Space is big, and every place you might try to travel to is constantly moving. Travel is helped by a complex system of buoys and psionic anchors around common destinations, as well as arcane pathways through an extradimensional space, the Void.
Powerful, deity-like beings inhabit the void, as do their servants and other monsters. The Void’s relationship to reality (or vice versa) is like the relationship of dreams and waking life. The logic and structure of the Void makes sense to those that are present in it, but it does not obey a set of universal rules. Many creatures, structures, and landscapes in the Void are analogs of elements in reality. Those that don’t have an analog in reality are often a precursor—like a dream that guides someone’s life choices and goals, powerful Voidborn creatures and events often create an echo in reality.
The Void influences adventures and stories through three important mechanics. First, it makes long-distance space travel possible. Second, arcane powers and magic are drawn from the barrier between reality and the Void. Finally, the Void itself can be traversed, offering a plethora of allies, antagonists, and treasures unavailable in reality.
Space Travel
Reality and the Void are independent dimensions, separated by a barrier that requires significant magical ability to pierce. Ships equipped with Void Drives are able to exit and reenter reality, riding within that barrier or moving into the Void itself. From this vantage point, a ship’s navigator can find an arcane buoy or psionic anchor on the opposite side of the barrier, pushing back into reality where they find that signal.
Imagine a building filled with rooms, underneath a large attic space. Any two people may be looking for each other in this building, entering and exiting rooms, walking down hallways, and constantly changing position. Space travel is very similar: star systems are constantly moving, with other systems, asteroid fields, comets, and similar dangers in the intervening space. A more efficient search method would be to climb into the attic and walk directly to the space where the other person’s voice can be heard.
Buoys and anchors are like that voice. From within or beyond the barrier, skilled navigators can find the waymarker they need and reenter reality where they find the signal.
Waymarkers
Three types of waymarkers help guide navigators. Arcane buoys are anchored piercings in the barrier between the Void and reality. Some are natural fissures in space, while others have been created by powerful sorcerers. Psionic anchors are created by creatures with the appropriate psionic power. These are only available to navigators who know how to look for them, or who have been given a clue to their location. Finally, arcane pathways within the Void allow ships to find creatures and locations in that dimension.
Arcane Buoys
Arcane buoys are like doorways between reality and the Void. They are always physical objects, and they are typically at least the size of a small moon or comet. Naturally occurring buoys can be found outside of star systems. The metallic cores of collapsed stars are made of rare materials not found on most worlds. Prior to space travel spreading across the galaxy, Void Striders could hear these cores singing to them in the night. Before space navigation, Void Striders used astronomy to track these sirens across empty spaces in the night sky, traveling between dimensions with rifts.
As space travel progressed, advanced sorcerers of the Void learned to sing the song themselves, piercing the barrier of reality in important locations, so they could always find their way home—or so they could lead armies to the homes of their enemies.
Psionic Anchors
Psionic creatures are deeply in tune with reality, so much so that they often find their powers do not work in the Void. When a psionic creature breaks the barrier of reality, they instinctively leave an anchor at their exit point, allowing them to Scry or use psionic travel abilities to return to that location. When the creature returns to reality, the anchor point closes. Skilled psionic creatures can maintain these points even after they return to reality.
Psionic navigators or those with psionic crew members and scanners can use these anchors to find their way back during long journeys. While many psionic powers are not usable in the Void, this one skill makes psionic creatures indispensable on dangerous missions to the Void or when jumping to unmarked locations.
Arcane Pathways
The Void is a constantly shifting and changing landscape. Many visitors feel that the landscape changes as soon as they stop looking at some part of it—the trees in a forest change every time travelers look up, the stars look different each night, and even the settlements that pass for towns and cities in the Void seem to change layout from hour to hour.
However, just as Voidborn creatures modify reality as they pass through it, creatures from reality solidify the Void with their presence. Regular travel to Void settlements and cities and regular interaction with Voidborn creatures gives them some solidity. Void Striders and navigators familiar with the Void are able to find the common pathways used by travelers, helping them find familiar locations more easily.
Jumps
In general, navigators on ships with a Void Drive can choose one of three long-distance travel options. They can move from one waymarker to another, like using existing doors into and out of the attic. They can simply go if they need to escape their current location, like climbing into the attic and jumping through the ceiling without caring what’s below. Finally, they can attempt to find a specific location that does not have a known waymarker, like trying to figure out which part of the ceiling they want to break through to reach a desired location.
Jumping between waymarkers is a DC 10 Pilot roll. It is safe, and most skilled navigators are able to make these jumps with little trouble. On success, the navigator reaches the target waymarker.
Jumping without a destination is a DC 20 Pilot roll. This is a challenge for many skilled navigators, and it can easily turn bad (see Failed Jumps below). Even on a successful roll, the ship will end up at an unknown location in space, requiring Scry rolls or scanners to determine the crew’s location and the best route to a safe port. This is typically only done in emergencies.
Jumping to an unmarked destination is a DC 35 Pilot roll. This is an intense challenge for master navigators. Few navigators are willing to make this risk unless there is a substantial reward involved.
Failed Jumps
When traveling through the Void, the navigator’s job is twofold: reach the target location and avoid running into anything along the way. Neither is a particularly easy task; after all, space is big and only mostly empty.
