Unlike conventional 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. Because of these factors, a Navigator character does not make a Manifest test to try and gather warp energy as a Psyker would, nor do his abilities have an innate Warp Charge. Instead, whenever he chooses to use one of his powers, he must pass a characteristic test for it to be successful. Each power’s description indicates which characteristic must be tested, plus any modifiers and additional effects for success levels the Navigator gains. The most common characteristics used by a Navigator in this way are Willpower and Perception.
In addition to any modifiers detailed in the power’s description, a Navigator gains a bonus to the test based on his level of mastery with the power:
- +0 Novice
- +10 Adept
- +20 Master
Unless otherwise noted, using a Navigator Power is an action.
Note that Navigators never need to roll for Psychic Phenomena or Perils of the Warp, and cannot risk triggering these effects with the use of their powers. Likewise, any items, creatures, or psychic effects that would either cause or increase the chance of a Psyker triggering Perils of the Warp will not affect them when they use their abilities.