Astrogate: Saga

I was digging through my old Star Wars Saga Edition notes for a potential new game and found my old astrogate rules. The existing rules are relatively simple, but don’t give a satisfying outcome. You always get where you need to go in 1d6*X Days. Travel distances don’t really matter, and your spaceship feels more like a teleporter than a ship. My rules tighten it up, so you don’t travel a random number of days, but a consistant speed based on the distance traveled. Pedantic note. I know in Star Wars lore, you punch holes through space, and literally shorten the distance traveled. I don’t particularly care, and would rather “Go really fast”, which IMO fits the imagery from the scenes in movies and shows a lot better.

Astrogation

Instead of the rules presented.

• Step 1- Plot the Course- Count the number of squares from where you are to where you would like to be on the galactic map. This requires a full round action.
• Step 2 – Do the Math – Multiple the number of squares by the Hyper-drive Rating of your ship to get the number of days the trip will take. For example, 10 squares X 3 Hyper-drive means 30-day travel. This requires a full round action.
• Step 3- Make the Jump- To make the jump, roll an astrogation check. This is a simple skill check, with a DC equal to the number of days you will need to spend in hyperspace. Failure means you calculated wrong and are sucked out of hyperspace somewhere along your travels. (Typically, you simply go as far as your result would have taken had it been successful.) This takes the full amount of time, and you must now attempt a new hyperspace jump. Inexperienced pilots often make multiple shorter jumps instead of attempting one large jump. This requires a full round action.
• Step 4- Hyperspace- Regardless of success you enter hyperspace. If you were successful, you will exit hyperspace as planned in X days. If not, you exit hyperspace in X days, but in the wrong location. Exiting at the wrong location can occasionally be due to overstressed engines, see below.

Things that modify an astrogate check.

• In Combat       -5
• Moving           -5
• Rush                -5 per
• Slowed            +1 per extra day
• Unposted         -10

1. In Combat- If you are shooting at someone, or they are shooting at you.
2. Moving- If your ship has moved during a turn in which any of these steps happen.
3. Rushed- You can perform two of these steps as a full round action, instead of two, if you rush. You can combine a third for an additional -5.
4. Slowed- You can take an extra day to arrive if you do so you can gain a +1 to your roll. (Essentially you can take longer than needed if you want at no penalty because of the increased DC)
5. Unposted- You plot an astrogation course, but neglect to post it for others to see. This is particularly dangerous, and highly illegal. You take a -10 to your check, and whoever follows you takes a -20.

Overstressed Engines

If for any reason you are pulled from an astrogate, or you miscalculate your astrogation and arrive at the wrong destination, there is a chance you have damaged, or overstressed your engine. To find this chance, take the hyperdrive score (X3, X4, X5, etc) and multiply it by 10%. Now the DM will roll percentile, and if lower than your %, your engines have become stressed. A stressed engine does not allow for hyperspace jumps but can be repaired.

To repair a stressed engine, you make a Mechanics check with a DC equal to the astrogate jump you were attempting. Each check represents a day’s work, and you need a number of successes equal to the ship’s hyperdrive score, rounded up to repair the engines. EX: A hyperdrive score of X5 needs 5 successes, and a score of .8 needs one.

Modifiers for this mechanics check.

• In Open Space (not a hanger)         -10
• Rushed                                               -5
• Unskilled Aid                                     +1

1. In Open Space- Your ship is not docked and resting. This also extends the duration required to make a mechanics check to one week.
2. Rushed- You can make a check every 12 hours, but you will be rushed and take a -5 to the check.
3. Unskilled Aid- While only those trained in Mechanics can aid another on this check, there are loads of wires to be run, or other menial tasks to be performed. For each person providing unskilled aid, you gain a +1 bonus to your check.

To Follow In Hyperspace

To follow someone who has made the jump into hyperspace, you need only to have seen where they left from, check posted courses, and then make an astrogation check with the same DC they did (Including all positive and negative modifiers, regardless of whether they apply to you) with the addition of your own negative modifiers. You do not need to plot the course, but you must leave from the same place they did. The other steps are still required. If they did not post the route, a skilled pilot can determine the route taken, but takes -20, not -10 to their attempt.