Drive Vehicle

Agility
Quickness
Reasoning

Short Description

Drive Vehicle is the skill to handle land vehicles in extreme and demanding situations, allowing you to race, barge into combat or manoeuvre through rough terrain.

Success Criteria

Roll d100 against DR 80

Effects

On a successful roll you may gain ground on a car you are chasing, manage a hand-brake turn or plough through a crowd of enemies charging down a street.

Modifiers and Restrictions

+20 DR to make a jump across a chasm

+15 DR if driving through smoke or in complete darkness

+10 DR when driving off-road

-15 DR when driving in familiar areas

Action Examples

You are being chased by a helicopter across a grass field. You attempt to make defensive maneuvers to make a less easy target for the sniper above you. Roll d100 + your skill in Drive Vehicle against DR 90 (80 + off-road modifier).

You are driving your Gilvo X12 race car at 200 km/hour when you windshield is suddenly shattered. Roll against DR 80 to keep your vehicle on the road.

Long Description

In most civilised parts of the worlds you will find plenty of vehicles and a lot of persons driving. The Drive Vehicle skill allows you to handle difficult or unusual situations while driving.

Your skill allows you to handle any normal vehicle that are being used for everyday purposes. In a setting where everybody is driving moon cars, you will be familiar with this type of car.

Sequencing

Not optimized for sequencing. But Drive Vehicle may be used in combination with other skills.

Potential Counters

Drive Vehicle is not normally countered - but you may find yourself in an opposed roll battle with another driver during a chase.

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.