Navigator - Navigator Powers: Without the Navigator Gene and those who bear it, there simply would not be an Imperium of Man. At best, Humanity's control of the stars would be limited to those planets that could entirely support themselves and a few scattered petty stellar empires. Contact with other worlds would be scant to non-existent, for travel between all but the very closest of star systems would be too ponderous, and too dangerous, to be practicable.Without a Navigator, a vessel is limited to Warp jumps of only a few light years at a time, and exact calibration must be undertaken by massive banks of cogitators as even the smallest of errors will have fatal consequences for the vessel and every soul aboard.Without a Navigator, to cross even the smallest of interstellar gulfs without the most detailed and ancient charts of the Warp routes in between is considered a desperate or foolhardy act by most voidfarers and suicidal by those who truly understand what horrors lurk beyond the material universe.The Navigator is the scion of one of the great Navigator clans. These bloodlines are said by some to be older than the Imperium itself and by others to be a direct creation of the God-Emperor when He walked in mortal form. Over the millennia, they have garnered great political and economic power and inﬂuence thanks to the Imperium's reliance on them, but at the same time are caged by convention and tradition.A Navigator wants for nothing, yet in reality is often a slave of their station. Thanks to their Warp eye, they are able to pierce the veil between the Materium and the Immaterium, between reality and the nightmarish realms beyond. Able to perceive the Warp's shifting contours and impossible psychic currents, they can guide a vessel by dint of their skill and the immeasurable aid of the light of the Astronomican, the Emperor-forged and soul-burning psychic beacon that shines across the galaxy from ancient Terra.The life of a Navigator is one of duty and service to their house, yet many would have it no other way, for they are never truly more alive than when ensconced in their navigation sanctum, gazing into the insane, swirling depths of the Immaterium, pitting their will and their wits against the ravening storm of energy and thought that lurks behind all things others call real.Each Navigator perceives the Warp in an entirely subjective manner as a reﬂection of their own unique nature, for even such as they may not stare into the abyss and face its true form without suffering the utter destruction of mind and soul. Some perceive the psychic dimension in terms of a journey through a storm-wracked forest, knowing that to stray from the path is to surrender to the horrors that lurk within.For others, the Warp appears as a raging sea, or a desert engulfed in a sandstorm, or a shifting city of night, or a million other potential forms. As Navigators gain in experience and power, the abstraction fades, and they are capable of observing the true nature of the Warp through a polarized state -- their third eye filtering the horror.But even for those so designed on a genetic level to endure the Warp's horrors, there is still a price to pay. Navigators who have served the longest may become wracked with bodily failure, incipient madness, and possible mutation, and ultimately they become virtual prisoners reliant on the life-sustaining machinery of their sanctums.Navigators also possess a number of special psychic powers which represent their respective lineage. The powers of the Navis Nobilite are little understood by any but the most esoteric of scholars, and the Navigators themselves, of course.A Navigator is a living window into the Warp, a fact mercifully mitigated for their own soul's and sanity's sake by the effects of the Navigator Gene that allows them to perceive the Warp's mind-blasting truth in a unique way that allows their Human mind to deal with it.Unlike the use of other psychic powers, Navigators do not need to summon the energies of the Warp or use arcane psychic foci to activate their powers. Rather, their powers are a result of their innate connection to the Warp and the legacy of their genes.Rumours tell that Navigators can curse a man with a glance or hold back the march of time with but a thought, though this is surely conjecture. Most would consider them only marginally better than outright mutants, although necessary all the same for their ability to steer a vessel safely through the Warp.The following list presents an assortment of some of the most common Navigator powers wielded by these sanctioned mutants in the Imperium. These are certainly not all of the powers that might be available to a given Navigator, as the Imperium is a vast and strange place.Aether Doldrums - A skilled Navigator can use this power to mark a point of calm in even the most tumultuous Warp storm. On a smaller scale, they