Glibness

Presence

Creativity

Empathy

Short Description

Charm, distract, or mislead others through smooth and confident speech — ideal for talking your way out of danger or twisting a conversation to your advantage.

Success Criteria

d100 + Glibness skill vs. DR 100 + target resilience

Effects

Success: You deflect attention, calm suspicion, or steer the conversation where you want

Modifiers and Restrictions

–20 DR — Target is distracted or predisposed to like you

‍–10 DR — Situation is informal or low-risk

‍+10 to +30 DR — Situation is formal or high-risk

‍+10 to +40 DR — You’re saying something controversial or implausible

‍+20 DR — The target is alert or suspicious due to your former actions

Action Examples

Caught in a restricted archive with a data crystal, you use Glibness to explain it as a clerical error. The GM sets DR to 130 due to clear evidence. You roll to see if your confident delivery deflects suspicion.

Long Description

Glibness is the art of appearing confident, innocent, or casually persuasive — even while lying, dodging questions, or distracting others. This skill excels when timing, tone, and surface credibility matter more than deep logic. It's used to mask inconsistencies, twist narratives, and insert confusion or levity in otherwise tense moments.

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It’s particularly effective in criminal, undercover, or fast-talking scenarios — escaping suspicion, deflecting blame, or changing the subject just long enough for a teammate to act. Unlike Deception, which depends on intricate lies, Glibness relies on presence and delivery — sometimes vague or nonsensical but emotionally persuasive

Sequencing

Smooth exit: Glibness -> Disengage -> Hide in Shadows -> Dash

Excellent with skills such as Manipulate Perception

Voice of Command (Telepathy) – Can punctuate a successful Glibness attempt with a compelling one-word directiv

Potential Counters

Sense Motive – Opposed roll; detects that your charm conceals ulterior motives

Detect Lie – Spots inconsistencies in your claims

Empathic Cloak – May provide resistance to persuasion-based approaches like Glibness

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.