Navigator

From Republic

"Navigator" is the colloquial term describing those individuals which possess a very unique and rare ability typified by an uncanny capability of correctly guessing the outcome of random events. Whether the individual is able to predict the future or cause it to happen is not clear. However, it is known that this instincual ability makes one a superior pilot, interstellar navigator (far superior to navigational computers), and similar undertakings.

Consequently, those that are identified as possessing this ability are closely monitored, and are prohibited from taking advantage of others not possessing of this ability, such as by gambling or similar activities.

The navigator ability has not been shown to be conclusively linked with any specific gene.

Nav-Com vs. Navigator Adept 

Computers can’t come up with truly random numbers, but neither can humans, really. However, the human advantage is being able to guess really well. Computers can approximate “guessing” but not as well as a human with the Navigator’s Gift, which essentially seems to be some sort of quantum probability collapsing that can result in things going in their favor. Some call it prescience, some call it luck, but the result is still that navigators have a way of causing things to go their way, at least as far as getting a closer hit to their target than computers are currently capable of, when unknowns due to lack of data are concerned. But this primarily only comes into play, really, when there are unknowns. Otherwise navigators still have a smaller margin of error than Nav-Coms do, and hence result in faster arrival at destination from less conventional transit due to missed target destination.

Talent - Navigator Aptitude

That’s Navigator with a capital "N". Only very sophisticated computers and individuals with the Navigator Aptitude are able to adequately compensate for the chaos of the quantum-level variables influencing F.M.T. travel. Since such characters among the human species are rare, GM’s permission is required for a player character to have it. If permission is granted, the character must purchase the Navigator Aptitude for 4 points upon character creation. This provides only the background of having the Navigator Aptitude and access to the abilities available to Navigator characters. It cannot be purchased with experience, though it could be part of a mystery background.

The Aptitude alone is enough to be detected in standardized tests, but does not offer any other advantage by itself.

Transport Familiarity - F.M.T. Drive

Piloting a craft by F.M.T. requires Transport Familiarity: F.M.T. Drive. This costs 1 point operate to fly all F.M.T. craft with Republic standard commercial configurations; 1 point for Republic military configurations; and 1 point for each of any myriad of proprietary, experimental, or foreign configurations. 2 points gets you the group category of all F.M.T. craft, although the GM may impose penalties for unfamiliar language, non-human construction, etc. This is available to characters with the Navigator Aptitude and as a program for computers. It is not available to any other character.

Talent - Navigator Talent

This is the ability that Navigators are known for and is only available to those with the Navigator Aptitude; computers are not yet eligible. This Talent costs 5 points for a base 11- roll and +1 per 2 more points. This is the remarkable ability of certain humans to be able to guess the best choices in a seemingly random, chaotic environment, especially with regards to pathways. It is applied in one of three ways: 1) as a complimentary skill roll to any driving, piloting, or “games of chance” test such as gambling or the stock market; 2) as a complimentary skill roll to any task that requires tangling with Uncertainty at the quantum level, such as dealing with quantum encryption or guessing about the contents of a quantum sealed container – note that doing so will may “ruin” the uncertainty through observation, causing system failure or alerting interested parties of tampering; or 3) when applied to F.M.T. travel which is both situation 1 and 2, it is a full skill roll – in the case of F.M.T. travel, it behaves like combat piloting with respect the TF: F.M.T. Drive.

Keep in mind that while the Navigator Talent may allow a character take advantage of games of chance or defeat quantum encryption, it is generally illegal to do so in the Republic.

Thus ordinary folks cannot operate F.M.T. Drives. Computers can be programmed to operate the F.M.T. Drive reliably in normal conditions, but only at a 8- (familiarity) when off the beaten path. Computers can calculate a navigation solution for out-of-the-ordinary travel if one is willing to accept a 74% failure rate at best. This is how it must have been in the old days before the Navigator Talent was discovered.

Other Abilities

Navigators can seem superhuman to others. A character that has the Navigator Aptitude background can have other Talents, Powers, Perks, or Skills that normal humans could not have. Abilities with the special effect of chance or intuition may be appropriate, such as Luck, Danger Sense, Combat Luck, Deduction are obvious ones. Powers or skill levels should involve a die roll, or have an activation limitation applied if it does not in order to reflect the nature of the Navigator’s ability.

Navigators and the Republic

The Republic regards those with the Navigator Aptitude to be such a valuable resource that all children are tested for the Aptitude during the course of their ordinary education. Those with the gift are registered in the Republic database. They are generally offered scholarships by the state after completing primary education and are strongly encouraged to learn skills for needed services, usually piloting and F.M.T. Drive operations. Not all of those registered with the Aptitude choose to enter public service but most do because of the benefits of doing so and because the alternative is not attractive to most. There are also a few who, for various reasons, fall through the cracks and are never identified by the Republic.

Actually, this last group is probably slightly larger than any existing estimate. The very nature of the Navigator Aptitude makes these individuals lucky bastards. Those who are registered tend to benefit from the status. Those who would not benefit are more likely than average to slip through the system or get a negative result, intentionally or not. Of course, anybody’s luck can run out eventually, but those with the Aptitude have more than most.