Using Traveller and Star Wars Inspired Mechanics for Star Trek Warp Speed

Here’s the draft of the warp mechanics I plan to use in my upcoming home-brew D6 based Star Trek RPG.

First off, I’ll use a sector map that works much like the Traveller RPG, using hexes (although you could just as easily use squares if you prefer). Each hex (or square) is one parsec across and would have at most one star system (although most hexes are empty space).

A Constitution class starship traveling at its standard cruising speed of warp 6 will travel one parsec (or one hex) in 24 hours. This makes for easy math: a Constitution class ship could travel to a star system that is 8 hexes away in 8 days.

Warp speeds run from about 0.5 at the low end (from the early days of warp technology), to a theoretical maximum of 10 (see memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Warp_factor). In the Original Series era, I’ll assume warp speeds for Federation ships have about six levels, with normal cruising speeds running from warp 3.6 to warp 8.

To calculate travel times for ships running at warp speeds higher or lower than warp 6, I’ll use a warp multiplier, inspired by the hyperdrive multiplier in West End Games D6 Star Wars. To determine travel times from one hex to another, simply multiply the warp multiplier of a given warp speed times the number of hexes (or parsecs).

I will also create a mechanic similar to West End Games D6 Star Wars to adjudicate the risk levels of going at faster warp levels for prolonged periods of time than your ship’s standard warp rating.

I’d love to hear your feedback on the above! I hope to eventually create a robust map of the Taurus Reach and publish it publicly using the above mechanics as a great sandbox-style adventuring sector, similar to FASA’s Triangle area of space.

(Side note: I plan to use the most excellent travellermap.com/make/poster map maker at TravellerMap.com to create the Taurus Reach map. Stay tuned!)