Glance

Agility
Self Discipline
Boldness

Short Description

You twist or shift your posture at the last moment to protect vital areas, avoiding critical hits while still taking full damage.

Success Criteria

Opposite Roll against the incoming attack using your Glance skill.

Effects

Removes the critical effect and critical damage of a hit, but you take max damage from the attack (4

Modifiers and Restrictions

Standard combat modifiers.

Action Examples

Use as a reaction against an attacker - very effective against those that rely on critical hits.

  • Twisting your shoulder just enough to let the blade graze ribs instead of piercing a lung
  • Dropping low to take a gunshot through the shoulder instead of the face
  • Long Description

    Glance is a reactive defensive skill used to reduce the most dangerous part of an incoming attack — the critical effects. It doesn’t prevent damage, but ensures that even deadly hits don’t cripple you by targeting vital organs or joints. The skill works best when you anticipate danger and train your body to shift instinctively under pressure.Used consistently, Glance becomes a cornerstone of survival for light-armored characters and melee fighters who frequently face crit-heavy enemies or status-inflicting blows.

    Sequencing

    Dodge Missile → Glance (2 AP) – Avoid part of a ranged attack and mitigate any critical hit that connects

    Potential Counters

    Power attack - deals extra damage outside of any critical hit.

    Crush Armor - damages armor and lowers defense

    Feints - trick opponent to use Glance at the wrong time

    Spells - does not rely on critical hits

    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.