Defensive Feint

Defense

Agility

Presence

Creativity

Short Description

Mislead your opponent to create hesitation, letting you reposition or prepare a stronger defense.

Success Criteria

Roll 1d100 + Feinting bonus against DR 80 + target’s Intuition

Effects

Grants your success rate to your next defensive skill check made in the same round

Modifiers and Restrictions

-20 DR bonus for each Action Point you commit to doing the defensive feint.

-20 DR if the feint mimics a previously successful maneuver

+25 DR if you have feinted before in the same battle

Action Examples

You lunge as if going for a strike, then roll back out of range. Your opponent flinches, allowing you to use Disengage without provoking a reaction (or at least you potentially gain a hefty bonus to your disengage).

Long Description

While commonly associated with opening up offensive strikes, Feinting also excels as a defensive tool, especially when paired with movement or reactive skills. A well-timed feint can cause an enemy to hesitate, flinch, or commit early—creating a window to escape, reposition, or enter a defensive stance with a +20 bonus to your next defensive skill that round.

This use of Feinting encourages clever sequencing: bait the opponent, then react with evasive or stance-based actions. It rewards tactical play and improvisation over brute force, making it ideal for agile or cerebral fighters who rely on control rather than armor.

Sequencing

Defensive Feint (1 AP) + Riposte (2/3 AP) = You feint that you will tumble, but instead you riposte (potentially with a large bonus)

Defensive Feint (1 AP) + Defensive Stance (1 AP) = You feint that you will go offensive, but instead opt to use the skill defensive stance to go really defensive

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Potential Counters

Feints - will often lead to an opposed roll

Smart Counterfire Module (TAS) - grants a bonus to attacks against a target that has just done a successful defensive maneuver.

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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.