Navigator

Experts in geography and Arcane Ship Gates. They are crucial for any land or sea adventure.

Navigating isn’t just reading a map. We Navigators plot courses over oceans, around mountains, and through the Arcana itself. No matter where you're going, we’ll get you there, or die casting.

- Thaddeus Endimore, Master of the Navigator’s Guild

The world isn’t what it once was. In days past, the seas were treacherous. Storms, pirates and all manner of dangers hunted the unwary. But it wasn’t until the sky fell that the world turned deadly.

Now, it’s a world of endless horizons and treacherous terrain, both on Earth and even to the shattered Otherworld. Navigators are both beacon and guide for adventuring privateers. They decipher maps, plot the safe course through deadly storms, then bind science with magic to open Arcane Gates. Doorways that let ships travel hundreds or thousands of miles or more in a blink of an eye.

You are a Navigator. The steel-eyed master of chart and compass. A skilled commander of travel magic that can plot a safe course through the worst weather. For a crew, you could be the difference between reaching a fabled relic or being lost to the abyss.

As a Navigator, you gain xp when you successfully plot a course or open a gate to bypass difficult terrain, interpret or draft vital maps, navigate dangerous terrain on land or sea.

Grab your chart and compass. Open an Arcane Gate to the far side of the world, or beyond. You’re not just a pathfinder, but a trailblazer who charts the course of history. Taking journeys that will be legends in the making. As you do, remember that those legends begin with a daring first step, and a skilled Navigator in the lead.

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Navigator Starting Actions

Study 1

Channel 2

Navigator Starting Ability

Sailor’s Lore

Starting Builds

Instead of the typical Navigator, feel free to use one of the following templates.

Cartographer

A good map is a work of art, and you’re the artist to create it. You feel it’s your life’s work to capture the world on paper, from hidden pathways, ancient ruins, to uncharted lands.

Strategist

The world is your chessboard. With each move you make, you calculate risks, anticipate obstacles, and out-think your adversaries. Deductive reasoning and logic are your tools. Weapons sharper than the finest sword or more powerful that a hundred cannon.

Ship’s Pilot

The open sea is your home aboard the rolling deck of a ship. Under your guiding hand, a ship moves like a panther on the waves. You’re at your best when you channel the Arcana to open an Arcane Gate, a portal to allow swift, magical travel for the ship across vast distances.

Suggested Actions

Track 1

Channel 1

Study 1

Starting Ability

Cartographic Precision

Starting Gear

Mapping tools and parchment

Fine quality compass

Mysterious Ancient Map

Suggested Actions

Command 1

Channel 1

Consort 1

Starting Ability

Route Master

Starting Gear

Pocket Atlas

Memory Cog

Strategy Board

Suggested Actions

Pilot 1

Channel 1

Maneuver 1

Starting Ability

Gatekeeper

Starting Gear

Ship's wheel pendant

Star charts

Navigator’s Astrolabe

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Navigator Special Abilities

Cartographic Precision

When you create of decipher a map, you can identify hidden details, route, or passages others might miss, granting +1 effect in dealing with them.

Celestial Guide

The stars are your guide. You can navigate by the stars when all other landmarks and maps fail you.

Gatekeeper

Portal casting is a delicate art, and you’ve a talent for it. When you push yourself while Channeling to create an Arcane Gate, you may reduce the stress cost in 1 scene by half. But in exchange, there is always a complication even if you roll a full success.

Navigator’s Gambit

When you are navigating a perilous route, or Channeling the Arcana to create an Arcane Gate in a critical situation, you can choose to take a +1d with one of the following conditions no matter then outcome:

You or one of your crew takes 1 harm from an unexpected complication

You lose control of the Arcane Gate. It goes rogue and vanishes to plague a nearby coastline. The Etherwave Arcana signature is easily tracked back to you.

One or more of your most personal possessions is claimed as an equivalent exchange by the Etherwave Arcana, dissolving it. The item is chosen at the GM’s discretion based on the situation.

Route Master

You’ve a natural talent for always finding the quickest or safest route through any terrain. As a result, you’re able to reduce travel time and some risk for yourself and your crew.

Sailor’s Lore

You know most myths have a core of wisdom, and you’ve spent your time figuring those out. This has resulted in you possessing knowledge of ancient and forgotten routes that gives you a +1 effect when navigating uncharted or historical areas.

Terrain Whisperer

The land and seas speak to you. Literally. Perhaps even constantly. Once per session, you can communicate with either the sea or land, but not both, to gain insight about your surroundings.