can also use this ability to find a stillness in the Immaterium flowing around them that dampens psychic powers and pushes Daemons back towards the edge of the dark pit from whence they came. Many Navigator Houses teach their progeny how to seek this calm in the Warp, as it may be the only thing that stops the Navigator from being torn to shreds and their soul devoured by Daemons in the case of a failure in their vessel's protective Gellar Field.Baleful Watcher - The power sometimes called "Baleful Watcher" or "Piercing Gaze" is a technique taught to Navigators to help them to penetrate the densest of Warp storms and find a safe path. However, when turned on an individual, this power allows the Navigator to look past the facade of material reality, and thus exploit the knowledge they gain from staring so deeply into their foe's soul.A Cloud in the Warp - By understanding and perceiving the "currents" of the Warp, the Navigator can hide their presence from those who would use the Immaterium to detect them. Whilst it does not in any way mask their presence in the material universe, it can ably hide them from detection by other psykers and confuse creatures whose essence and existence are linked to the Warp, such as Daemons and other Warp entities. As the Navigator grows in power, they will become harder to detect, as well as being able to mask others' Warp signature if they stand nearby.Corrupting the Flesh - A vile power that is generally only used by Shrouded or Renegade Houses. Navigators can use this power to channel the corrupting power of the Warp and bathe their targets with its malign power. This power not only inflicts excruciating pain, but it also can lead to spontaneous mutation or even death. However, the power is not without cost, as Navigators who make use of this power on a regular basis risk losing their grasp on reality.Disrupting the Empyrean - Navigators possess an almost innate sense of the Warp. Through little-understood methods of psychic manipulation, the Navigator is able to churn up the local area of Warpspace, in essence, creating something akin to a miniature Warp storm in local realspace. This has an effect on voidships attempting to exit and enter the Warp. Ships wishing to enter the Warp will need to travel out of the area of disturbance or risk damage. Those voidships wishing to exit the Warp must do the same.Divination - Some senior Navigators can sometimes learn to use and interpret the portents from the Emperor's Tarot. This form of precognition is much more vague and difficult to interpret than attempting to divine the future by gazing into the Warp directly, but remains far safer.Ebb and Flow - Time can flow in a strange manner when travelling through the Immaterium, and over the years many Navigators have learned to move with the temporal unpredictability of the Immaterium that underlies reality. By unleashing a vision that strips away the presumptuous facade of linear time before an attacker's eyes, the Navigator can slow an enemy to a crawl. Even if the power's effect is extraordinarily subtle, many have found it to be just enough to stay an assassin's blade by a few precious moments or prevent a foe escaping the judgement of the Navis Nobilite.Evil Eye - On many worlds, three-eyed mutants who can peer into your soul are thought of as bogey-men to scare children into obedience and people whisper that they are a tainted breed that can curse good, Emperor-fearing citizens with but a glance. These legends likely do not truly refer to Navigators, but they do echo with the truth of the matter, as techniques exist that can cause a person to attract the malign spirits of the Warp, drawing hungry things to them that slowly siphon away at their very mind and soul. The use of this power is reserved for the Navigator Houses' most loathed enemies, and these unfortunates soon find that their luck fails them and their allies treat them with disdain.Eye of Oblivion - The Navigator snaps open their Warp eye and traces the vital lines that bind a creature's animating force in the Warp to its mortal shell. By psychically striking these places with the utmost precision, the Navigator can inflict harm on their target's very essence, and thus defeat foes that might otherwise seem inviolable.Foreshadowing - By using his third Warp eye to filter small secrets from the near future, the Navigator can choose to make slight adjustments to their actions to avoid harm and manipulate the course of events. Only if the Navigator tries to dig too deep into the near future for secrets does this power become so unpredictable that the Navigator may become a victim of the Warp's lies.Gaze into the Abyss - This power allows a Navigator to see a creature's or object's reflection in the Warp and learn things hidden from the real universe. This power is most useful in unmasking both psykers and Daemons, but has other