When using buoys, psionic anchors, or arcane pathways, navigation failures are limited in scope. Failure when traveling to a known location throws the ship off-course by 1d3 days. Inertial drives can be used to reach a buoy or anchor in that much time.
When jumping without a target, the navigator’s only job is to avoid running into anything. Failing this roll results in some collision damage. The ship takes 2d12 superficial hull damage and 1d6-2 functional hull damage.
Only a truly skilled or suicidal navigator would attempt to jump to a target without a waymarker. Failing this roll results in collision damage and a chance to end up significantly off-course. The ship takes 2d12 superficial hull damage and 1d6-2 functional hull damage. The navigator then rolls 1d4 and consults the table below.
| Result on 1d4 | Ship Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ship arrives 1d3 days of inertial drive travel away from the target location. |
| 2-3 | Ship arrives 2d8 days of inertial drive travel away from the target location. If the target was within a star system or nebula, the ship is within that larger body. |
| 4 | Ship arrives… somewhere. Without extensive Scry rolls, the location of the ship (let alone the direction to the target location) cannot be easily determined. |
The Void and Magic
The barrier between reality and the Void is permeable but not very. The potential energy created by these two dimensions coming in near-contact with each other can be accessed by sorcerer classes, powering arcane spells and abilities. This same energy must be controlled during space travel or when creating portals into the Void.
Arcane Potential
A character’s Arcane Potential attribute indicates how much they are affected by this energy, and in return, how much they can control it. A larger attribute modifier will grant more arcane magic points and make spells more powerful, but it reduces a character’s resistance to Void-based effects. In contrast, a negative modifier will grant resistance to Void-based effects, but that resistance is applied to beneficial and damaging effects equally.
Arcane Magic Points
Characters have an arcane magic point pool equal to [ Arcane Potential Modifier x Class Level ]. Sorcerer classes may have additional features to expand this pool.
Arcane Item Activation
Characters activating a magic item can use their Charisma modifier or Arcane Potential modifier. Any character may spend arcane magic points on this roll to gain +2 per point spent.
Arcane Resistance and Conductance
Void-based magic impacts characters and objects differently, according to how connected they are to reality. Characters will resist or conduct Void-based magic. A positive Arcane Potential modifier is subtracted from saving throw rolls against Void-based magic, while a negative Arcane Potential modifier is added to save rolls. Characters must make save rolls against all magic effects, including beneficial ones.
For spells and magic abilities that do not grant a saving throw roll, characters affected by the spell add their Arcane Potential modifier to the caster’s roll—negative modifiers act as a penalty, while positive modifiers are a bonus. This applies to spells like Void Pocket and to Pilot rolls when crossing between reality and the Void.
Characters and objects with zero Arcane Potential are immune to Void-based effects. They are completely grounded in reality.
Casting Spells
Each spell and psionic effect is described in the Magic and Psionics pages. Spells are powered by arcane magic points.
Void Pocket
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To cast a spell, your character must meet certain minimum criteria.
- The spell must be known to your character. Different classes learn spells in their own ways, and no character knows every spell.
- You must reasonably believe that your target is within range and an appropriate type of target for the spell. (That is, you can’t heal a rock, nor can you cast a touch spell against something across the room.)
- You must have enough arcane magic points to meet the cost of the spell, including any Enhancement Feats you want to apply.
- You must be able to provide all spell components.
If all of these conditions are met, the spell takes its full cast time before taking effect. During this time, you can be interrupted by damage or other distractions (see the Concentration skill for more detail). Once the spell takes effect, it is typically no longer under your control. Arcane fire spreads as easily as normal fire, and objects that cross the barrier between Void and reality are wherever they have ended up. No takesy backsies.
Recovering Magic Points
All classes gain Recovery Dice at each class level. For each hour of rest, you may choose to roll one of your recovery dice, regaining that amount of arcane magic points.
Denizens and Geography of the Void
The Void is infinite in size and possibility. Within this dimension, characters will find reflections of many parts of reality—settlements that resemble cities and landscapes of real worlds, as well as objects and creatures that resemble historical or legendary entities. Characters will also find reflections of the thoughts, beliefs, and fears of creatures and cultures. Gods, demons, and events that could have been can all be encountered within the Void.
Travelers in the Void must remember that this mirror reflects in both directions. It is not known whether the Void settlements arose as a reflection of their counterparts in reality, or if the Void settlements guided the dreams and actions of individuals who would make them real. Voidborn entities that some worship as gods are equally likely to have been given form and life from the faith of the cultures that worship them as they are to have simply adopted the name of a god to gain power.
Game masters are encouraged to define locations and creatures in the Void however they choose, but these guidelines may be useful when planning adventures.
Voidborn
Entities born within the Void (as well as those that claim to be older than the Void) are especially attuned to the chaos of that dimension. All Voidborn have a minimum Arcane Potential of 4, and they know two 0-level Void Sorcery spells in addition to Shape Void.
For these creatures, a lower Arcane Potential means they are a closer reflection of their analog in reality. Truly alien, unknowable entities within the Void typically have an Arcane Potential of 20 or higher.
Settlements and Voidspace
In reality, worlds and star systems drift through space. Getting from one world to another requires ships and interstellar travel.
In the Void, settlements and landscapes give way to open space. It’s just as possible to travel from reflections of Graahl to reflections of Ahsikk by foot as it is by ship. The infinite variety of settlements and landscapes of the Void make travel its own adventure.