Navigation

The Navigation skill allows your character to read maps & use them effectively. It allows you to pinpoint your location on the map more easily. It allows you to more quickly assess the cardinal directions. While each of these things may seem trivial, with a skill of 0 (zero) you cannot do any of these.

As Navigation pertains to travel, it can greatly influence your time from one location to another directly. But only when not on a road… Because while on a road, you are… just following the road — with all its twists & turns.

Navigation requires special tools & a Map. Without the complete toolkit & a Map, the Navigation bonus will be completely negated while traveling. The Crude tools are Medium sized. The Basic tools are Small sized.

If the character with navigation had physically been to a location previously (assuming the area hasn’t changed dramatically since they last visited), they may be treated as though they own a Map in that area at their current navigation level. The Map is in their head, even if they cannot draw it. This would allow them to navigate familiar cities, counties, & seas more quickly than those without the Navigation skill & deep familiarity of those zones, even without a Map at their disposal.

When applying the Navigation Bonus to traveling, the Tier value of the map being used & the skill level of the navigator is averaged.

Navigation Bonus = [(Map Tier + Navigation skill) /2] (rounded up).

Effects of Navigation While on Land

Travel on a road is [Body+ Move] in miles each day (at the rate of an adventuring group’s slowest member).

Generally, traveling off road without any Navigation is [(Body+ Move) /2] in miles. Or, half the normal rate.

Traveling off road with Navigation is [(Body+ Move+ Navigation Bonus) /2] in miles each day for the navigator. But the group may still only move at the rate of the adventuring party’s lowest [Body+ Move] if it is lower than the navigators off-road travel rate.

Travel on Rivers

Travel on rivers is the same as travel on roads. The Navigation skill & it’s associated bonus is completely mute.

Each watercraft will have a Move stat associated with it. However when going up or down a river, the travel speed is effected by the direction of the currents.

-For most watercraft traveling down river the speed is 25 miles per day
-For most watercraft traveling up river the speed is 5 miles per day
-For Rafts traveling down river the speed is 15
-For Rafts traveling upstream up river the speed is 3

Any speeds that differ from those listed above will be assigned to each individual craft at their creation. If none is assigned, these values will be used.

Effects of Navigation While on Open Water

Each watercraft will have a Move stat associated with it. When moving on open water, such as lakes, oceans & seas, the speed these watercraft travel per day is [Move x Navigation bonus].

Rafts on open water will travel [1 x Navigation Bonus] miles per day. Where a raft has a Move of 1 & Navigation Bonus is the highest amongst characters piloting the craft. If no character has Navigation skills and there is no map, the Navigation Bonus is 0 — They cannot travel on open water.

-Raft – Move: 1
-Rowboat – Move: 2
-Small Sailboat – Move: 3
-Medium Sailboat – Move: 4
-Large Sailboat – Move: 5

These are examples. Each craft is unique & has it’s own pros & cons associated with it (including it’s travel speed). The generic craft listed above should get you started on your journey (at least until I have time to do a write up on Shipwright).