Acting

Presence

Empathy

Creativity

Short Description

Acting is the skill of portraying characters in performances, using voice, emotion, and movement to bring stories to life. Enhances the effect of magical or technological illusions with persons in them.

Success Criteria

Effects

Modifiers and Restrictions

Action Examples

Situation: You need to buy time while your team bypasses guards or sets an ambush. Action: Use Acting to stage a dramatic public incident—feigned collapse, argument, or charismatic performance. Roll vs DR based on the situation and how suspicious the targets are: Success draws attention toward you, giving allies stealth or repositioning bonuses, or delaying enemy actions.

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Situation: You’ve conjured a holographic or magical double of a political figure. Action: Use Acting to match the tone, cadence, and gestures of the figure in real time. Roll vs DR 100+ depending on the situation: Success raises the illusion’s believability, imposing penalties on Insight or Awareness checks to detect the trick.

Long Description

Acting is the skill of embodying roles through voice, emotion, and movement to create convincing performances. It is especially useful in situations where deception or disguise is needed in public settings - posing as a member of a guild, distracting crowds, or blending into unfamiliar social groups. This skill is also powerful in enhancing magical or technological illusions that involve humanoid characters, making them more believable or intimidating.

Acting is highly effective when paired with Disguise for full persona immersion, or with Bluff and Public Speaking for persuasive storytelling and false identities. In combat or tense social scenarios, it can serve as a soft-control tool - redirecting attention or diffusing hostility by presenting a false narrative or emotional performance. Characters who rely on illusion magic, infiltration, or social manipulation often use Acting as a cornerstone of their strategies.

Sequencing

Potential Counters

How to use this page

All the information above is intended as a guide to help you navigate the many situations that can arise during your game. Since it's both impossible—and frankly uninspiring—to plan for every possible outcome, players are encouraged to think creatively when using their skills. Game Masters, in turn, are encouraged to embrace and support that creativity.

Whenever possible, aim to resolve situations through narrative choices, logical thinking and role playing. If that’s not feasible, agree on a Difficulty Rating (DR) using the provided Success Criteria and Modifiers. These are not rigid rules, but suggestions - starting points to help you find the right level of challenge. The player describes their intended action, and the Game Master proposes a DR. This should be open to brief discussion at the table, ideally resulting in consensus. If not, the Game Master has the final say.

It’s important to emphasize that all suggested effects, modifiers, and action examples are exactly that: suggestions. If you’re unsure how to resolve something, they offer a reliable fallback—but wherever possible, we encourage you to push boundaries. That’s where some of the most memorable and exciting moments in play are born.

Sequencing and Potential Counters are far from exhaustive. With hundreds of skills, spells, and tech modules in the game, the possibilities are too vast to list. You’re encouraged to explore combinations that make sense in your story and setting and in the situations that arise in your game. Sequencing and countering are core to Cosmic Odyssey - they’re where strategic depth meets dramatic flair, and where legendary moments often take shape. Even if no sequencing and counters are mentioned, some certainly exists and can be smartly utilized.

So explore boldly, improvise wisely, and enjoy the game as it unfolds around your choices.