). Notable worlds are Hoth, Bespin, Endor, Dagobah, Tatooine, Geonosis, Rodia, Ando, Falleen, Naboo, and Eriadu.

Quadrant Four - Busier than Quadrant One, but less busy than the two previous quadrants, notable places to visit (or avoid) are Hutt Space, Kamino, Gamorr, Barab I and Kessel.

Note: The map above will not be presented for astrogation calculations. Instead, a smaller more detailed map with a fragment of a quadrant will be shown for course projections.

Vulgas III
Type: Terrestrial
Atmosphere: Type 1 (breathable)
Temperature: Hot
Hydrosphere: Humid
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Mountains, Jungles, Oceans
Length of Day: 24 hours
Length of Year: 370 days
Sapient Species: Humans, Various Aliens
Starport: Standard at Research Facility
Population: unknown, originally 7000 (estimated)
Planet Function: Imperial Medical Research
Government: Imperial Navy
Tech Level: Space
Major Exports: Unknown
Major Imports: Technology



Astrogation Considerations: Traveling from Rodia to Vulgas III
Base Astrogation Difficulty: 8
Factors in Favor: Nav Computer, Same Quadrant of Galaxy (no penalties or bonuses)
Factors Requiring Mitigation by Time: Mid Rim to Outer Rim to Wild Space (+2), No major trade route (+2), Gallery of obstacles around the Vergesso Asteroids (+5)
Time Calculations: Leaving Mid Rim (6 hours), Navigating Asteroids (2) hours, Leaving Outer Rim (6 hours), Entering Wild Space (6 hours)
Completed Difficulty: 17 (20 hours), 12 (25 hours), or 7 (30 hours)
Synopsis: The nav computer tells the crew that with all the factored calculations, the trip to Vulgas III has a factored difficulty of 20 hours with a roll of 17, or 25 hours with a roll of 12, or 30 hours with a roll of 7. With more time, the navigation settings can adjust for a safer trip. An astrogator can always try to skim time off the projections, but that increases the astrogation difficulty; for example, a 10 hour trip would have an astrogation difficulty of 27.