Divine Intervention

Reasoning
Creativity
Presence

Short Description

Invoke faith, ritual, or divine symbolism to sway decisions—whether through genuine belief or strategic use of spiritual authority.

Success Criteria

d100 + Divine Intervention skill vs. DR 100

Effects

Success: Your appeal carries spiritual weight, shifting perspective, calming aggression, or gaining support.

You receive a +5 bonus to any skills, spells and tech modules used against the target where you can invoke the faith for the rest of the encounter/combat. This is increased by +10 per 20 success rate.

Failure can lead to a very problematic situation.

Modifiers and Restrictions

–10 DR — Target shares your faith or spiritual alignment

–15 DR — You invoke a known ritual, sacred symbol, or location within a faith that the target shares

–10 DR — Your character is known or accepted as a practitioner

+10 to +30 DR — Target belongs to a different faith or is non-religious

+40 DR — You invoke a belief system viewed as hostile or false

+25 DR — You are perceived as manipulative or insencere

+5 DR — Per target up to 10 (50 is max)

Action Examples

In tense talks with a Covenant Knight, you invoke a passage from their own scripture. The GM reduces the DR to 85 due to shared faith and ritual invocation. You roll against this to shift their stance.

Long Description

Divine Intervention uses the language, symbolism, and presence of faith to influence outcomes. While some characters wield it through sincere devotion, others use it as a tool—invoking shared mythologies, sacred traditions, or institutional power to shift decisions.

This skill is particularly effective when navigating religious organizations, convincing the faithful, or invoking higher causes during crises. It becomes more difficult when used across belief systems or when spiritual authority is questioned. However, when executed with precision and understanding, it can calm violence, inspire devotion, and open doors otherwise sealed by politics or pride

Sequencing

Sequence with skills like: Manipulate Perception, Theology or Heraldry to improve your chances.

Creative use of the spell Foresight could help

Potential Counters

Influence Detection – Detects the buildup of spiritual or emotional manipulation

Sense Motive – Reveals hidden intent behind religious appeals

Truth Seeing — Allows the caster to detect lies and discern truth using cues from speech, body language, and psychological insight

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.