Tide-Touched

The tides themselves are your close ally. The ocean waves themselves will come to your aid in your hour of need. But they can only assist you in evading pursuit or navigating tricky waters by granting you a +1d for 1 scene.

Weatherbinder

You’ve mastered the fine art of communicating with Mother Nature, allowing you to negotiate for help from the weather when you need it. This could be asking for a favorable wind, calming a storm temporarily, or calling on some extra fog when you need it.

When you Channel the Etherwave Arcana to ask for the favor this will cost 2 stress and the Navigator will owe a ‘favor’ in return during Downtime. If the Navigator doesn’t fulfill the favor, they will not be able to use this ability until they pay the favor they owe.

The favor is at the GM’s discretion but here are some examples:

Restore the Balance. A violent storm swept through a region, devastating it. The Navigator must restore the balance by planting saplings to establish a new grove of trees.

Cleanup Crew. Not far away, a polluted river is harming a local settlement and the surrounding land. The Navigator is to find the source of pollution and purify it.

Search and Rescue. A lost elemental spirit is unable to find its way home and has gotten trapped in a nearby town. The Navigator has to track down the elemental and provide it with a means for it to escape the town unharmed so it can return home.

Windrider

You speak with the wind, and it listens. Adjusting the ship sails or predicting wind changes gives you a +1 effect in dealing with travel complications for 1 scene.

Contents

- Navigator Starting Actions and Ability

- Starting Builds

- Profession Questions

- Friends and Rivals

- Navigator Special Abilities

- Typical Navigator Items

Alternative Names

• Stargazer
• Chartmaster
• Sea Sage
• Driftwood (derogatory)
• Lostling (derogatory)
• Compass Fool (derogatory)

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Profession Questions

What mysterious location have you always dreamed of charting?

Have you ever gotten hopelessly lost? If so, what happened? What did you learn from the experience?

Have you always been fond of maps? If so, is there a particular map or route your fond of, or even hold a special memory for? Why?

Do you have a special ritual you perform before starting a journey? Or a lucky charm you always carry with you? What is it?

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Friends and Rivals

Here are some suggestions for trusted friends and bitter rivals.

Friends

Elena Veros

A talented morasu astronomer of Tomia Drevez who often provides you with celestial insights for your journeys.

Captain Lorne "Deep Blue" Harwick

An old sea dog who trusts your navigation skills implicitly. You've known him so long, he's almost like family.

Mira Lethos

A historian and writer who documents the journeys you chart. On occasion she might join you, but prefers documenting your adventures, not being on them.

Bran "Stonespeaker" Torvik

A Wavebinder Elementalist who can communicate with the land, often providing you with vital terrain advice.

Rivals

Dorian "Windsnare" Kell

A long-time rival Navigator, Dorian makes it a habit to use more treacherous routes to sweep in and steal your hard earned valuables or take credit for your discoveries.

Lilith Devos

A spy who often disguises her intelligence gathering as map-making. More times than not, she’s tried to use you as her scapegoat.

Jareth Grail

A Wavebinder Elementalist who harbors a long grudge against you, because he considers you a threat to the 'pure' nature of the elements.

Nadia "Red Compass" Orell

A pirate captain who sees the world's treasures as hers, especially anything you’ve discovered.

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Typical Navigator Items

A typical list of suggested items to choose from that a Navigator might have on them.

Weapons

Cutlass

A classic, curved pirate sword favored in ship-to-ship combat. (1 load)

Fine Pistol

A two shot, flintlock handgun. Who made the pistol? How else is it different from the usual pistol? (1 load)

Dagger

A short blade, ideal for close combat or as a tool. (0 load)

Whip

Made of braided leather, these weapons are useful for combat or climbing. (0 load)

Tools

Mapping Tools and Parchment

For documenting new or changed terrains kept in a weatherproof shoulder bag. (1 load)

Fine quality compass

A high quality, and well made, instrument for determining directions. Who made it? What makes it different from a normal compass? (0 load)

Mysterious Ancient Map

This battered, weatherbeaten old map is of a long, forgotten location. A message in a strange, encoded language is written across the top. Where did you get the map? Can you read the language? Is it a human language, or a language from Otherworld? (0 load)

Strategy Board

A miniature board for plotting routes and maneuvers. The ‘board’ is made of canvas cloth and kept rolled with its small stone miniatures in a two foot long scroll tube. (1 load)