applications, such as reading residual psychic taint on objects and tracking powerful psychic entities.Held in my Gaze - The unflinching third eye of a Navigator locks a creature in place with a gaze that pierces flesh and bone to see the immaterial essence of all things. Most commonly employed against psykers, this ability can be used to render them effectively powerless and prevent them from calling upon their abilities. It is also undeniably effective against creatures with a strong connection to the Warp, such as Daemons, upon which it can have spectacular and devastating consequences.Immolate the Soul - Navigators have the ability to tap into the Warp and bend it to their will through their Warp eye. By carefully channelling the power of the raw Immaterium, a Navigator can cause flesh to blister and spontaneously combust. In fact, it seems that the more corrupt a person is the quicker and more savage the burning process. It is powers such as this that can cause the uneducated to rightly fear the Navigators and give cause to hunt them down as witches and sorcerers. However, the more pious members of the Navis Nobilite feel that this power has been bestowed upon them by the God-Emperor Himself so that they may prosecute His enemies with cleansing flame, and it is rumoured that these pious members of the Navigator Houses use this power to hunt down errant members of the Navis Nobilite.Inward View - There are many myths about the Navigators' "third eye," its origins supposedly harking from the ancient past of Old Earth itself. The Navis Nobilite knows that such stories are not wholly mythical, though, and that it is entirely possible to discover hidden knowledge and a degree of inner calm using the Navigators' own unique brand of introspective meditation. Many of the older, more cloistered members of the Navigator dynasties spend prolonged periods in their Reclusiam Chapels, meditating upon philosophical issues and esoteric lore.Mind Shielding - By using a rare, ancient relic known as a Cerebrum Cowl, Navigators can tap into their innate mental resistance to the Immaterium and use it to shield others from psychic mental influences. While this archeotech is normally used to amplify the powers of the Navigator mutants for Warp navigation, it can also be used to disrupt and protect from psychic-based mental attacks and traps and other such insidious threats.Obliterating the Immaterial Wake - Using arcane knowledge of Warp physics and even special techno-arcane devices (such as a ship's Warp Vanes), the Navigator can influence tides in the Warp and attempt to obliterate any trail left from his voidship's passing through the Immaterium and even realspace, making it difficult, if not impossible, to track. Using this ability is distracting and physically taxing, however, as the Navigator risks unconsciousness and physical damage.Pass Unscathed - Being so closely linked with the Warp, it is no surprise that Navigators have developed techniques to avoid its corrupting influence on both themselves and those around them. With a great deal of effort, the Navigator can slow the insidious effects of the Warp for a short period of time, relying on their mental fortitude to touch the poison of Chaos without being corrupted by it.Refresh and Revitalize - It takes stamina and fortitude to be able to sit at the Navigator's station day after solar day, making sure a voidship stays on course. However, Navigators can tap into the power of their genetic heritage and offset fatigue and exhaustion, allowing for a longer vigil than normal. While this isn't the same as the Adeptus Astartes' Catalepsean Node (the organ that allows Space Marines to keep half of their brain awake while they sleep so that they can be roused swiftly if necessary), it is relatively close in function and does not impart debilitating side effects on the Navigators. However, this power only postpones the fatigue; it does not erase it. Once the Navigators have the means, they must sleep or else they risk falling into a coma that can last for solar days.Scourge of the Red Tide - Through their understanding of the Empyrean, the Navigator calls upon the full fury of the Warp and brings forth a scouring tide of Warp energy that jets forth from their fully-opened third eye. Flesh is seared to the bone, and vital fluids boil away as the victim's soul is consumed in the psychic attack. However, using this power can jeopardize the users as well; consequently, it is generally only used as a last resort as the power of the Warp comes flooding into realspace, consuming all in its path.Seek the Path - The Navigator uses their third eye to peer through the Immaterium around them, piercing the churning clouds of the Warp to find the causeways of least resistance to their target and assessing the paths of its reaction before it can even move to defend itself. In this way, the Navigator guides