Humanistic Sciences

Creativity

Memory

Empathy

Short Description

A broad study of culture, language, literature, and arts, allowing a character to analyze cultural trends, translate ancient texts, and appreciate artistic works.

Success Criteria

Effects

Modifiers and Restrictions

Action Examples

Situation: You’re handed an unsigned poem or statue of unknown origin. Action: Use Humanistic Sciences to determine its creator, time period, and cultural significance. Roll vs DR 90+ depending on the obscurity of the item: On success, you gain insight into its origin, which can aid in social checks, artifact appraisal, or narrative discovery.

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Situation: You're attending a formal event hosted by a powerful noble who values tradition and art. Action: Use Humanistic Sciences to quote respected authors, reference local lore, or discuss philosophy. Roll vs DR 100+ depending on the situation: On success, you earn favor, gain a bonus to Diplomacy or Leadership rolls, or unlock a special social opportunity or alliance.

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Situation: Your team finds a partially damaged scroll or digital archive in a long-dead language. Action: Use Humanistic Sciences to analyze the structure and infer its meaning. Roll vs DR 100+ depending on the obscurity of the text: Success deciphers key instructions, warnings, or historical context, and can reveal passwords, coordinates, or hidden names.

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Long Description

Humanistic Sciences is the study of culture, language, literature, and the arts. It is useful when you need to engage with cultural elites, interpret artistic works, or translate ancient or foreign texts. This skill shines in diplomatic or academic encounters where insight into cultural values, traditions, or aesthetic expression matters.

It can help you impress a noble host, analyze symbolic meaning in an old mural, or identify the origin of a piece of writing. Combined with skills like Politics, Religion, or Archeology, it helps you navigate situations where deeper cultural understanding may yield vital social or historical insights.

Sequencing

Potential Counters

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.