Arcane Momentum

Reasoning
Memory
Presence

Short Description

Reverse the penalty for repeated spell use - accept an initial penalty to build casting momentum and fire off follow-up spells with increased precision and efficiency.

Success Criteria

Roll d100 versus DR 100

Effects

On success, apply a reduced casting penalty to the initial use of a repeated attack spell, and no penalty to the second use.

Penalty on the first cast is reduced by 5 + 5 per 15 success rate.

Modifiers and Restrictions

If you use this skill more than once in the same battle, your next Fatigue Threshold Roll is rolled with disadvantage (roll twice - use lowest).

Action Examples

A target is vulnerable by an ally’s clever maneuver, granting you a +25 advantage. You invoke Arcane Momentum to cast Lightning Bolt, accepting the initial repeat-cast penalty.

You roll 130, SR 30 → reduces the standard -25 penalty to -10

With the +25 bonus from the vulnerability, your net modifier is +15

In the next round, you recast Lightning Bolt with no repetition penalty thanks to Arcane Momentum

Long Description

Arcane Momentum allows battle-hardened spellcasters to defy the usual entropy of repeated spellcasting. Where most casters experience a decline in efficiency due to magical fatigue or defensive adaptation, those trained in Arcane Momentum accept a short-term drawback to trigger a burst of precision. This skill turns the first cast into a setup—reducing its penalty based on focus and rhythm—so that follow-up spells hit clean and without additional strain. It rewards measured escalation over spammed chaos.

Sequencing

Quickened Casting (Skill): Allows a second cast in same round for full momentum use (notice that you will get the penalty for attacking twice in the same battle round, but Quickened Casting can lower that).

Potential Counters

This skill cannot directly be countered, but the spells can.

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.