their own attacks to their destination while circumventing their foe's desperate attempts at defence.Stacking the Deck - Navigators, by their training, are taught the basics of starship naval combat. Navigators are also able to perceive flickering shadows of possible future events. By peering into the streams of time and space and studying the currents and eddies of the Warp, the Navigator can attempt to position their vessel for a more optimum firing solution, angle it in such a way that the ship's armour is able to better deflect an incoming attack, or even point the ship in the best direction for a tactical retreat.Stripping the Husk - With this power, the Navigators are able to quickly snap open and close their Warp eye, unleashing a blast of energy that immediately shears flesh from bone. In a gruesome display, Navigators who utilize this power can reduce an opponent to a pile of steaming bones and quivering meat in a matter of moments.Stupefy the Soul - Some Navigators are able to moderately control the Warp energies that can spew forth from their Warp eye. While most can kill with a look, other Navigators can stun their opponents. By only partially opening their third eye, the Navigator can shock the souls of living creatures. Sometimes this merely stuns the opponent, but there are other times when the Navigator may wish to "push" a bit further into a foe's mind causing them to suffer fear and shock as the Warp assails both minds and spirit. This has the added results of forcing the opponent into fleeing or suffering a complete mental melt-down as their grip on reality shatters from the power of the Warp.The Course Untravelled - Time is not an arrow that flies straight and true, but rather, a tangled web of moments and possibilities. The Course Untravelled discipline allows a Navigator to negotiate this web, stepping fractionally from one moment to another, and in the process, altering their position in the physical world. The use of such a power is extremely dangerous, however, as the Navigator is not actually physically travelling in place as if they were teleporting through the Warp, but rather choosing an alternate future that they wish to inhabit. The Navigator risks both injury and madness in trying to step outside the flow of time in this way.The Lidless Stare - If a Navigator opens their third Warp eye fully, anyone gazing into its depths will witness the power and mind-breaking unreality of the Warp. In an instant, they witness the chaos boiling beneath the skin of existence and for many, it is the last thing they ever see.The Warp Unbound - By gazing directly into the mind of a psyker, the Navigator is able to pierce the barrier between the psyker and the Warp, opening a door to the Empyrean and unleashing a storm of chaos that devastates his victim from within. This terrible power was pioneered by the dreaded Elutrian Confederacy, who harbor hatred for all psykers and consider them inferior to Navigators.Tides of Time and Space - By examining the flow of the Warp around them, the Navigator can anticipate near future actions and thus move outside the normal flow of causality by choosing strands of reality and slipping between them. Whilst this power can be of great benefit to the Navigator, it is also very dangerous, and should they lose control, the results can be disastrous for both them and anyone near to them in local space-time.Tracks in the Stars - When an FTL-capable starship travels through either realspace or the Warp it leaves a faint trail, the lingering shadow of its Warp-Drive's emanations. Using their third eye, the Navigator can follow this trail across the stars.Visions of Hell - While many Navigators simply focus on wreaking as much destruction as possible by revealing the Warp to their foes with powers like Lidless Stare, some Navigators prefer to act with more subtlety and train themselves to cast projections of the true face of that hellish dimension, causing even the most stout-hearted of warriors to collapse to their knees and weep as their sanity unravels.Void Watcher - Using this power and gazing into the void whilst aboard a starship, the Navigator can learn things about space in the immediate vicinity of their vessel. This can reveal hidden dangers such as mines, void creatures, and concealed ships, as well as more mundane perils like asteroids and debris. With skill and practice, a Navigator's void sense can become amazingly precise and reach out across millions of kilometres of space.Warp Vigil - Navigators must be ever watchful for danger when guiding a vessel through the Warp, and be capable of reacting at a moment's notice to the caprices of the shifting Realm of Chaos. On the battlefield, a Navigator can turn this power to his advantage, reacting to strikes before they arrive or even calling allies to move out of harm's way moments before an enemy can land a telling blow.