Homebrew technology
Hyperspace and the Drift
Hyperspace (also known as Nullspace or Voidspace) is a 4D-conic shaped dimension of the universe - a swirling and churning quantum void of much lower size than realspace, allowing for paradox-free FTL travel between two points.
Hyperspace in this setting is far more than Starfinder’s Drift, through which ships sail with the help of the All-Code's impossible engine. Instead, it can be represented in the shape of an inverted cone, with its edges correlating to the entry and exit points. The topmost layers (called Phases) cost the least energy and are disrupted by realspace gravity fields, which can be used to "drill" or "dive" into Hyperspace at an even lower cost. At points of extreme gravitational disruption, friction between voidspace and realspace generates thaumions, scalar bosons and vectors of Arcana. As the cone narrows downward, each Phase costs more energy, is disrupted less, but allows for faster travel. Even deeper, even tiny imprecisions and errors can lead to ships overshooting their exit point by parsecs. Only at the tip of this "cone" do we find the Starfinder Drift. At this point only does the correlation between realspace and hyperspace distance break down. All space debris eventually fall towards the Drift, fated to linger forever. The Drift is everywhere and nowhere; a singularity that contains an infinite plane, the origin of the mysterious scalar force known as Arcana. |
Drift Beacons & Signal Boosters
All across the Starfinder galaxy, thousands of civilizations have received the All-Code’s blueprints for an esoteric type of Hyperspace drive. Using millions of Drift Beacons as direct gateways, this wonderful engine takes advantage of the Drift’s mutability to sidestep entire technological ages and dramatically shorten distances between even the furthest stars. Energy is never an issue - the Beacons take care of the cost (which can be quite the catch : nothing short of the physical dragging of a piece of another Plane into the Drift). Distance does not matter in the Drift - only the density of the Beacon's signal, and the power of the starship's signal booster.
Drill Drives of the Stream
Beyond the Barrier, far from the edge of the galaxy, the ancestors of the Ark Races who now dwell across the Stream never received the wisdom of the All-Code. Using slow, hungry engines known as Drill Drives, they dove their way through the stars, swimming in and surfacing from the empty outermost phases of Hyperspace. Never did they reach the Drift - its very concept seen only as an outlandish theory.
Even after their Great Jump, the Ark Races still do not make use of the Drift. A single completed Beacon shines at Embassy Station, enabling Pact World traders to conduct trade and outreach missions whilst forcing a "break of gauge" which keeps more imperialistic agents at bay. Drift technology is not trusted by most Arkers for several economic and religious reasons, and multiple incidents have beset Triune’s mission to build more Beacons around each Ark colony’s capital world. There is a “break of gauge” at Embassy Station. Pact World ships, equipped with Drift-capable drives, typically cannot undertake Beacon-less journeys and must transfer their cargo to Ark ships, which take on the rest of the journey in the safer but slower outskirts of Hyperspace.
Gameplay Changes
Embassy Station counts as a Far Space beacon for the purposes of travelling to other parts of the Starfinder galaxy.
Drift Beacons are required in order to use Drift engines. In-system travel is possible in any hex containing at least one Drift Beacon.
Ships using Drill Drives can drill in or out of the edge of any star system OR in the direct vicinity of a heavy star - they must first travel to either area using sublight travel.
Ark ships (built before the Great Jump or not) do not typically have any Signal Boosters. Thus, their Hyperspace Drive does not allow them to undertake journeys in the Drift. Instead, they have Drill Drives, which enable them to travel across the Stream and away from Embassy Station. A ship cannot have both a Drill Drive and a Signal Booster. A ship equipped solely with a Signal Booster cannot travel to any hex without a Drift Beacon.
Drill Drives may operate in a "lower phase mode", i.e. they can reduce their PCU usage to match the type, phase and travel time of an inferior engine type. They can be fitted on all ships regardless of size.
All across the Starfinder galaxy, thousands of civilizations have received the All-Code’s blueprints for an esoteric type of Hyperspace drive. Using millions of Drift Beacons as direct gateways, this wonderful engine takes advantage of the Drift’s mutability to sidestep entire technological ages and dramatically shorten distances between even the furthest stars. Energy is never an issue - the Beacons take care of the cost (which can be quite the catch : nothing short of the physical dragging of a piece of another Plane into the Drift). Distance does not matter in the Drift - only the density of the Beacon's signal, and the power of the starship's signal booster.
Drill Drives of the Stream
Beyond the Barrier, far from the edge of the galaxy, the ancestors of the Ark Races who now dwell across the Stream never received the wisdom of the All-Code. Using slow, hungry engines known as Drill Drives, they dove their way through the stars, swimming in and surfacing from the empty outermost phases of Hyperspace. Never did they reach the Drift - its very concept seen only as an outlandish theory.
Even after their Great Jump, the Ark Races still do not make use of the Drift. A single completed Beacon shines at Embassy Station, enabling Pact World traders to conduct trade and outreach missions whilst forcing a "break of gauge" which keeps more imperialistic agents at bay. Drift technology is not trusted by most Arkers for several economic and religious reasons, and multiple incidents have beset Triune’s mission to build more Beacons around each Ark colony’s capital world. There is a “break of gauge” at Embassy Station. Pact World ships, equipped with Drift-capable drives, typically cannot undertake Beacon-less journeys and must transfer their cargo to Ark ships, which take on the rest of the journey in the safer but slower outskirts of Hyperspace.
Gameplay Changes
Embassy Station counts as a Far Space beacon for the purposes of travelling to other parts of the Starfinder galaxy.
Drift Beacons are required in order to use Drift engines. In-system travel is possible in any hex containing at least one Drift Beacon.
Ships using Drill Drives can drill in or out of the edge of any star system OR in the direct vicinity of a heavy star - they must first travel to either area using sublight travel.
Ark ships (built before the Great Jump or not) do not typically have any Signal Boosters. Thus, their Hyperspace Drive does not allow them to undertake journeys in the Drift. Instead, they have Drill Drives, which enable them to travel across the Stream and away from Embassy Station. A ship cannot have both a Drill Drive and a Signal Booster. A ship equipped solely with a Signal Booster cannot travel to any hex without a Drift Beacon.
Drill Drives may operate in a "lower phase mode", i.e. they can reduce their PCU usage to match the type, phase and travel time of an inferior engine type. They can be fitted on all ships regardless of size.
Engine Type + Phase Drill
Drill Drive (Phase 1) Drill Drive MkII (Phase 2) Drill Drive MkIII (Phase 3) Drill Drive MkIV (Phase 4) Psionic Drive (Phase 5) |
Travel Time
(Isochronic Map) 1 hex = 2d6 days of travel 1 hex = 1d8 days of travel 1 hex = 1d6 days of travel 1 hex = 1d4 days of travel 1 hex = 1d4 days of travel, divided by 2 if a Psychic Navigator is on board and brainjacked into the ship. |
Min PCU
75 100 150 175 200 |
Cost (BP)
2 x size cat 5 x size cat 10 x size cat 15 x size cat 20 x size cat |
Piloting Checks when using Drill Drives
All Drill drives require one single Piloting check (DC10, 15 minutes of preparation) in order to chart their course and jump into Hyperspace. The DC can be modified by the following reasons :
Failing a Piloting check
Using Gravity to reduce PCU/travel time On a Piloting DC of 15, a pilot can make a separate check to see if they can use a nearby gravitational field to halve their PCU consumption. If successful, they can also take 1d4 days off their travel time. The ship needs to be near a heavy enough object (a star) and this manoeuver does not work if the ship is equipped with a Drill Drive MkIII or above, regardless of the "phase mode". |