Captain

Boldness

Presence

Creativity

Short Description

With the Captain skill you can lay out a plan and make people follow your orders - in order to operate larger vessels that require several crew-members to cooperate. Alternatively the captain skill can be used as a tactical skill in battle.

Success Criteria

Roll d100 + your Captain skill against DR 100

Effects

If successful you can organise your crew and handle difficult or dangerous situations on a large vessel like a 3-masted schooner or a large spaceship.

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The Captain skill can be used as a tactical skill in battle. On a success you add 1 extra combat phase for your allies to use (a 7th phase) giving them more tactical room for maneuver than their opponents. For each +20 success you may add an extra phase.

Modifiers and Restrictions

+30 DR if you try to Captain alien or highly complex types of vessels

+20 DR if communication with your crew is severely hindered (or the crew is untrained)

+2 DR per crew member less than optimal number

-20 DR on a familiar vessel with a trained crew

Action Examples

Your group boards and take over an enemy spacecraft - a large military carrier that normally requires a trained crew of 20 to operate. Your rally your 5 party members to take control of the ship and divert its course towards your home planet. Roll on your Pilot Spacecraft skill first. Then roll your Captain skill against DR 130 (DR 100 + 30 for just having 5 out of the required 20 crew).

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Your party jumps in a rowing boat and attempts to escape pursuers in another rowing boat. Use you captain skill to get your untrained party members to row in time. Roll against DR 100.

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Long Description

Organising a crew to handle a large vessel is no easy feat. With the Captain skill you are trained in just that. You can Captain any type of crew (untrained crew members may give you penalties) on any type of vessel or vehicle. Normally you will need to have a basic knowledge of the vessel type - i.e. have ranks in pilot boat to Captain a boat or ship. Most large vessels needs a captain in order to function.

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The Captain skill can also be helpful in battle. This does not require you to be on a vessel. With you excellent coordination skills you can help your allies outmanoeuvre their opponents. Adding extra phases to your allies battle round can be immensely effective.

Sequencing

Must be sequenced with a piloting skill for the relevant type of vessel - pilot boat, pilot starship or similar - in order to work.

Potential Counters

Not normally countered.

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.