Demolition Tactics

Boldness
Self Discipline
Agility

Short Description

Use explosive devices to weaken or destroy enemy cover, breach structures, and reshape the battlefield in your favor.

Success Criteria

Roll d100 against DR 100.

Effects

You can use explosives to weaken or destroy enemy cover.

Success: The affected cover is reduced by one tier (e.g., Full Cover → 75%, 75% → 50%, 50% → 25%, 25% → 0%).

Against soft cover, the effect is doubled—e.g., a 40% cover could be reduced directly to 10% if this bypasses the 20% threshold.

For every +25 you exceed the DR, the cover is reduced by one additional step.

Modifiers and Restrictions

–10 DR – Proper tools, time, and stable environment

+10 DR – Rushed placement or hostile conditions

+20 DR – Experimental charge, unstable mix, or improvised trigger

+20 DR – Attempting stealthy or undetectable setup under watch

Action Examples

In a narrow passage, you toss a fragmentation grenade at a cluster of crates being used as makeshift cover. DR 90. You beat the DR by 30, so the soft cover drops from 40% to 0% as the crates splinter apart.

Long Description

Demolition Tactics is the precise use of explosive force to strip away enemy protection during combat. By targeting defensive structures—such as barricades, debris piles, or vehicle-mounted shields—you can weaken or outright destroy the cover enemies rely on.

This skill allows you to disrupt static positions, force enemies into the open, and reduce the effectiveness of entrenched units. Softer materials are more vulnerable and may collapse entirely with a well-placed charge, while sturdier constructions require more precision or powerful delivery methods. The greater your success, the more significant the structural damage.

Explosives must be delivered via appropriate means, such as grenades, explosive arrows, or similar battlefield tools. Demolition Tactics is not about disarming bombs or breaching sealed doors—its sole focus is combat-based cover destruction. It’s a frontline solution to fortified positions, ideal for opening firing lanes and dictating enemy movement.

Sequencing

Sequence with the use of grenades as main attack ot deal damage to structure and those hiding behind it. Demolition tactics (1 AP) + Grenade (3 AP) = damage against newly demolished cover.

Potential Counters

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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.