Formation Control

Reasoning
Presence
Boldness

Short Description

Maintain and adjust team formations during battle to maximize group coordination, allowing quick stance adjustments and tactical communication without spending AP.

Success Criteria

Roll 1d100 + Formation Control skill vs. DR 100

Effects

All allies may swap stance once this round without paying the normal AP cost.

The group also gains +10 seconds per 10 Success Rate to plan tactics aloud in real time (e.g., SR 30 = 30 seconds discussion).

Modifiers and Restrictions

Allies must be within 20 meters of you to benefit from this skill.

Action Examples

Restructuring stances while backing into defensive cover:

Situation: As enemies advance, the squad pulls back into a 20-meter radius around the leader.

DR = 100

Roll = 127 → SR = 27

Result: All allies switch to defensive stance for free. Team has +20 seconds to plan aloud.

Long Description

Formation Control represents a battlefield commander’s ability to dynamically manage and maintain combat formations without breaking flow. It enables quick adjustment of stances (offensive, defensive, balanced) during engagements, improving unit cohesion and tactical efficiency. This ability becomes crucial in rapidly shifting scenarios, where teams need to adapt their posture on the fly—whether falling into defensive posture after a breach, preparing a charge, or holding a flank.

The skill also allows for brief but vital in-character tactical coordination. A successful Formation Control check gives the team real-time seconds to talk and strategize during combat. This can radically improve decision-making, help coordinate sequencing of attacks, or clarify positioning without the chaos of normal initiative restrictions. The length of the discussion window depends entirely on Success Rate, reinforcing the impact of leadership under pressure.

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.