Star Charts

These are maps of celestial bodies and stars for navigation. They are kept in a small, pocket-sized book but can fold out to a full map. (1 load)

Navigator’s Astrolabe

This brass, disc-shaped amulet with a pattern of wires, cutouts and perforations with a set of clock-like arms attached to gears. This small, graduated circular device is used to calculate latitude based on the sun or stars. Not as accurate as the ship mounted version, but infinitely more portable. (0 load)

Pocket Lens

A small lens used to see small details on objects, such as on a map, in greater detail. (0 load)

Gear

Crowbar

This useful tool, also called a prybar or a wrecking bar, is a heavy, solid wrought iron bar with one end that is slightly curved and forked. Useful to help you pry open containers, or dislodge stubborn opponents from your path.

(1 load)

Traveler's Satchel

A canvas bag that can be slung over the shoulder like a messenger bag, or on the back like a small backpack. (1 load, but reduces total load by 2)

Spyglass

Usually a metal tube with lenses that can collapse to a more compact shape. Used for scouting distant ships or land. (1 load)

Weather Vane

This is a portable device that, once opened, can gauge wind direction and speed. When not needed, the mainmast with its wind-sail arms can be collapsed into its gearbox. The gearbox is 4 inches square and 2 1/2 inches tall. (1 load)

Shadowlight Tea

This is a bag of tea made from the Shadowlight plant with its white speckled, deep blue flowers and deep green leaves. The bag contains enough for three cups of the dried petals and leaves. Drinking a cup clears and sharpens the mind of the drinker for several minutes or 1 scene. This allows the drinker to think faster and see farther as if using a spyglass, even through the fog of an Arcane Gate.

Once the effect fades, the drinker suffers 1 stress and one of the following consequences at the GM’s discretion, based on the situation:

“The Light, It Burns”. A splitting headache hampers most actions taken in daylight for 1 scene.

“Siren Bait”. For reasons no one understands, your scent is more attractive to the bloodthirsty sirens than normal. They’ll hunt you so long as you’re near any water.

Either consequence can be resisted as usual. (0 load)

Attire

Navigator's Cap

A hat or cap that denotes the esteemed position of a ship or caravan's navigator. Often wool it has the insignia of the ship or guild the Navigator belongs to. Is there a guild or faction emblem on it? Are you a member in good standing with that guild? Or is it the emblem for a ship? (0 load)

Sturdy Boots

Made from a stout leather, these heavy work boots are designed for the many terrains a Navigator might encounter. (0 load)

Long Travel Coat

Protects against elements and has many pockets for tools. This heavy coat also can protect against daggers as well. (1 load)

Personal Items

Animal Companion

Not just for show; these creatures can be both clever and resourceful. Many are trained to perform tricks and other commands. What kind of animal is it? Where did you find it? How did it come to be your companion?(0 load)

Lucky Compass

A mysterious antique compass that seems to bring good fortune with it for who own it. For the cost of 1 stress the compass needle will point to a nearby item of great interest instead of true north for 1 scene. At a cost of 2 stress, it will point to the owner’s greatest desire instead of true north for 1 scene. How did you come by this compass? Is it an heirloom? Did you win it in a card game? Is someone hunting you for it? (0 load)

Journeyman's Journal

A small, leather-bound log book that contains common formula and calculations for Navigators. There are blank pages for an owner to document personal experiences and discoveries. (1 load)

Sealed Scroll Case

This is a waxed leather, waterproof container often used to hold valuable maps or other documents. (0 load)

Ship's wheel pendant

This is a small pendant made of ivory and wood shaped like a ship’s wheel. Mysterious knotwork decorations and characters cover the ivory. A powerful talisman, this pendant is used as a focus for Navigators when Channeling the Etherwave Arcana to work with Arcane Gates. When worn, it grants potency when working with an Arcane Gate once for 1 scene. Where did you come across this pendant? Did you inherit it? Find it? Steal it? Is someone looking for it? Do the characters on the pendant mean anything? (0 load)

Pocket Atlas

A pocket notebook filled with comprehensive geographical knowledge and other key information. This is often filled with notes on key trade goods, towns, common locations for Arcane Gates, and other important details. (1 load)

Memory cog

A brass, wind up, mechanical storage device that resembles a small, hand-held music box or disk. This delicate and intricate device can record maps, charts, strategies and personal memories to play back in the owner’s mind later. Using a Memory Cog allows an owner to gain +1 effect during a flashback. But drawing out the recorded memory causes 1 additional stress over and beyond stress for the flashback. (0 load)