Heist Specialist

Reasoning
Intuition
Creativity

Short Description

When entering a location you've visited before, you can roll to see if your former self prepared the area - by hiding an item, scouting a blind spot, or setting up a future advantage.

Success Criteria

Roll 1d100 + Heist Specialist bonus vs DR 100 + Modifiers

Effects

On success, you may declare that a specific object or setup is already in place from a prior visit:

  • A hidden tool, uniform, weapon, or comm device
  • A mapped blind spot, patrol timing, or vent route
  • A cut wire, loosened panel, or sabotaged mechanism

Modifiers and Restrictions

–20 DR if the object is small, common, or easily hidden

–10 DR if the area is poorly patrolled or rarely checked

+10 to +30 DR if the location is heavily secured, guarded, or monitored

+10 to +40 DR if you're stashing something suspicious (weapon, explosives)

+10 DR if trying to identify a pattern without sufficient observation time

Action Examples

You’re in the middle of a tense infiltration and want to recognize a guard pattern you might have noted last time :DR = 100 + 20 (chaotic conditions) = 120

Roll = 126 → SR = 6 → You recall the route well enough to time your movement

Long Description

Heist Specialist allows you to make use of actions your character may have taken earlier—even if they weren’t declared at the time. When returning to a familiar location, you can roll to determine whether your former self already hid useful gear, sabotaged a system, or memorized key patterns.

This retroactive flexibility reflects the instincts and habits of someone who always prepares for the worst, even offscreen. It doesn't require advance planning during gameplay—it simply assumes that your character may have been quietly, professionally laying the groundwork all along.

It’s especially useful in stealth missions, break-ins, jailbreaks, and deep-cover operations, where quick access to a hidden tool or bypass route can shift the balance at a critical moment.

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.