Intimidate

Presence
Empathy
Boldness

Short Description

Use your presence and force of will to unnerve or dominate an opponent through fear.

Success Criteria

Skill +d100 roll vs. DR 100 + Target Resilience

Effects

Success: The target becomes intimidated and suffers a penalty equal to half your Success Rate on their next opposite roll against you and your allies.

Modifiers and Restrictions

+20 DR per additional attempt

Action Examples

You stride into the enemy's command post, armor scorched and eyes blazing. You roll a total of 120. Your opponent has 40 in Self Discipline and rolls a 50 for a total of 90. The taget suffers a -19 penalty on their next opposed action against you or any of your allies.

Long Description

The Intimidate skill is your ability to force fear and doubt into the hearts of others. Whether with physical presence, raw charisma, or calculated psychological pressure, this skill turns encounters into one-sided confrontations where you hold the psychological high ground.

It is a tactical weapon in its own right—crippling enemies before a fight, breaking them mid-combat, or asserting dominance in negotiations and social encounters. Used well, it creates openings and forces opponents into mistakes.

Sequencing

Sequence with skills, spells and modules that can end in opposed rolls such as disengage, feints or the spell abyssal grasp.

Potential Counters

May be opposed by the target’s own Intimidate or similar skill

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.