Insight

Empathy
Reasoning
Intuition

Short Description

Read subtle cues in tone, posture, emotion, and logic to understand what someone truly means or feels - beyond what’s being said.

Success Criteria

Roll 1d100 + Insight bonus vs DR 100

Opposed Roll if the target is actively trying to mislead or conceal intentions using Deception, Glibness, Strategic Deception, or similar skills

Effects

Success lets you understand whether the person is being genuine or masking something

Modifiers and Restrictions

–10 to –20 DR if target is emotional, distracted, or poorly trained in deception

+10 DR if target is highly trained or emotionally guarded

+10 to +20 DR if you lack sufficient context or background information

–10 DR if you have interacted with the target before

Action Examples

Trying to tell if a captured smuggler is bluffing: DR = 100 + 15 (trained in deception) = 115

Roll: 132 → SR = 17 → You sense uncertainty and know they’re hiding something

Long Description

Insight is the ability to go beyond spoken words and surface gestures—reading emotional undercurrents, understanding hidden motivations, and connecting subtle clues. Whether interrogating a prisoner, sizing up a rival, or preparing for negotiation, Insight enables characters to cut through falsehoods, uncover doubt, or anticipate betrayal.The skill is not just for catching lies - it’s for understanding, in social, tactical, and even strategic settings.

Sequencing

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Potential Counters

Deception and similar skills will lead to opposed rolls

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.