Detect Traps

Reasoning
Intuition
Creativity

Short Description

Sense the presence of mechanical, magical, or technological traps before triggering them.

Success Criteria

Roll 1d100 + Trap Awareness skill vs. DR 100

Effects

On a successful check, you may:

- Identify the type of trap (mechanical, magical, tech)

- Locate the trigger or effect area

Modifiers and Restrictions

-20 DR to +60 DR - Trap quality

+10 DR – Trap is concealed within ordinary objects or terrain

+10 DR – You're moving quickly or under time pressure

+15 DR – Trap uses advanced tech, nanobots, or invisible mechanisms

+15 DR – You're in low light or poor visibility (fog, darkness, interference)

+20 DR – Magical illusion or hologram disguises the trap

+30 DR – Trap is part of a layered or nested system (e.g., decoy, chain reaction, fake-out)

–10 to –30 DR if trap is old, broken, or sloppily placed

–10 DR if used in focused, stationary inspection

Action Examples

Check locks, doors, items etc. for traps. Will often be an opposite roll against the difficulty of the trap or the skill check of the trapper.

Long Description

Detect Traps is the bread-and-butter skill of professional infiltrators, scouts, and rogue operatives. It enables a character to detect hidden hazards embedded in the environment - whether old mechanical snares, arcane glyphs, digital mines, or next-gen nanobot fields. This version of the skill is tuned for active use while moving through hostile zones or during missions where every step could trigger disaster.

The skill functions both passively (while maintaining high alert) and actively (when stopping to search). Unlike the Awareness-category version, this Thieving-based use focuses more on fieldwork and on-the-go scanning rather than broad environmental sensing. It doesn’t automatically allow for safe disarmament, but provides the critical first step: seeing the trap before it sees you.

Sequencing

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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.